We have a commitment to a specific way of leadership at The Table, a way that is neither “top-down” (what I say goes because I’m the leader!), nor “bottom-up” (nobody does anything until we all agree).
Our way of leadership might be best described as “center-out,” where we discern together how the Holy Spirit is leading our church, through mutual submission and empowerment, rather than control and coercion.
To use language from our DNA Groups, we lead by owning and naming our own “Kairoses” and opening up space for others to do the same, rather than trying to name other people’s Kairoses. So instead of saying “You’re doing it wrong,” we learn to say, “For some reason the way you do that bothers me. Can we talk about it?” Instead of “This needs to change,” we learn to say, “Here are my observations about this situation. What are you noticing?”
From this posture of non-anxious, non-coercive presence, we are able to open-handedly discern what God might be doing in the midst of the things we are noticing together, trusting that God is present and at work in our midst.
This summer we will be expanding and bringing more structure to our leadership community, installing a “Vestry” and calling new people into spiritual leadership at The Table.
If you’re interested in exploring leadership at The Table (or you’re just curious to learn more about how it all works), put these two upcoming gatherings on your calendar:
Grace and peace,
Fr. Ben
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