“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Mark 3:35

Why a season of discernment?

One of Restoration Fellowship's main purposes is "to discern God's will for the long term future of the fellowship." This season of discernment is a period of time we're taking to intentionally seek God together on what He desires for us to become in the times to come. 

What is discernment?

One definition of spiritual discernment is “the ability to distinguish or discriminate between (i) what is of God and draws us closer to God and (ii) what is not of God and draws us away from God. (Ruth Haley Barton, Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups). This cannot happen without the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (John 14: 16-17). To discern then is to listen to and depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal His will.

What is not discernment?

A group of people coming up with their own ideas, crafting it into some mission statement, developing a vision and some strategy to execute their plans, and then bookending the process with a prayer like “God, bless our plans.”

How can you prepare individually for discernment?

During this season, you can till the soil of your own heart as you pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to Restoration Fellowship his desires for us as a community:

  • Don’t ask, ‘will this work in my context?’
  • Do ask, ‘what’s God doing/how might I respond to His will?’       
  • Create space to listen to God
  • Ask what’s God doing in my life today and over the past year(s)?
  • Ask how does what God is doing in my life relate to Restoration Fellowship?
  • Ask what do you think God wants you to do?
  • What do you hope will happen? Won’t happen?

 What can you pray about each week during this season of discernment?

  • For the Holy Spirit to reveal the will of the Father for Restoration Fellowship in terms of what type of Christian community he desires for us to become
  • For the Holy Spirit to help us identify our core values
  • For each person in Restoration Fellowship to hunger for more of Jesus Christ in their lives
  • For each person in Restoration Fellowship to learn to listen before we speak

What are practices for discerning God’s will together in community?

  • Listening together with our senses, feelings, imagination, rationality
  • Avoiding interrupting one another
  • Pausing between speakers to absorb what has been said
  • Expressing your own feelings and experiences
  • Asking questions to enable you to wonder about things together
  • Giving space to someone to speak once before you speak twice
  • Holding your desires, convictions, and opinions lightly
  • Praying silently for patience to hear what God is saying through others

Resource:  Barton, R. Ruth. Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups. IVP Books/Formatio, 2012.