1. Ruling Elders as Spiritual Leaders Building Your House on the Rock

2. What was your first reaction to being asked to serve as a ruling elder (either the first time or a subsequent time)? How did you feel about your adequacy? Why did you say “yes”? What did you think about as you agreed to serve?

3. Matthew 7:24-27 Christians need a spiritual foundation. Ruling elders who serve in particular leadership roles, need a spiritual foundation.

4. Ruling Elders having “maturity of faith” being “compassionate in spirit” measuring the congregation’s “fidelity to the Word of God” exercising “spiritual discernment”

5. I Peter 5:1-3 How do we, as ruling elders, take our role as spiritual leaders seriously? How do we build up that spiritual foundation so that we can lead others and serve as shepherds?

6. Foundation Practices for Ruling Elders Prayer Scripture/Bible Reading Meeting Leading Discernment Building Relationships/Community Practicing Sabbath Pastoral Care

7. RE Foundation Practices Prayer God Box Examen Sleeping with Bread by Linn, Linn, Linn Gratitude Journal Praying in Color Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth Transformational Clay Prayers of the Community

8. RE Foundation Practices Scripture/Bible Reading Reading/studying Daily Lectionary www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/devotions/ lectio divina

9. RE Foundation Practices Meeting Leading Liturgy for Discernment Word, Share, Prayer http://www.vitalchurchesinstitute.com/pages/word-share-prayer

10. Liturgy for Discernment Ritual Draw attention to the presence of God A song, silence, or lighting a candle Relating Community Check-In Offer a word or phrase about how you enter this space/time Receiving Turn attention more fully to God; Pray Pray using a modified version of lectio divina or awareness examen Ruminating Listen to what each group member noticed during prayer time Take turns sharing your reflections Reflecting Reflect upon our call (moving from individual to group purpose/identity) Responding Attend to agenda items, pausing between items to be aware of the prayer and sharing that has occurred Returning Close in prayer, returning attention to God. Adapted from the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project and Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007)

11. RE Foundation Practices Meeting Leading Liturgy for Discernment Word, Prayer, Share http://www.vitalchurchesinstitute.com/pages/word-share-prayer

12. RE Foundation Practices Discernment Mutual Invitation The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Society by Eric Law Community Discernment The Soul of Discernment: A Spiritual Practice for Communities and Institutions By Elizabeth Liebert

13. RE Foundation Practices Building Relationships/Community Worship Participation in the community Practicing Sabbath Pastoral Care

14. Resources Regarding Ruling Elders New issues available monthly Ability to receive notifications Archived issue on Ruling Elders as Spiritual LeadersRuling Elders as Spiritual Leaders Ruling Elder Website Workshops Links to helpful resources Registration for the Ruling Elder Network