Practicing Discernment

Mike Woods (pastor at Prince of Peace, LaCrescent, MN) has asked some questions about ways of doing spiritual discernment in congregations. Mike notes that Diana Butler Bass writes in her book "Christianity for the Rest of Us" that next to hospitality, discernment is among the most widely spread spiritual practice in the churches Butler researched (churches that currently are thriving). Mike started a list and would like more input. Please could each of you give this some thought and add to the list?

Some ways discernment is being practiced in faith communities:
1. A church whose council uses consensus rather than Robert's Rules to govern their work
2. Same church elects council members during worship in the fall using an ecclesial ballot
3. Churches that practice group spiritual direction (do you know of any?)
4. Churches that sponsor mornings for listening (do you know of any?)
5. Churches that create meditation spaces: places to sit, read, reflect, journal, walk a labyrinth, etc. Some churches do this during Advent or Lent.
6. Churches that gather groups around a few "beautiful questions" (Mike is really good at this!) to discern what God is already doing among them and what God is calling them to be in their neighborhoods
7. Churches that begin worship with a long silence (more than 60 seconds) so that together "we create a space and an attentiveness to the God who has called us together and is present to bless us"
8. Pastoral modeling of spiritual formation is central (do you know pastors who make this a priority, have spiritual directors, etc.?)

We ask for your thoughts on this subject and please post in comments or on the site. Thanks!