Facilitating

Practicing the Monday Connection

O r g a n i z i n g

The program runs from September through May, some groups extend to June, but the program has an annual beginning and end. Registration for the next annual cycle can be taken at the last meeting. New registration and advertising can begin immediately in May or June.

This program models two things by meeting outside of church buildings and having lay leadership. We are carrying our faith into the world by meeting in a public place. The people who carry the faith into the workplace are ordinary pewsitting Baptized people, which by national cannon (Title I Cannon 1.2.7) and the catechism (page 855) of the Episcopal Church are identified and recognized as ministers of the church and responsible for representing Christ wherever they may be.

Congregations can be most supportive by 1)photocopying the local materials (basic brochure, schedule / registration form, and the monthly guideline / agenda), 2) orally and in print announcing the formation of the group, and 3) clergy encouraging participation.

An organizer is needed to locate a meeting place which does not charge a room rental, decide on a breakfast or dinner meeting time, and advertise the program. This can be done by parish staff or interested lay person.

A site coordinator is needed to receive the registrations, and purchases and mails double postcards to participants, which is the monthly reminder / confirmation device. Participants return the reservation postcard to the site coordinator so that the site coordinator can notify the restaurant of the count for the monthly meeting.

The site coordinator could be a member of the parish staff, a parish leader, or a participant in a group.  A site coordinator may function for more than one meeting location.

A meeting leader is a member of the group who leads the group through the agenda.

Members of the clergy may attend meetings and may be members of the group, as the church is a workplace. Some meetings never have clergy in attendance. Some meetings have clergy occasionally visit. When it comes to living your life as a Christian in the work place everyone sitting around the table are peers who can offer the experience of struggles with institutions and people, which is how we attempt to be the leaven in the world, learn to see things differently and integrate our faith. Clergy need to respect the experience at the table and not make comments which sound like they have the official or only answer and dominate the conversation.

Groups which have difficulty keeping within the time allotted (1 hour for breakfast, 1 1/2 hours for dinner) need to have a timekeeper who monitors the time flow through the agenda. This can be done simply by this person announcing the time ("It’s 7:50") when the case study discussion has not terminated.

Names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses of site coordinators need to be sent to the Center for Baptismal Living to maintain a directory of groups so that people inquiring about the program can find local groups.

The Center is always open to suggestions about ways to improve the program and this Facilitating brochure.

 

 

G u i d e l i n e s

• the community of Christian believers is a place for learning through shared journeys, supporting each other as we deal with experiences in our daily lives, and endeavoring to integrate our faith into our actions.

• the Practicing group is neither a civil or religious political group and is not associated with any issue other than supporting individuals in their daily life ministries.

• the Practicing group, while begun by Episcopalians and spread through the network of the Episcopal Church, welcomes any Baptized person.
• participants may share their own insights and experiences, but no one may expect others to conform to another’s opinion.
• Practicing groups meet in public places, not in church buildings, to symbolize that we carry our faith into the world.
• case study presenters can facilitate the meeting by preparing a written presentation. The presentation may need to use fictitious names and places but the case study should be a real situation with which the presenter is now or has had to deal. The case study should normally be delivered in five to ten minutes.
• the group leader and time keeper help the group participants share speaking time and keep the agenda moving so that the meeting adjourns on time.
• participants should use good judgment about discussing the case studies outside of the group. While the meetings are not secret, and some meetings are held in rather open public areas, some issues need to be treated with some degree of confidentiality.

A g e n d a

Gather/Order Meal

Open with prayer - in unison

Almighty God, we pray that all Baptized people may discern their vocation and minister daily, supporting each other as they represent and bear witness to Christ wherever they may be; to the end that all people may be restored to unity with God and each other in Christ, Amen.

Report on any changes in previous case study situations, if any.

Today’s Case Study

Questions

        1) Discerning where / if God is acting in this situation

        2) Does this situation remind you of any Bible story or passage?

        3) Does this situation remind you of any story in your (other participants') life?

Possible Solutions          

        Was there a solution revealed in the understanding that God was involved in the situation?

        Was there a solution revealed in the Biblical story?

        What solutions were revealed in the personal stories?

Decide who will present the next case study

Intercessory Prayer ( the following may be appropriate)

For this group; for those involved in the case study; for those not with us today; special needs of other participants and those with whom we are close.

For our places of work; for respect for workers; for respect for God’s creation; for good management that provides for a good place to work and makes a good product or provides needed services; for management and owners who both make a good profit, provide good wages, and provide a dependable place to work. For those who are unemployed, those making decisions about future occupations, for those who are studying to enter new occupations.

T i m e l i n e - b r e a k f a s t

Gather / Order meal 5 - 7 minutes

Opening Prayer 2 minutes

Report on previous case studies

1 - 2 minutes per person

This is important but needs to be controlled

so that the Case Study begins no later than

15 minutes into the program.

Case Study 5 - 10 minutes

Questions

Discerning where / if God is acting

Peer Comments and Possible Solutions

The case study, questions, discernment and peer responses need to be done within 30 minutes.

Decide who will present next case study 1 - 2 minutes

Intercessory Prayer 10 minutes

T i m e l i n e - d i n n e r

Gather / Order meal 5 - 7 minutes

Opening Prayer 2 minutes

Report on previous case studies

up to 5 minutes per person

This is important but needs to be controlled

so that the Case Study begins no later than

25 minutes into the program.

Case Study 5 - 15 minutes

Questions

Discerning where / if God is acting

Peer Comments and Possible Solutions

The case study, questions, discernment and peer

responses need to be done within 50 minutes.

Decide who will present the next case study 1 - 2 minutes

Intercessory Prayer 15 minutes

E x p e n c e s

The Center for Baptismal Living provides this Facilitating brochure to aid individuals and congregations establish and run Practicing the Monday Connection groups.

There are no user fees, no curriculum to purchase or charges for start up material from the Center. We do appreciate contributions to support our work.

The local expenses should be kept to a minimum. One feature of this program is its low overhead.

Producing copies of the basic brochure, the local schedule, the monthly agenda, and the double post cards are the major expenses. Usually a local congregation will photocopy the first three of these to support the program.

Your local registration fee should cover the local photocopying if a congregation does not do the copying, and the monthly double post card to remind participants and RSVP to site coordinator

The organizer needs to find a restaurant which does not charge a room rental in addition to the cost of the meal. The participant pays for their own meal.

 

The Center for Baptismal Living

PO Box 1463

Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446

215-530-2089

FAX 215-855-1177

Practicing the Monday Connection three fold advertising brochure - under construction

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