Workshop: Bringing Our Differences into the Light

Ministry and Counsel Committee of Frederick Friends Meeting is sponsoring a 2 hour workshop on May 18th from  1-3pm on the topic of better listening and dialogue among Friends (seeking to open up conversations about our differences.)

The workshop will be led by members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting's Ministry and Counsel Committee. Since space is limited to 30, preregistration is requested.  Please sign up by contacting Francy Williams. If you do not have her contact information, you can send a message for her to webmaster@frederickfriends.org. 

Background Information

Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s [BYM] Ministry and Pastoral Care [M&PC] Committee has observed a wide range of apparently conflicting theological identities and beliefs among Friends within the Yearly Meeting. We’ve also observed that sometimes our differences, real or perceived, divide us.

At BYM’s Annual Session in 2013 Erik Hanson [Takoma Park] and Joan Liversidge [Sandy Spring] offered a two-hour workshop on better listening and dialog between Friends. It was transformational experience for participants, who included members of M&PC Committee.

M&PC Committee is eager to make this workshop experience available to Friends throughout BYM. In November 2013 Erik and Joan gave a training session for members of M&PC on how to facilitate the workshop.

Through group activities, structured dialogue, and listening exercises the two-hour workshop seeks to open up conversations about our differences. Segments are:

1.     Distinguishing dialog from debate.
2.     Listening exercises.
3.     Expressing experiences such as feeling understood and defining dialog.
4.     Seeing our continuum of theological differences.
5.     Worship sharing on the experiences of listening to our differences.