The following illustration is a visual image of the discernment process. The general shape of the diamond follows the flow of the process beginning with a very specific purposento study and to praynmoving to the broad act of generating many ideas, dreams and visions for the future, to clarifying and fine-tuning those ideas to the more specific ministries or priority goals to which a congregation or presbytery feels called, and then the specific task of acting on that call.

Below you will find the discernment process diamond and a brief explanation of each stage in the discernment process. When the explanations refer to the "Task Force" this is the group that is responsible for the planning of the discernment process for a congregation or presbytery. When the explanations refer to the "sponsoring group," this is the congregation or presbytery as a whole. When the explanations refer to "Boards/Committees" or "sub-committees," these refer to groups that will help the Task Force with various parts of the process.

The Study of Scriptures and Prayer stage will be an indepth study of the Exodus story or other scriptures a task force finds most helpful for their presbytery or congregation.

The sharing of Ideas, Dreams and Visions stage will be to brainstorm all ideas especially as they relate to the three priority goals and beyond.

The Clarifying stage will be to look at what they are already doing and at the brainstorming ideas. Then they will prayerfully and honestly prioritize. This will be the most difficult of the whole process. Clarifying will be the priority goals. This may be broad "We want the best music program in the presbytery which may include buying a pipe organ..." or it may be specific "We want to buy a pipe organ."

The Planning stage will be guided by our study asking the question "What does it take to do (vision)?" This might be done by the working group or they may appoint another group to do so. The VE may be involved here only as a monitor. In the planning stage, task forces will be given specific jobs such as how to get a pipe organ bought or more general task forces that might deal with things fitting into several priority goals. They might bring back information to the general working group. (Spend X$ to buy organ)

The Study stage will be to ask questions among themselves and fine tune what has been done.

The Survey stage will be with others outside the planning group preferrably those people who came up with the ideas earlier in the process. When the working group surveys the total group, they will then analyze and summerize the information from the survey. This is a place to say "What are the options? What have you been through as a committee?" This is an information sharing time and seeing with as much visuals as possible. MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS COMMUNICATED BECAUSE PEOPLE'S IDEAS ARE WRAPPED UP IN THOSE THAT HAVE AND HAVE NOT BEEN USED.

The Actions/Activities stage will be the actual going through with the priority goals. The ultimate questions here is "What should we do now? How can we accomplish this? They should have a task list and one thing may be to have a capital campaign. This should be what the session wrestles with. The task force may need to walk the session through this (Raise funds, borrow money, postpone or forget about it)

Page updated on April 20, 2005