Guided Discernment: Visioning for Your Organization

What is Guided Discernment?

  • Trusting a process to guide a group through the messiness of creating a common vision

  • Bringing together distinct and disparate view points to find something larger

  • A time tested process used globally to bring communities together

  • An experienced facilitator to balance listening with forward progress

  • For faith communities, provide time together invested in listening to God and each other

A Four Step Process

This flexible but powerful process can be tailored to the unique needs of your organization. Each ‘step’ along the way takes about 2 1/2 hours. It can be done either in person or via Zoom. Some organizations chose to spread those sessions over time. Others prefer a short term retreat. I’m happy to talk about your objectives and develop a detailed proposal for your group.

  • a long range vision of the desired future

  • What prevents us from realizing that future?

  • What strategic yet specific approaches can deal with the underlying contradictions?

  • What concrete steps will be taken to carry out the new directions?

Here’s what they say

  • "Working with Sandy was the most productive visioning session I have experienced with church leadership. Her facilitation helped us to tackle complex challenges and we have seen results in the following six months. With her guidance we were able to name clergy burnout as a problem following the pandemic and as a result we have had great success in onboarding new leaders and greater lay participation overall. I cannot recommend Sandy highly enough. She brings the perfect combination of spiritual groundedness and no nonsense practical guidance."

    Rev. Megan Huston, First Christian Church Bowling Green KY

  • “Sandy partnered with the Disciples Divinity House and facilitated our visioning process over the course of several board of trustee meetings. Thanks to her, we emerged with a clear understanding of the paths available to us and we excitedly chose to reimagine how our ministry will live into the future. Her work with us was transformative. She is able to offer care for the people involved while masterfully guiding the process. I highly recommend her if your organization or group wants to meaningfully engage with its future.”

    Rev Beth Pattillo, Acting Dean, Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt