Resources for Leading

Resources for Leading
Continuing our pursuit of fostering authentic discipling communities, we are seeking to offer opportunities for individuals and congregations to deepen their spiritual and missional muscles. The following are opportunities to develop our leadership gifts.

Lay Speaking revitalization
Over the next several months our new Lay Speaking Coordinators, Paul and Melody Ashley will be promoting the next series of Lay Speaking classes to renew and revitalize those involved in Lay Speaking on the Santa Ana District. If you are interested in reconnecting with Lay Speaking call or email the district office with your contact information and we will forward to the Ashleys, sadumc@earthlink.net or 714-539-1053

Leading a Spiritual Praxis Covenant Group
The vision of a community for linking our spiritual practices with missional presence with the neighbor, continues to develop. Small groups have already started to live into this vision in monthly covenant groups. This fall we will offer a three session course for people interested in leading a small covenant group in their local church or community. The sessions will cover the Biblical, Theological and Wesleyan grounding, skill development in leading and steps to building a Spiritual Praxis Covenant Group. Part of the design is to meet as a small group through the training experience. If you are interested in learning more about this resource or if you would like to participate, you can notify the Leadership Development Team through Sally at the district office sadumc@earthlink.net or 714-539-1053.

Engaging Spirituality
Engaging Spirituality is a resource from “Just Faith Ministries” an organization with a rich 15 year tradition across the nation of creating educational processes based on the Gospel tradition that both affirms and invites transformation. This is a 21 week experience for a small group, inviting “…faithful adults to break open their lives, penetrate the realities of our times, and explore the intersection between Christian spirituality and Gospel justice. Participants focus on the practical challenges of following Jesus, engaging contemplation while immersing themselves in the heart of our fragmented world.”
An overview and sample course can be found at www.justfaith.org under “engaging spirituality.”

There are two ways for people intrigued by this approach to take a next step.
- Day of Discernment
o We will offer a day with an Engaging Spirituality facilitator to train people to lead the course $25 per person
- Pilot group
o A church may gather a group to share in the course with an Engaging Spirituality facilitator as a test group. We are working on financial resources to defray some of the expenses. Materials would be the responsibility of the participants.

Inquiries can be directed to Mark Ulrickson at meupju@aol.com or by calling the district office.