Covenant Group-April 21, 2002 Are we a welcoming church?
Review of Rules:
Use the talking stick for check-in and at the beginning of our discussion and at check-out.
Make "I" statements.
No advice unless it is asked for. We are here primarily to listen to one another and to share.
Share the time so that everyone has an opportunity to speak.
Holding silence is encouraged.
Opening Words-
We welcome you to this circle. Whatever your reason for being here, we are glad that you came. Whatever beliefs you bring with you, we hope that you share them with us.
Whatever joys and concerns you have today, we are here to hear them. Thank you for coming. At the beginning of each gathering we "check-in". For newcomers tell us a little about yourselves. For the rest of us, tell us what has happened in your life since we were last together…
Check-in:
Opening Reading:
There is a special challenge in liberal religion: Our very principles, our commitment to openness and diversity, and our hope to "make the circle wider til it embraces all the living" will inevitably bring us into tension around issues of race, culture, class and style. It’s no crime or sin to want to be comfortable. The danger to our spirit comes when our comfort is more important to us than our welcome, more important than our commitment to be a religious community open to all. That commitment means that our familiar sense of how things should happen is bound to be challenged. When it is, we have a choice. We can simply decide that it’s "not my church any more" and walk away or we can find the courage to cross our threshold of comfort and find the power that’s waiting on the other side.
from a sermon, "This is not my church"
by Rev. David Takahashi-Morris (1-27,2002)
Questions: Are we a welcoming church? What do we do right?
What needs improvement?
How can we become a more welcoming community?
How can we as individuals and as a covenant group help this to happen?
Closing Words 442 We Bid You Welcome
We bid you welcome,
Who come with weary spirit seeking rest.
Who come with troubles that are too much with you,
Who come hurt and afraid.
We bid you welcome,
Who come with hope in your heart.
Who come with anticipation in your step,
Who come proud and joyous.
We bid you welcome,
Who are seekers of a new faith.
Who come to probe and explore.
Who come to learn.
We bid you welcome,
Who enter this group like a homecoming.
Who have found here room for your spirit.
Who find in this people a family.
Whoever you are, whatever you are,
Wherever you are on your journey.
We bid you welcome.
Check-out: As we leave, please say just a few words about how you feel about tonight’s group experience.
Administrative Details:
Scheduling future meetings
Sharing the leadership