1. Practicing Discernment Together
A Resource for Local Church Discernment Committees and Association Committees on Ministry
Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization (MESA) Ministry Team
United Church of Christ
This resource includes practices for small groups, large groups and individuals. It is offered here for Local Church Discernment Committees and Association Committees on Ministry,
but it can be adapted for multiple settings and multiple purposes.

2. A fundamental task of every Local Church Discernment Committee or Association Committee on Ministry is to engage in discernment, with each other and with Members in Discernment, in covenant with the whole church. Discernment is a “churchy word” that can have multiple meanings and be practiced in many different ways.
Discernment is …

3. A Fundamental Disposition
For our purposes, we understand discernment as a way we live our lives, thoughtfully and faithfully. It is the fundamental disposition of aligning ourselves with a felt and experienced sense of God’s Spirit moving in and empowering our lives.

4. A Christian Practice
Discernment is also the Christian practice of regularly seeking God’s call in the midst of the decisions that mark one’s life.

5. A Communal Practice
Communal practice of discernment places group decisions within the context of God’s transforming activity. It trusts that resolution based on something larger than self-interest and partisanship is possible…the goal of God’s activity being the New Creation.

6. The practice of discernment makes intentional a process of reflection on and participation with God’s Spirit as the fundamental context in which we live and make choices.
Every action in the discernment process begins and ends with an eye toward “presencing” the Holy Spirit. .
If discernment is a journey, then our GPS is the Gracious Presence of the Spirit.

7. Local Churches and Committees on Ministry as Discerning Communities
There are any number of resources on practicing communal discernment. Some simple guidelines help illumine the way.
Local Churches and Committees on Ministry as Discerning Communities

8. Rules of the Road Be fully present, extending and presuming welcome.
Listen generously and suspend judgement about another’s story. Hold stories with care and respect.
Author your own story and share your own gifts.
Rules of the Road
If we understand discernment as a journey we undertake with others, these are the “rules of the road.”
Facilitator’s Note: If you have time, unpack together what these guidelines look like in action or reflect on what they mean in practice. (No more than 1 minute for each “rule.”)

9. Turn to wonder. Welcome the discomfort. Love the questions.
Be mindful and respectful of time.
Practice confidentiality.
Rules of the Road, cont.
Facilitator’s Note: If you have time, unpack together what these guidelines look like in action or reflect on what they mean in practice. (No more than 1 minute for each “rule.”)

10. Believe that it is possible for us to emerge from our time together refreshed, surprised, and less burdened than when we came.
Rules of the Road, cont.
Facilitator’s Note: If you have time, unpack together what these guidelines look like in action or reflect on what they mean in practice. (No more than 1 minute for each “rule.”)

11. Breathe in the Spirit of God
Breathe in the Spirit of God. I say to God, “You are my Sovereign; I have no good apart from you.” Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy. (From the Psalm 16:2,9,11a)
Tell a story that demonstrates an occasion when you embodied the love of God, trust in Jesus, and/or openness to the Holy Spirit. How did you know that the divine was present?
Take time now to share stories with one another, practicing “holy speaking” and ‘holy listening.” Begin with silence and attention to breathing in the Spirit of God.
Facilitator’s Note: After a few moments of silence, read the passage clearly and slowly. Then, invite the participants to break into small groups of 3 – 4 to share their stories according to the question above. Remind them that this is an opportunity for “holy speaking” and “holy listening,” i.e., practicing the rules of the road discussed above. Take minutes for the story telling. When you call the large group back together, invite them to open their copy of Journaling the Journey to page 6, and point out that they just shared on the first mark in section one, “Spiritual Foundations for Ministry,” of the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers in the UCC. Ask for brief feedback on what this experience was like for them, eliciting answers from 3 or 4 people.

12. A Discernment Travelogue …
Affirming that Discernment
Is a fundamental disposition
Is grounded in prayer and Scripture
Is informed by a number of practices
Honors diversity of human experience
Is embodied in particular contexts and individuals …
A Discernment Travelogue …
There are many practices and traditions that are “discerning.” Examples include Ignatian Spirituality, Quaker Clearness Committees, and Spiritual Direction or Companioning. Some cultures acknowledge Spirit Guides and practice Spirit Quests or Vision Journeys. Know your culture and your contexts. Invite into your group cultural translators, as needed. Remember the “silver rule’: treat others the way they would like to be treated instead of treating others the way you want to be treated (the golden rule).

