"This is the discernment material that was presented at the Kansas City GA in 2001."
Karen Barr, team leader for the Discernment Ministry Team, tells us that she repeated this sentence at least 200 times during the GA in Portland. Although almost everyone who stopped by the booth knew that a steering committee had been appointed and material presented, very few had ever actually picked up the book and looked at it before.
Assembly goers in Portland had the chance to do see the materials at the booth sponsored by the OGMP and planned and staffed by GLAD.
This isn't the first time that Karen has done the same. Last year she staffed a similar display at Session 2004, the CMF gathering held in Kentucky.
And Karen tells us that progress is sometimes visible. She recognized one of the people that stopped to talk at the General Assembly booth as someone she had talked to at Sessions. In fact, the memory of the Kentucky discussion stuck with her because in KY he had one of the most negative reactions she had ever received.
However, at this year's General Assembly he stopped, picked up the material and discussed how one might use it.
The team is already working on an exhibit at Mix in 06, where the Disciples Women's Quadrennial will for the first time meet together with the United Church of Christ's National Women's Meeting.
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