‘One of the best days for learning that I’ve been on‘
cht Participant
On 23rd November, we gathered to explore authenticity, discernment and relational dynamics with a group of ministers from several denominations, in Tamworth, Staffordshire. This was the first of our series of three in-person gatherings we are calling ‘Crafting Hope Together’.
We offered a space and invitation to reflect, talk, rest, walk, breathe and even make art.
Our theme word for the day was ‘carry’, thinking about this verse and the poem at the end of this post:
I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
Isaiah 46:4
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.
In this vein, one activity involved backpacks, packages and weights, representing what ministry feels like to carry and what it could feel like if carried differently. A participant commented that it provided
‘a great, wonderful space and helpful images to help us express things. The rucksack and packages were so helpful, giving our hands something to do while our brains were processing’.
cht participant
Through different types of listening and sharing, embodied and creative activities, and eating and drinking together, we facilitated a space with no requirement to participate or goals to be met. One intention in this, in terms of discernment in particular, was to help participants hear and sense what they might already know and thus to learn both from each other but also from themselves. Participants appreciated this approach, reflected in comments like,
‘I felt it left me with a lot to process’,
cht participant
while another experienced minister described the day as
‘one of the best days for learning that I’ve been on’.
cht participant
We’re looking forward to gathering with the group again in the new year. If you would be interested in any future cohorts of this programme, do let us know, and stay in touch by signing up to receive our newsletter where we’ll announce any future iterations.
Original Sara Rian poem posted online by the author here, and available in her books of poems of the same name.