Wayfinding in the Commons: The Next Chapter of ELCA Coaching Ministry
Dear Beloved Community of Coaches and Faith Leaders,
“You ever notice how the inner voice that says we're powerless, and that this will never work, is louder when you feel alone? Loneliness and isolation amplify despair, but community, partnership, and action are the anecdotes. Hope is a group project.” – Jemar Tisby
We began gathering online with faith leaders* in March of 2020 to wrestle together with Being Church in a global pandemic, which transitioned over the summer of 2021 to Courageous Leadership, as COVID revealed our perceptions and misconceptions about most things in life. In the fall of 2024, we began moving toward Creating Beloved Community, where we learned together and experimented in community with a variety of spiritual practices and focus areas. We continue to discern where Spirit might be collectively leading us as people of faith, which brings us to our next pivot:
“All that we share is all we need to change the world.” – Jay Walljasper, All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons
Wayfinding: all the processes that allow us to orient ourselves in spaces, as we travel from place to place, and on unknown pathways
Commons: "The term may be unfamiliar, but the idea has been around for centuries. The commons is a new use of an old word, meaning 'what we share'—and it offers fresh hope for a saner, safer, more enjoyable future…. More than just a philosophical and political framework for understanding what’s gone wrong, the commons furnishes us a toolkit for fixing problems… beyond something you own to a bigger idea: how we live together." (from https://www.terrain.org/articles/27/walljasper.htm)
Please join us as we gather online monthly on the First Wednesdays for about 45 minutes, starting February 4, at 11am Pacific | 12noon Mountain | 1pm Central | 2pm Eastern.
We invite you to check out the event page for full details: https://www.elcacoaching.org/events/wayfinding-in-the-commons
* An important definition: The coaching ministry defines "faith leaders" as all members of the Body | "priesthood of all believers"| Beloved Community, so even if you do not feel like you are a leader, you are invited to, and welcome in, this space with us.
With care,
Your ELCA Coaching support team
ELCA Coaching
Mission: Cultivating Your Calling
Vision: Nobody Journeys Alone
https://www.elcacoaching.org