Pursuing God’s Will

My sheep listen to my voice, says Jesus.  I know them and they follow me. John 10:27

Is there a trustworthy process that enables Christians to actively seek God's will and direction and voice relative to decisions we are making? Both as individuals, in community, and even in the context of our marriages?

In a most general sense, discernment is the capacity to recognise and respond to the presence and activity of God - both in the ordinary moments and in the larger decisions of our lives...Discernment literally means to separate, to discriminate, to determine, to decide or to distinguish between two things. Good (that which is of God and draws us closer to God) and evil (that which is not God and draws us away from God.  ~ Ruth Haley Barton

In this 4 week Biblical and practical course we will explore the following:

• Week 1 - The habit of discernment

• Week 2 - The practice of discernment

• Week 3 - Discerning in community and as leadership teams

• Week 4 - Discernment for couples

Pursuing God’s Will Together

"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,"
Acts 15:28

Is there a trustworthy process that enables individuals and leadership teams to actively seek God's will and direction and voice relative to decisions we are making?

In a most general sense, discernment is the capacity to recognise and respond to the presence and activity of God - both in the ordinary moments and in the larger decisions of our lives...Discernment literally means to separate, to discriminate, to determine, to decide or to distinguish between two things. Good (that which is of God and draws us closer to God) and evil (that which is not God and draws us away from God. ~ Ruth Haley Barton

This 4 week Biblical and practical course is designed for church leadership teams (pastoral teams, elders and deacons), for new monastic communities or missional teams, and for any leadership group that desires to cultivate the ability to pursue God's will together. Together we will explore the following:

• Week 1 - Pursuing God's Will Together - Becoming a community of discernment

• Week 2 - Values that undergird our community discernment

• Week 3 - Practices for opening to God and to one another

• Week 4 - Community discernment process

Participants and their teams are strongly recommended to catch up on Jill's previous course, Pursuing God's Will, before this course begins. You can find the videos and course notes at www.theemmausway.uk/pursuing-gods-will

This course content is primarily based on the work of Ruth Haley Barton and the Transforming Community. www.transformingcenter.org. It is recommended that course participants purchase and read Pursuing God’s Will Together by Ruth Haley Barton.