13. … inviting and making space through silence, words, and intentionality for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Begin with prayer …
One roadmap for discernment may look like this …

14. … What needs to be discerned. What is at stake and for whom
… What needs to be discerned? What is at stake and for whom? Are there questions behind the questions?
Name the question(s) …
An example might be: How do call, discernment, and community intersect in our work as a Local Church Discernment Committee or an Association Committee on Ministry? How is discernment a part of how we “are” with one another as well as a guide to what we “do” together as we engage in decision making and the implementation of policies?

15. Open to the power of Scripture …
… Is there a story or passage that speaks to this moment in the life of the discerning body?
Open to the power of Scripture …
As you consider your work as a Local Church Discernment Committee or an Association Committee on Ministry, what Scripture passages or stories guide you?

16. Ask questions that lead to dialogue between stories ….
… the story of the one(s) in Discernment, The Story as it comes to us through the life of Christ and Christ’s church, and the Story of God’s future that is unfolding before us.
Ask questions that lead to dialogue between stories ….
Take as much time as is needed for this. Enter into the depths of dialogue that may open up new ways of perceiving and understanding, technically known as “aha moments.”

17. Enter into silence as needed. “I waited on the Lord.”
More silence may be needed than expected. Silence also makes room for introverts and disciplines extroverts.

18. Reflect, inviting the guidance of the Holy Spirit …
What is at stake?
What are the possible responses?
Are we asking the right questions?
In what direction is God calling us, for the sake of the church?
What is God’s good news for us now?
Reflect, inviting the guidance of the Holy Spirit …

19. When discernment moves toward decision …
Are we ready?
What are our next steps?
Who will be responsible for what, by when, accountable to whom?
A note on know and no …
When discernment moves toward decision …
Restate the question(s). Rename the stakeholders. Remember the presence of the Spirit. Understand that “no” is sometimes the most faithful answer, offering “gracious boundaries” (Augustine of Hippo).

20. End with prayer …
Just as theology and ministry always begin and end with prayer, so does the work of discernment. In many ways, discernment is prayer itself when understood as communing with God and God’s people, in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

21. Reflection and sharing …
Share a story of an occasion when a community testified to your call by God.
What were the fruits of that experience?
In what ways was it life-giving?
In what ways was this experience a participation in God’s transforming presence in the world?
Reflection and sharing …
Take time now for reflection and sharing.
Facilitator’s Note: Invite the participants to return to their small groups and share according to the above questions. Note that the questions relate to the Marks, Section 1: Spiritual Foundations for Ministry, #5: Openness to continuing discernment of one’s call in community. See also Journaling the Journey, page 14. (10 minutes)
Depending on how much time you have, this small group conversation can be skipped . Simply “hide the slide” before you begin your presentation.

22. Discernamentarian A guide for the journey
Consider appointing one or more people to serve as discernamentarians for all meetings. (Know the gifts of those among you.) The role of the discernamentarian is to listen and watch for the movement of the Spirit, to call for times of prayer, silence, story telling, reflection … whatever they sense will connect the group and its work with the “presencing” of the Holy Spirit.

23. When diverse cultures meet,
practice hospitality and inclusion.
There are a number of excellent resources on discernment, but not all of them are intentional about intercultural competencies, awareness, and communication. Particular communities should not assume that the language, thought processes or spiritual practices of Western/European traditions (i.e., the dominant historical influences in mainline Protestant Christianity in the United States) speak to all contexts of ministry. The discernment of a variety of ways of hearing God should be explored together, especially where diverse cultures meet. Together, we must be discerning about discernment itself.

24. “Discernment doesn’t just happen
“Discernment doesn’t just happen. It must be spiritually nurtured within the culture of the team. A team that is grounded in God’s spirit, and open to authentic discernment, will cultivate its presence, its process, and its practices.”
Susan Beaumont
This quote appears in an article by Susan Beaumont on group discernment. How is your Committee on Ministry grounded in God’s spirit and open to authentic discernment?

25. In what concrete ways will you nurture a spirit of discernment in your work as a Committee on Ministry? How will you “cultivate its presence, its process, and its practices?”
Facilitator’s Note: Ask the participants to discuss the questions above in small groups. Then, after calling the large group back together, ask individuals to note one thing they will take away from this presentation to put into practice. Keep this brief. If you go around the group, let participants know they have the option to say “pass.”

26. Know that you are not alone in your work
Know that you are not alone in your work. You have covenantal partners on this journey. In your ministry, you are blessed to be a blessing. Amen.
Abundant blessings.

27. And thank you! http://www.ucc.org/ministers
For more resources on the processes of discernment toward authorization for ministry in the United Church of Christ, please visit our website.
Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization (MESA) Ministry Team
United Church of Christ