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Discussion Guide

Intended Audience: Youth and/or adults in groups of three to five

Time Frame: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Suggested Seating -- Flexible seating to allow for a short presentation time to the whole group and smaller discussion groups and wall area for display of resources

Supplies and other Recommended Resources: Discussion Starter Sheets (one sheet for every person in each group), newsprint or chart paper and markers (optional), poster of Twenty-five Years Lutheran Women's Ordination in Canada (order form in this mailing), flyer entitled "What she has done will be told ..." (included in package), list of Ordained Women of the ELCIC (included in package), and Canada Lutheran, July/August 2001 issue, page 17

Leader Preparation: Order the poster from the ELCIC, collect other recommended resources and prepare display materials, select Discussion Starter Sheets and make copies of each sheet for each group, and set up room with flexible seating.

Study Outline:

Welcome and Introduction of Topic: (estimated time 10 minutes)
Leader welcomes participants and invites them to look at the poster, list of ordained women and other resources that may be displayed. When the starting time arrives, leader may invite people to introduce themselves if the participants don't know each other. Leader reads or paraphrases the Background (see front page of resource package) to introduce the topic. Leader invites participants to recall ordained women they may know or know about, or to think about ways that their lives may have been touched by an ordained woman.

Set up Small Group Discussion: (estimated time 5 minutes)
Leader invites participants to form groups of three to five for discussion. Each group is provided with a Discussion Starter Sheet and invited to spend their small group time on one or both topics. Each group may be given a newsprint sheet and marker for recording thoughts and ideas and posting at the end of the discussion. Leader gives groups a time limit for discussion. The discussion starters in this study session are drawn from the With Many Voices report.

Small Group Discussion: (estimated time 20-30 minutes)

Sharing of Impressions and Thoughts: (estimated time 5-10 minutes)
Leader introduces sharing time by asking participants if they would like to share a new insight, learning, perspective or thought about ordained women, their experiences, and the experience of the church since it began to ordain women into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament.

Closing: Leader may close using the prayer from the ELCIC convention anniversary observances in July 2001.

Gracious God, we give you thanks and praise for the insight of those who have gone before us, who recognized that you call and gift both men and women to serve your church through the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. We ask you to continue to give us wisdom and openness to your grace so that the gifts of all may be encouraged and exercised in your church for the sake of the gospel. Bless the ordained women of the ELCIC and all who serve in Christ's most holy name that your mission may be accomplished and your people renewed in faith. Through Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.

Discussion Guide

With Many Voices

A Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women in Canada, ELCIC