How blessed we will be at our Institute gathering on September 12, when Mary Heathman, Clerk of Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting, will enlighten us on our “Friends Practices of Discernment and Decision Making” and will offer helpful ideas on refining the use of these practices in our churches!
Mary Heathman is Presiding Clerk of Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting and works closely with Adrian Halverstadt, who is Leadership Facilitator of the Yearly Meeting. Mary is a member of the Denver Friends Church. She is also active in planting a new fellowship of Friends in Denver, with her sister, Bonnie Bousman, and Bonnie’s husband, Tom. Mary has extensive knowledge of the principles of Friends decision making, and she recognizes the importance of our cherished Friends practice of discernment. Furthermore, she has years of experience in leading seminars and workshops in these areas. Mary has a talent in helping others discern clearly their call and their gifts of God and skillfully guides them in implementing their gifts in effective ministries. She has a deep desire for our Friends Churches to know and practice the special methods of Friends decision making and discernment, and with this desire, she graciously comes to our Institute to share what she has learned in her years of Friends Church leadership.
We want all Friends, regardless of Yearly Meeting or nation worldwide, to hear Mary and our other teachers, so Drew Davenport makes our video recorded classes available on YouTube. Thank you, Drew. Some Friends are unable to join our Monday evening sessions, and they have formed groups to view them at times to fit their personal and church schedules. The recorded sessions can be accessed HERE.
Many sites are available for you to join a fellowship to participate in the live class, in which you will see and interact with Mary and other participants at their various locations: New Hope Friends Church (Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting), Friends Church at Liberal, Friends Bible Training School (at the home David Miller), Noatak, Alaska (Robert Sheldon, Superintendent), Sudanese Community Church (Omaha), Neighborhood Friends Church (at the home of Tom and Bonnie Bousman), Bangor Liberty Friends Church, Faith Friends Church, North Newton (at the home of Merl and Eunice Kinser), Arkansas City Friends Church (at the home of Bud and Pauline Lawrence), Lighthouse Fellowship Church (at the home of Jerry and Mary Louthan), Friends Ministry Center (Wichita), Friends Community Church (Angleton), Fowler Friends Church, and Barclay College (Jackson Hall).
I assure you that Mary Heathman will help us in our desire to be fully open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our discernment and to find solid unity in our decision making. Mary will speak to us at 7:00 p.m. central time, 6:00 p.m. mountain time, on Monday, September 12, 2016. Please note, this is the second Monday of September, because the first Monday is Labor Day. Friends will want to log in at 6:50central time for ten minutes of sharing and fellowship.
Eagerly anticipating a wonderful fellowship and learning experience,
– Dave Kingrey, Leadership Institute Director
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