church meeting blues

[drxerox]

I'm a churchwarden and, as a result, have to go to various meetings run by representatives from the Diocese. They're usually lovely people, but why do they waste so much time making us go into focus groups or interact in other ways? We're all intelligent, busy people who would probably rather be doing something else than being patronised. Is this unique to the CofE, or just our Diocese? A recent one involved us being told to draw on a piece of card with felt pens pictures of what our church symbolised to us. OK for children maybe, but adults?

I've recently been appointed churchwarden and thankfully haven't had to go to any such meetings yet. But I think what you mention seems to be quite common in the C of E. What I've found is that they also "re-use" ideas, so stuff I've done in Reader training has also cropped up in other training. If I have to see that wretched picture of the prodigal son by Rembrandt one more time, or Rublev's trinity, I'll Munch's SCREAM! :o

This just sounds like brainstorming methods used in the secular world. I don't think they mean to be childish.

I know when we have team building courses in my job, we have similar exercises.

Some people love them and others hate being outside their comfort zones.

What I would want to know is what happens to all the ideas you produce. Do they disappear into the never-never, or are the used to develop the ministries in your diocese?

Perhaps the leader of the course is drawing from their own experience and trying their best? I don't think they are going out of their way to piss you off.

My dad was a church warden for three years until last autumn. As far as I know (and I was also heavily involved in that church before we moved too) he never had to do anything like you've described. In a way, I wish he had instead of being a pale version of the Vicar of Dibley's PCC/DCC!

It was a high church CofE btw.

It sounds like fun. At least they want your thoughts and input.

Actually, I think it's a way of making us think that we are contributing, but works by making us confirm. i.e. you have an opinion, it's discussed in a small group, and, to make your opinion felt, you have to convince them. Then the spokesman for the group will modify it by couching it in their own terms, then the person writing it on the flip chart will change it again. It takes a very strong minded person to keep on saying, at each stage, what they feel. It would be much fairer to have a meeting where everybody could directly speak about how they feel, but, as I've said, church meetings are more about that 'feel good' feeling than resolving issues in a fair way (IMO)

Have you told the leadership this is what you feel?

just composing an email...

I hope you have prayed on this, OP, and perhaps discussed your feelings with your other warden and a pastoral person in your church.