- Please see announcement below for the result of the 10-to-the-City discussion.

- The slate of Shepherding Team candidates will be presented on November 1, with the election taking place on November 22.

- In July the team went to work answering the question "How are we doing facilitating difficult conversations that lead to spiritual formation?" In 2016, there will be several opportunities for the All Souls' body to improve the way we communicate as we strive to walk with each other in loving unity. Doug Banister, Linda Hamilton, and David Gayk attended training at The Colossian Forum. The Forum is designed to "help Christians who disagree engage difficult questions in ways that build up love of God and neighbor. By gathering Christians who disagree, confessing that all things hold together in Christ (Colossians 1:17), bringing our difficulties before God in prayer, listening to varied experts on the topics, attending to Scripture and the resources of the faith, and learning to

Lauren Ellsworth

listen and talk across difference, we can trust the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ." Linda and David will lead a small group on sexuality in the spring with resources from this training.

Another opportunity for the body to improve communication for the purpose of loving well and developing unity is Collaborative Communication (CC) training, introduced to All Souls by member Lisa Murray. Here is what Lisa says about CC: "One purpose of collaborative communication is to know yourself and those around you better. Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to love the Lord, and the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). The reciprocity of collaborative communication requires sharing one's authentic self, recognizing another's authentic self,and speaking words of truth.  This respect is a form of loving your neighbor deeply." There will be a Collaborative Communication training retreat January 15-17, 2016 with 20 volunteer participants, followed by the formation of two 10-week small groups. More detailed information on both of these opportunities will follow in upcoming newsletters, floor announcements, and emails to the congregation.