We see that framing the leadership question for spiritual discernment needs to be placed in the context of the kind of future church to which leaders are called.
As a prophetic people, we are invited into an intentional time to mutually discern who is called to be the next prophet-president for Community of Christ. This is also an important opportunity to listen deeply to the movements of the Holy Spirit and pay close attention to the worldwide context(s) of the church in which future leaders will serve. Our rich diversity as a global movement will provide deepened insight into the gifts, skills, and qualities needed to address the challenges and opportunities of the present in a way that will open exciting paths into God’s future. The kind of leadership we think we most need might vary based on where we live, our life circumstances, and our cultures. Hearing all these perspectives will help us deepen in understanding of the breadth of ways the Holy Spirit is moving and breathing among us in this time.
This is a focused time to discern the next prophet-president, but also to turn our hearts toward the kind of future church Community of Christ desires to be, and where the call of God is for each of us amid this emerging vision. As President Veazey has shared, the discernment process will occur as part of a four phrase process:
- Phase 1: March 2023: Announcing the prophet-president’s retirement, which will occur at the 2025 World Conference.
- Phase 2: March–November 2023: Sharing discernment steps and guiding questions with the church each month with opportunities to offer feedback to the First Presidency. This will include a discernment activity during the 2023 World Conference.
- Phase 3: December 2023–February 2024: Prayerfully holding and reflecting in the First Presidency on all feedback. The prophet-president will name the person called through a letter of counsel to be considered at the 2025 World Conference. The person called will be the president-designate and will be associated with the current First Presidency in its work until the 2025 World Conference.
- Phase 4: May 30–June 6, 2025: Considering, approving, and ordaining the next prophet-president at the 2025 World Conference.
Summary of Discernment Process and Response Opportunities
The rhythm of discernment practice will involve a pray step one month followed by a share step the next month. This gives the church opportunity to engage in meaningful reflection personally and collectively, and then to share responses with the First Presidency. Both praying and sharing will be important for this worldwide discernment journey. The pray steps will have some prompts, but the invitation is open to pray in the ways that are most natural for you. This may include keeping a written record as responses arise, choosing a designated time each day to be mindful of the question with God, or creating space in community gatherings to pray together. Keep an eye on the church’s social media and The Daily Bread as places where prompts for prayer and spiritual practice will be offered for each part of the process. The power of this invitation is knowing that we are praying in community, in a variety of ways, around the world with our hearts focused in the same direction.
Each pray and share step will focus on a guiding question. While it may be tempting to answer the guiding questions all at once, we invite you to enter the journey deeply and approach each one as it comes with the process outline and practice suggestions offered below. This will allow us to dwell deeply together in prayer and reflection on each question as it shapes our discernment. There are also alternative questions intended for children and youth to join in providing drawings or written responses. The guiding questions are:
- God, where is your Spirit leading us next, as a worldwide church? Alternative Question: God, what do you want us to do next to make the world a better place?
- What are the most significant situations, opportunities, or challenges that a prophetic leader will need to address? Alternative Question: What are some important things that a leader needs to do to help the church make the world a better place?
- What is God’s call for the worldwide church in this time? Alternative Question: What does God want our church to do right now to help people and make the world a better place?
- What kind of leadership (qualities, style, competencies, gifts, skills) is needed to respond to God’s call for the worldwide church at this time and into the future? Alternative Question: What are some important qualities that leaders need to have to be good helpers and make the world a better place?
- What words of blessing and hope do you share for the worldwide church in this important time of discernment for our future? Alternative Question: What is your prayer (or hope) for the future of our church community and the world?
Awaken to New Possibilities
March 2023
Pray
We begin this time of discernment by praying for spiritual freedom. This means laying aside personal agendas and assumptions while seeking greater openness to hearing God and each other on our discernment journey.
We want to grow in our desire to follow God’s call as it becomes clear in each of our lives and for the church as we help discern the next prophet-president. With open hearts, we prayerfully imagine:
God, where is your Spirit leading us next, as a worldwide church?
This question invites us to consider what the next faithful steps may be for our collective journey of faith into God’s preferred future.
April 2023
Share
After you have taken time to pray for spiritual freedom and greater openness to God and each other, what is your response to the guiding question:
God, where is your Spirit leading us next, as a worldwide church?
Share around the table with family and friends. Share in sacred community in person and online. As you share, also listen deeply to what others are saying and imagining. Our prayerful sharing with one another will continue to shape our collective discernment and sense of God’s call.
