Discerning God’s Will Together: is it even possible?

This workshop will introduce council members and other church leadership teams to the practice of intentionally seeking God’s will for their faith community. But what is discernment? How is it different from taking a vote or winning a debate? Participants will be introduced to a clear but rich process of Biblical discernment outlined in Ruth Haley Barton’s book Pursuing God’s Will Together. Participants will also engage Barton’s challenging thesis that a “conversion” of sorts is needed if church leadership teams hope to make decisions with the confidence & joy expressed by the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. “It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us….”

Facilitator: Wilma van der Leek, Curator, Servant Leadership