Wayfinding in the Commons

“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

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)

“All that we share is all we need to change the world.” – Jay Walljasper, All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons

What to Expect (the short version): We will be gathering together online the first Wednesday of each month for Community, Learning, Clarity (which creates Agency), and at least one Actionable Step. We will be meeting for about 45 minutes, starting at 11am Pacific | 12noon Mountain | 1pm Central | 2pm Eastern.

Who Is This For?

• If you are breathing

• If you are finding it difficult to breathe

• If you are curious

• If you are seeking

• If you have something to share

• If you feel alone in the work

• If you feel lost

• If you feel stuck

• If you are open to beloved community

• If you are leading in any kind of way

• If you don’t feel like you fit in

• If you want to have an impact

Join us via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85394476190?pwd=VUh1UElEbXZoMnpheXc4S0llaG91dz09
Meeting ID: 853 9447 6190
Passcode: 466634

More on the Commons: "Peter Linebaugh, a preeminent historian of the commons, has coined the word ‘commoning’ to describe the growing efforts he sees to protect and strengthen the things we share. 'I want to stress the point that the commons is an activity rather than just a material resource,' he says. 'That brings in the essential social element of the commons.' … Julie Ristau and Alexa Bradley, community organizers with extensive experience,…detect in others 'a broad yearning for hope, connection, and restoration. We see a remarkable array of efforts to reconstitute community, to relocalize food, to move toward cooperative economics, to better harmonize our lives with the health of our planet. These efforts spring from a deep human need and desire for different ways of interacting and organizing resources that will help us reconstitute our capacity for shared ownership, collaboration, and stewardship.'" (from https://www.terrain.org/articles/27/walljasper.htm)

What to Expect (the detailed version):

• 5 minutes of grounding in Community (i.e., Scripture, prayer, readings, music, etc.)
• 5 minutes of bite-size Learning on Leadership
• 25 minutes of Wayfinding via coach-facilitated small groups in breakout rooms for real life and ministry challenges
• 5 minutes of Reflection time in the Commons

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To answer some commonly asked questions about these regular gatherings:

"Why are you still meeting?" "Don't become too familiar with loneliness. Community is a risk, but liberation depends on the collective. Who can you trust to hold you?" -- Cole Arthur Riley, author of Black Liturgies

"How can I prepare?" We invite you to bring a spirit of curiosity and openness to these gatherings and to all aspects of your life. What are you noticing? Where is Spirit moving? How are you being invited to participate in the work God is already doing, especially outside the walls of the building where the church often gathers?

 "What if I'm not a group person?" We invite you to take calculated risks, like a small step outside your comfort zone and allow yourself to be seen and witnessed. We can almost guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised by the loving, caring, and nurturing nature of community in this time together.

Recordings from prior gatherings can be found here: https://www.elcacoaching.org/podcasts/media

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[image credits: Mad Hatter sign by Beri Garrett (bgphotographyllc) and All Species Welcome sign by Neal Smith (Nealsmithphotos), both from Pixabay]