On March 1st during the worship service, the Rev. Marlene Walker will address the Soul Matters theme of the month,”Paying Attention.” Using the lens of Appreciative Inquiry, which encourages the practice of active listening, we will start to explore our congregation’s identity as the next phase of our transitional process. At the core of this exploration are your perceptions of this community, your hopes for it, and the ways it impacts your lives.
After church the Transition Team will offer Listening Circles as an opportunity to practice what we’ve just learned.
As we continue through our period of transition and transformation, your church leadership wants to listen to the stories and dreams you want to share through a guided discussion. What does it mean to really listen to another? Passive listening is something we do everyday. Maybe someone is sharing a story and, while they’re speaking, we’re already thinking about an exit, next activity, or our own response. Or maybe we’re running so fast we can’t find space to settle into deep conversations, even when we want.
With active listening we attempt to turn off our own internal conversations to better hear another’s. It’s a mindfulness practice where we watch what our thoughts are doing and, when they drift away from the task at hand (let’s say, listening), we coax them back into focus. Away from us, toward another.