Opportunities to share will be available in April.
Ask and Dream
May 2023
Pray
Prayerfully explore the church’s current situation and the world in which leadership will occur. Consider the question from your context while also being mindful of the church’s global context.
What are the most significant situations, opportunities, or challenges that a prophetic leader will need to address?
June 2023
Share
After taking time to prayerfully reflect, find spaces where you can share and listen to others in response to the question:
What are the most significant situations, challenges, or opportunities that a prophetic leader will need to address?
Share around the table with family and friends. Share in sacred community in person and online. As you share, also listen deeply to what others are saying and imagining. Our prayerful sharing with one another will continue to shape our collective discernment and sense of God’s call.
Opportunities to share will be available in June.
Pay Attention
July 2023
Pray
Using the question below, engage the 6 Lenses for Discovering God’s Will (Knowledge and Reason, Continuing Revelation, Tradition, Personal and Communal Experience, Scripture, Common Consent) to expand our shared vision of who God is calling the church to be amid the situations, opportunities, and challenges we have described. What insight comes from prayerfully engaging these intersecting lenses?
What is God’s call for the worldwide church in this time?
August 2023
Share
How did prayerfully engaging the 6 lenses inform your response to this question?
What is God’s call for the worldwide church in this time?
Share around the table with family and friends. Share in sacred community in person and online. As you share, also listen deeply to what others are saying and imagining. Our prayerful sharing with one another will continue to shape our collective discernment and sense of God’s call.
Opportunities to share will be available in August.
Listen and Pray
September 2023
Pray
This is a time in the process to hold prayerfully all that we have been gathering through prayer, reflection, and sharing together. Considering what you have heard and discovered through discernment so far:
What kind of leadership (qualities, style, competencies, gifts, skills) is needed to respond to God’s call for the worldwide church at this time and into the future?
October 2023
Share
What kind of leadership (qualities, style, competencies, gifts, skills) is needed to respond to God’s call for the worldwide church at this time and into the future?
At this point in the process, there may be individuals you begin to hold prayerfully who demonstrate the kind of leadership you sense or hear described. You are encouraged to share these names with the First Presidency but ask you to refrain from sharing the names of specific people in other settings.
We know that sometimes even our best intentions of considering specific persons can impact other’s lives and families as we all hold the weight of this leadership role in the life of the church.
As we mutually discern both the kind of leadership and specific persons who come to mind, we want to be mindful of the type of listening and sharing environment we are creating in person and online, where we commit to holding one another in Christ like love and mutual respect.
Share around the table with family and friends. Share in sacred community in person and online. As you share, also listen deeply to what others are saying and imagining. Our prayerful sharing with one another will continue to shape our collective discernment and sense of God’s call.
Opportunities to share will be available in October.
Act
November 2023
Pray
The next faithful step in this process will occur as the current First Presidency sifts through the church’s responses to prayerfully hold the concerns, hopes, dreams, and possible names. We hold leadership in prayer as we consider the call of God for our next prophet-president, and for each of our lives as we shape the future together.
December 2023
Share
What words of blessing and hope do you share for the worldwide church in this important time of discernment for our future?
Participants are invited to continue to send reflections and names through the end of the year.
Share around the table with family and friends. Share in sacred community in person and online. As you share, also listen deeply to what others are saying and imagining. Our prayerful sharing with one another will continue to shape our collective discernment and sense of God’s call.
Opportunities to share will be available in December.
January 2024
Pray
Seek Confirmation of the Holy Spirit as the next prophet-president is named for Community of Christ. An indication of confirmation of the Holy Spirit is often the presence of the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
As a prophetic people discerning together, who we become as we collectively discern is as important as whatever the outcome may be. We pray that our intentional journey of prayer and discernment will bear fruit in the life of the church for years to come.
Opportunities to share will be available in January.
As we embark on this journey of discernment together, the words of a visionary hymn offer blessing and invitation,
Grant to us insight, O God, for this time of decision. May we dream challenging dreams of both depth and precision. Speak through the dark. Dispel by lightning’s bright spark whatever clouds dim our vision.
The journey of discernment is a powerful affirmation in the life of the church that God is with us, seeking fresh form and expression in the lives of individuals, communities, and our whole worldwide movement. It is affirmation that there is a future of hope and possibility to discover and co-create with God. With deep trust in the Holy Spirit already at work among us, we prayerfully discern together.
