Tuesdays, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Sep. 13 - Nov. 1 (8 sessions)
St. Barnabas Great Hall
Optional dinner to follow
Join us to practice listening and sharing from the heart.
St. Barnabas is a “community of encouragement,” a place where we share our hearts with one another, loan each other courage, and work to share God’s love with all people. We are launching a new Tuesday evening discussion group, Courage to Connect. This is a place to practice having courageous conversations, hosted by the Rev. Daniel Hughes.
What is courageous conversation?
Many of us are looking for spaces to have difficult, courageous conversations about differing experiences of our same city, nation, and world.
Courage to Connect is a course designed to facilitate dialogue (as opposed to debate), and mindful awareness. Like-mindedness can damage community, but this group is designed to emphasize how shared intention or “like-heartedness” can hold together a room of people with very different experiences and convictions. We seek to amplify the voices who aren’t often heard in the mainstream, without asking the most vulnerable in our gathering to bear the weight of the conversations.
This is a laid-back conversational space where we can continue to reflect on current events as well as practicing how to have difficult conversations in “brave” ways.
Together, we will explore questions like:
• Do our faith and spirituality make a difference in the “real world”?
• How can we support one another and engage in meaningful conversations?
• Can we listen to our neighbors—white, black, and brown—to understand their life experiences?
This is a great experience for those wanting to take the next step in their faith journey and seek to have the courage to connect in meaningful ways. We hope that those who have participated might eventually hold Courage to Connect events in their own communities and workplaces around the city.
Our facilitator & hosts
These conversations will be hosted by the Rev. Daniel Hughes, a pastor and facilitator, and by members of our parish Becoming Beloved Community Team.
We have invited the Rev. Daniel Hughes to help us create this kind of courageous space here at St. Barnabas.
Rev. Daniel has been convening these kinds of spaces throughout his career as an educator, pastor, and organizer.
He has degrees in organizational communication and has served as a Methodist pastor, a community organizer with the Amos Project, a faith based collaborative, and has coached individuals and organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He grew up on a farm and he loves to play golf.
Join us
Courage to Connect is about developing the strength, compassion and ability to build bridges, address injustices with love, empathy and curiosity—and play our role in building the Beloved Community. Please join us!
Courage to Connect is open to any adult in the parish. We invite you to stay for a light dinner and casual conversation after the session.
Perfect attendance is not required.