When we organize a program in a Quarter or Monthly Meeting, one person on the training team is designated lead person. The lead person must pay attention to seeing the tasks are accomplished.
Lead Person Tasks (needs to be sure they are done, but that does not mean s/he must do them all her/himself)
- Talk with your meeting contact re: the meeting responsibility.
- First and foremost, share in the excitement of having the SF program coming to their meeting.
- Ask for a letter from the clerk of the meeting or the worship and ministry committee requesting the spiritual formation program.
- Ask for a list of who is attending so you have an idea of numbers (name, address, cell, email, food preference). You may need to brainstorm recruitment ideas.
- The meeting needs to collect the per person fee in advance for PYM.
- Discuss then program need for a meeting space. Space for small groups, space for reading groups, free of interruptions. Place for shared meal. One working group member needs to look at space if possible. Sunday morning often needs to be negotiated, a time for SF. A private space for working group to pray before the retreat begins.
- Send a sample participant confirmation letter and supply the meeting with copies of Conti-Entin for pre-course reading.
- Send the meeting articles to be copied for the packet and the order you want them in.
- Working group needs to finalize the reading list 2 months before the opening retreat so they can be ordered from the book store and sold to participants before the retreat by the meeting.
- What meals will be needed and how will they be provided.
- Ask meeting to provide name tags.
- Ask that one or 2 people from oversight committee be available at the end of Friday night to help put small groups together.
- On the day of the program registration and handing out packets, food service, meeting site needs easel with news print, magic marker, tape, journal and pen for everyone.
Working Group Tasks
• Pray for yourself, the working group and the entire group. Be lead by the spirit.
• The tasks mentioned above: finalize the reading list, select the articles, etc.
• Meet to design the program and assign each piece.
• Meet a second time and talk through each piece to be sure there is no overlap.
• On the day of the program may bring soup, magic marker, tape, name tag, and materials needed for exercises. Record who is in each of the small groups.
• After the program check in several times before the midyear retreat with oversight committee.
