Friday, July 25-Sunday July 27
A Summer Weekend Workshop at Columbia Friends Meeting by Mary Ann Downey and Bill Holland
What is Unity & Consensus?
Learn about Quaker process–Peaceful process. It doesn’t necessarily mean quiet (or relaxing), but it has the ingredients for building what Friends call beloved community.
Friends, at their best, had some useful practices that manifested their beliefs. Some of these practices have been observed and/or used in other religious or cultural groups–even political groups and clinical psychologists! Maybe because they serve human connection so well. As Friends listen expectantly for Spirit during silent worship, so can they listen for Spirit in daily life, especially during interactions with other people–within each of whom Spirit resides.
Get practice learning how to listen, REALLY listen, without judgement. Learn how to scaffold and nurture one another and create safe space for becoming vulnerable and open to one another, for forging trust and connection. A low-cost, sliding scale registration fee covers materials, three workshop sessions facilitated by Mary Ann and Bill Downey (Atlanta Friends Meeting), potluck dinner Friday night [vegetarian/vegan], and fresh bread and lentil soup to go with a bagged lunch that participants bring. Friends are encouraged to follow their leadings Saturday night towards impromptu dinners, meetings, sing-a-longs, dancing, or something else.
Friday 6-8 p.m.: Potluck dinner (brought by Columbia friends who are able), video clip, and introductions
Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Overview and listening practice in pairs.
Bring your own bagged lunch to go with lentil soup and bread.
After lunch, groups listen to one person (Quakers call this activity “Clearness committees.”)
Sunday (after 10 a.m. Silent Worship): Practice active listening as a large group–being curious, searching for knowing about another’s experience–without judgement and without fear. We will talk about a topic that people disagree about. We will honor the light in one another through practice following our leadings and letting others follow theirs, feeling our feelings, and letting others feel theirs.
Facilitators
Mary Ann Downey directed a non-profit bringing people together to bridge differences and make decisions. She has experience as clerk and board member for organizations including American Friends Service Committee, Friends Journal, Friends General Conference, and Earlham School of Religion. She is a member of Atlanta Friends Meeting and is recognized with a minute of support for her ministry facilitating discernment for individual and group decisions.
Bill Holland is a member of Atlanta Friends Meeting and has served the meeting in many capacities. He is a trained counselor and social scientist recently retired from teaching sociology at Georgia State University in Atlanta. With Mary Ann Downey, Bill co-leads workshops on deepening the spiritual life and developing skills for group decision making. He sees Quaker individual and communal discernment processes as two gifts Friends must share with the world.