The first annual Leadership Institute for Group Discernment will be held at George Fox University in Newberg, OR May 19-23, 2003. This state-of-the-art conference on group discernment will empower Christian leaders with the tools they need to help groups discern the will of Christ for their community or organization and to carry it out in unity.

Topics include:

• Developing a Theology of Group Discernment
• Understanding Individual Discernment
• Overcoming Blocks To Group Discernment
• The Interface of Spiritual Gifts & Discernment Processes
• The Discernment Process
  

Sponsored by Good News Associates, special speakers include Paul Anderson, Bruce Bishop, Chuck Conniry, Lon Fendall, Jan Wood, Mark Strong, Vicky Curtiss Paul Bock, and Colin Saxton. Registration (cut-off date: May 9th) and other information are available online at:

http://www.goodnewsassoc.org/leadershipinstitute

In addition, the George Fox University Congregational Discernment Project announces a new phase: the Congregational Discernment Implementation Initiative (2008-2009). While the first four years of its development have featured a national pastors' conference on discerning the leadership of Christ, an interdenominational consultation on congregational discernment and several publications, a second grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will take its work further.

According to its Director, Paul Anderson, Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies at George Fox University, "We are extremely excited about the next two years, which will now focus on putting into practice the advances made by the Congregational Discernment Project's endeavors! I believe the Conference and the new Congregational Discernment Leadership Initiative Grants will contribute to vitalizing the Church."

With the receipt of this new grant, the George University Congregational Discernment Project announces two new initiatives (see http://www.georgefox.edu/discernment).

• First, a national pastoral leadership conference will be held at George Fox University May 31-June 3, 2009 on "Christian Leadership as Spiritual Discernment." This conference will help Christian leaders lead by helping others attend, discern, and mind the leadership of Christ as Lord of the Church.
• Second, 15 Congregational Discernment Implementation Leadership Grants will awarded in the fall to leading pastors, denominational leaders, and ministry teachers involving awards of up to $1,700 a piece and invitations to present at the Newberg conference in 2009.

For more information contact: Jan Wood (Organizer, Leadership Institute for Group Discernment; janwood@goodnewsassoc.org; 206-368-6846) or Paul Anderson (Director, Congregational Discernment Implementation Initiative; panderso@georgefox.edu; 503-554-2651).