It is sometimes difficult to describe what you hope to achieve from a course at its outset and the first meeting of any group can be daunting and sometimes quite uncomfortable. This was not the case with the Growing Leaders course; the introductory session was extremely well facilitated by Stephen Cook and Maurie Webber. We were fortunate to meet as a group for a night and a day at the Sheldon Centre; a more conducive place to peace and harmony would be difficult to find.
The two chapels at Sheldon are places of prayer and meditation and have a stillness and peace that is almost tangible. The accommodation, although basic, was very comfortable and warm despite the cold outside. The food was very tasty and satisfying and the glass (or two) of wine on Friday evening helped to enhance an already convivial atmosphere. The group quickly passed through the forming stage to became a cohesive whole by the end of Saturday and it was with some regret that we all went our separate ways back into the world, looking forward to our next encounter together.
The Growing Leaders course is designed to develop leadership skills in those who may not previously have thought of themselves as leaders; it is a course intended to enhance leadership skills in a Christian context and to encourage and grow the participants in their own Christian life and faith, enabling them to help others to grow and realise previously untapped potential. In other words, to use our God given talents.
Our second meeting was on February 24th in Okehampton Church Hall. Not quite as cosy, but we soon settled back into our group and welcomed 2 members who had missed the first session. Another thought provoking couple of hours that passed very quickly. We looked at the cycle of Grief and compared and contrasted this with the cycle of Grace, each aspiring to join the cycle of Grace, but most of us not quite managing to stay there. We had several lighter moments during the evening as well as the more serious stuff, starting with a short quiz to see if we had been paying attention to each other and our surroundings the last time we met! One of the questions was 'which side of the cross is the shadow?' We were also given some homework at the end of the session - to maintain a reflective journal over the period of the course and to complete a spiritual MOT. We were also informed that our individual mentors would be in touch with each of us to arrange a meeting before we met again as a group in March. We even managed to find time to have some delicious snacks, cakes and tea and juice during the evening.
Our next meeting is 24th March in the Church Hall at 7.30pm