Some Methods
I. ANY METHOD
Any method by which secular society reaches decisions provided it is used in the context of:
a. spiritual freedom
b. gentle and open listening
c. a community of faith
d. seeking a better way of creating God's household
II. SOUNDING METHOD
1. Leader invites all the community to pray and reflect on the issue that requires some decision.
2. After a period of prayerful reflection she/he invites each member to express the data involved around the issue, important for determining the issue.
3. After everyone has heard and clarified the data involved in dealing with this issue, all pray for a time as to what decision should be made.
4. Leader then invites all to share their conclusions.
5. Leader listens carefully to all the conclusions and then he/she goes to prayer and makes the final decision.
III. THE FOUR COLUMN METHOD
Note that this method can be used in conjunction with the other methods or it can be used by itself.
1. Through discussion, clarifying, brainstorming, generating solutions, news-printing, prioritizing, eliminating the unnecessary, etc. the group arrives at a clear and acceptable statement of the possible solution to the problem being considered. If several solutions need to be further considered, they are dealt with according to their priority. The
solution is written down as two alternative statements. For example:
we will rent the Ogden House for our faith/justice centre in Toronto;
we will not rent the Ogden House for our faith/justice centre in Toronto
2. Everyone is asked to spend time praying over the possible solution before them. During this time each is asked to list the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. For example:
We will rent Ogden House for our justice centre in Toronto
Advantages to me/us
Disadvantages to me/us
We will not rent Ogden House for our justice centre in
Toronto
Advantages to me/us
Disadvantages to me/us
3. After time spent by themselves everyone comes together and shares their reasons in the group. No comments except for clarification. Go around the group four times, once for each column. Everything that is said is listened to with respect.
4. Return to prayerful reflection to discover what we will do in the Lord.
5. Come together in quiet. Each person expresses what she/he judge before God (and after some inner freedom from disordered attachment or bias) is the better decision. This is done:
a) according to #s 4) and 5) of the Sounding Method above;
b) or according to the Consensus Method below;
c) or according to some acceptable form of voting with the group's predetermination of
what will constitute the whole group's decision. (For example: before the whole process is
begun everyone agrees that this particular issue needs an 80% majority, or a 90% majority
or 2/3 majority etc.)
6. If the issue warrants it, pray for confirmation.
IV. THE CONSENSUS METHOD
Starts exactly the same as in the Sounding Method.
At point 4) if everyone, after prayer, arrives at the same decision, then consensus is reached.
At point 4) if all do not choose the same, then the leader helps the group discover a lower level of consensus through careful dialoguing with the group. The listings such as in the Four Column Method above can be very helpful in this dialogue.
Then if the issue warrants it, the leader asks the group to pray for confirmation and at a later time they report the results of their asking for confirmation.
V. AFTER THE FINAL DECISION THERE ARE IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
1. Describe as clearly and as concretely as possible the immediate outcome or result of this decision. If a video documentary could be taken, what would the product look like, sound like, feel like?
2. Brainstorm all the steps to be taken to produce the outcome.
3. Designate the realistic steps.
4. Determine which steps are necessary for the outcome and which are helpful but not absolutely necessary.
5. Determine the chronological order in which the steps must be taken and if necessary determine the times they are to be accomplished.
6. Determine the resources necessary to take these steps. Determine the resources at hand and the resources which will have to be sought elsewhere.
7. Spell out clearly:
what is to be done?
who is to do it?
when must it be done?
how?
where?
how much will it cost?
how and when will a report or an accounting be given?
etc.