Heart and Mind Listening Sessions Scheduled for this Fall
By: Sherri Gragg
Heart and Mind Listening Sessions give Texas Annual Conference delegates to the February, 2019 special session of General Conference the opportunity to hear from a wide range of voices concerning The Way Forward.
Four Sessions Scheduled
The Heart and Mind Listening Sessions resolution, passed during the course of the 2018 Texas Annual Conference (TAC), charged the Core Leadership Team with the task of holding sessions throughout the Conference in order afford clergy and laity the opportunity to “speak openly and honestly about our shared future” (Heart and Mind Listening Session Resolution). Four Heart and Mind Listening Sessions will be held between September 23 and October 14.
Each session, facilitated by members of the TAC Core Leadership Team, will begin with a brief 10-minute video presentation explaining the three plans for the Way Forward. A second video presentation will follow in which several members of the Core Leadership Team set the tone for the evening by expressing their hopes and concerns surrounding the future of the United Methodist Church. After the presentations are complete, facilitators will open the floor for attendees to express their thoughts and feelings in a manner consistent with Holy Conferencing. “This issue is obviously one that people feel very strongly about on both sides,” says the Rev. Steve Woody, First UMC Livingston. “When people speak about matters like this it is easy to do so in ways that are less than kind. There is a way to listen to each other and respect each other even in our differences.”
Sessions Recorded for Delegates
The testimonials will be recorded and submitted to the Texas Conference General Conference delegates, affording them the opportunity to hear from a wide range of voices concerning the issue of human sexuality. Woody encourages all who are planning to attend to prepare for the sessions by beginning the conversation at home among family and friends. Additionally, he hopes each attendee will familiarize themselves with Bishop Scott Jones explanation of the three plans found on the Conference website.
For more information on The Heart and Mind Listening Sessions and to register for childcare see the following link https://www.txcumc.org/heartandmind
For those needing childcare for these events, please register with the appropriate church ahead of time:
September 30 Beaumont, Wesley UMC, 3810 N Major Dr, Beaumont, 77713
Childcare: (409) 892-7733
October 7 Longview, First UMC, 400 N Fredonia, Longview, 75601
Childcare: (903) 753-4463
October 14 College Station, A & M UMC, 417 University Dr, College Station, 77840
Childcare: (979) 846-8731
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