Tapestry of Faith: Building the World We Dream About: An Anti-racism Multicultural Program

Opening

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Worship table or designated space
  • Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED/battery-operated candle
  • Participant evaluations from previous workshop
  • List of this workshop's Goals
  • Covenant established in Workshop 1

Preparation for Activity

  • Practice reading the chalice lighting aloud.
  • Review participant evaluations from the previous workshop. Discuss with your co-facilitators any patterns or concerns that have emerged. Prepare to briefly share feedback with the group, while keeping confidentiality.

Description of Activity

Light the chalice or invite a participant to light it while you read these words from William Francis Hobgood aloud:

The critical element in transforming change is that the congregation discover a sense of mission and reform its life to carry out that mission. I understand transforming to be that process and time when a congregation begins to feel itself drawn to a particular mission, and decides to commit itself entirely to living that mission. Whether from crisis or intentional decision when times seemed well, transforming means a willingness to die in order to live again. It cannot happen unless it is taken as a profound step of faith.

Share feedback from the previous workshop evaluations. Acknowledge shared patterns and observations to give participants a sense of how people in the group are thinking and feeling about the program. Be conscientious about maintaining confidentiality. One technique is to say, "Some people felt... ," rather than saying, "One of you felt... ." If time allows, invite participants to share one-minute observations or new insights they may have gained since the last workshop.

Remind participants of the spirit of their covenant.

Share the goals of this workshop.