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Dreaming Vocation “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” (Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking, HarperOne, 1993). Envision Five years ago, at Nebraska Wesleyan University we discerned that a complete education included a clear vocational process. We wanted to help students pay attention to the bigger picture of what it meant to be a member of the greater human community. With this in mind we applied for a NetVUE grant. This grant, made possible by the Council of Independent Colleges, seeks primarily to help students “Deepen the understanding of the intellectual and theological dimensions of vocational exploration.” At the conclusion of the grant period we planned an event we called “Envision.” The purpose of the event was to bring together students that had been nominated by faculty and staff for a night of dialogue around vocation. We planned it as a formal event. The expectation was for students to be dressed “business casual.” We offered hors d’oeuvres and decorated the space as it was a very special occasion. During the course of an hour students gathered in groups of 7, following a “world cafe” style of conversation (www.theworldcafe.com). Every 15 minutes, students changed groups. At every change they addressed a different question. All questions were meant to help students define aspects of their vocation. Some of this dialogue’s questions were: What are the characteristics of a successful life? What’s the difference between being alive and truly living? What is my calling and purpose at this time?* Students had a great time talking about things that they rarely talk about. Their experience was such that they asked us to repeat the event soon! In two years of having this event, 120 students have participated. Envision Groups After the first event we planned follow-up groups. These were small groups led by students who would address deeper issues of vocation. In these groups we defined vocation as the intersection between our gifts, our passions, and the 1 world’s greatest needs. The purpose of these groups was not to help students define their careers. Rather we wanted students to find their purpose and be able to apply it in whichever career they may choose. After the event some students decided for a new career, others discerned a better focus on the path they had already chosen. We used Venn diagrams to help students visualize the intersections of their gifts, passions, and their perceived world’s needs. The first week we talked about the meaning of vocation and how it is not exclusive to a religious call. (To talk about vocation in Lincoln, Nebraska, one may unintentionally fall in the realm of Catholic spirituality. To spend one session redefining the term was essential!) At the end of the session we asked students to ask their parents and friends which were things they thought the student was particularly good at. The second session we talked about their gifts. We asked them if there was anything that they heard from relatives and friends that surprised them. Then we asked them for the next session to make a list of things they were particularly passionate about. The third session we talked about their passions. We discussed why these were passions of theirs. Then we started asking them if they could see intersections between their passions and gifts. GIFTS PASSIONS The last session we spent talking about what they perceived to be the needs of the world. This turned out to be the most challenging of all tasks. Students were overwhelmed by the needs of the world. We had to guide them to think about adaptive as well as technical needs. For example, Hunger is a need that is both technical (can be fixed with food) as well as adaptive (changing the systems that cause poverty). At the end we put all together and asked them to see if they saw themes that repeated in all three circles. 2 GIFTS PASSIONS WORLD’S NEEDS Intentionality is Key I think being intentional about creating discernment processes is key to a healthy congregational life. It is not a silver bullet that will cure every church’s disease. But once there is clarity of purpose, there is clarity of direction. What if our ministries went through an intentional process of vocational discernment for its members? Maybe something we use before selecting lay leadership for the following year? Would an intentional process of vocational discernment make Lay Leadership meetings less... challenging? What if everyone at Church Council had a clearer picture of where they stood in terms of vocation? Dreaming vocation is a practice that needs to constantly be in the mind of every Christian. As church leaders we cannot be content with having found our own vocation. We need to help others find theirs. This is part of our calling. These are GREAT books to help you lead discussions on vocation: 1. Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life, Henri Nouwen (HarperOne, 2015) 2. Let You Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, Parker Palmer (JosseyBass, 1999) One last thought: we also need to continuously think of our own vocation. Have there been changes along the way? Perhaps, refinements? After all, we have committed our lives to do what God wants of us. It is a vital part of our discipleship to seek every day the sound of God’s voice. 3 *The reminder of the questions are included in a separate document 4