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Resources for Christian Discernment

Counsel Regarding Congregations at Variance
from the Fall 2012 Regional Meetings


Biblical and Communal Discernment Papers from Ervin Stutzman

These papers would be a great place to start for congregational leadership groups who want to practice good biblical and communal discernment.  They are short enough to be useful in many settings and give practical steps for discernment.

Discernment: What it is

Discernment: Necessary Components

Discernment: Practicing Discernment Together

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Papers 

These papers are a bit longer and provide good handles for discussion of biblical discernment.

Becoming a United Church in a World of Division by David Boshart

Llegando a ser una Iglesia Unida en un Mundo dividido: Una visión bíblica de la Unidad Cristiana by David Boshart

The Rule of Christ in His Church: "Binding and Loosing" as Ethical Discernment in Matthew's Gospel by Kent McDougal

Biblical Roots, Interpretive Connections by Mathew Swora

Being A Faithful Church papers from Mennonite Church Canada

Recommended Books and Studies

Seeking God's Will Together: A Congregational Study on Biblical Discernment by Central Plains Mennonite Conference, 2014

​Discerning God's Will Together: Biblical Interpretation in the Free Church Tradition by Ervin R. Stutzman, Cascadia Publishing House, coming in May 2013.  This book invites congregations to learn communal forms of biblical interpretation through which to implement practices of discernment offering guidance amid today’s challenging ethical and theological riddles.  -–from the publisher

Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups by Ruth Haley Barton, IVP Books, 2012.  In these pages you will discover personal and group practices that will lead you into a new way of experiencing community and listening to God together.  -–from the publisher

Discerning God’s Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church by Danny E. Morris and Charles M. Olsen, Alban Institute, 2012.  Bible study, research, and fieldwork merge in this book of practical principles for decision making by spiritual discernment. The step-by-step approach is interactive, spiritual, and rooted in faith practices and community.  -–from the publisher

Practicing Discernment Together: Finding God’s Way Forward in Decision Making by Lon Fendall, Jan Wood and Bruce Bishop, Barclay Press, 2007.  To discern is to hear and understand God's voice as articulated by the Holy Spirit, resident within us. Discernment is a necessary precondition for faithfulness to God's leadings. –book excerpts



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