Make Us One with Christ: The Study Guide Version Prepared by the offices of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations The Episcopal Church 815 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017 and The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns of The United Methodist Church 475 Riverside Drive Room 1300 New York, NY 10115 Thomas Ferguson, Ph.D. Associate Deputy Rev. W. Douglas Mills, Ph.D. Associate General Secretary for Dialogue and Interfaith Relations Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. Make Us One with Christ: The Study Guide Version Copyright © 2006, the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Episcopal Church in the USA and the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns of The United Methodist Church. All rights reserved worldwide. Date of this revision: 30 September 2006 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License. You may visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA. The above referenced license provides that this document may be copied freely so long as it is copied unaltered, with all copyright, title, and author statements intact. All scripture quotations (unless otherwise noted) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. ISBN: 978-0-9792391-0-6 Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. his study guide and The United Methodist Church dialogues with The Episcopal Church are funded through the support of the TInterdenominational Cooperation Fund. The Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment was established in 1952 to: ◆ support ecumenical efforts around the world; ◆ witness to the Christian faith; ◆ foster a renewal of Christian unity and understanding; ◆ meet human suffering; and ◆ advocate for global peace and justice. Giving faithfully to the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment nurtures the ministries of Churches Uniting in Christ, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the World Council of Churches, JustPeace, the World Methodist Council and the Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union. For more information about the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund or to order promotional materials, please visit www.umcgiving.org. This study guide and The United Methodist Church-Episcopal Church dialogue are funded by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, as part of the Office of the Presiding Bishop. We are thankful for contributions by dioceses to support the national and international mission work of The Episcopal Church, so that we might strive “to restore all people in unity with God and each other in Christ.” (Book of Common Prayer, Catechism, p. 855.) More information, please visit www.episcopalchurch.org/ecumenism Make Us One With Christ 3 Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. MAKE US ONE WTH CHRIST: THE STUDY GUIDE VERSION A PROCESS FOR FACILITATING FELLOWSHIP AMONG EPISCOPAL AND UNITED METHODIST CONGREGATIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . .6 Session Summaries . .7 Session One—Getting to Know One Another, Part A . .8 Sessions Two—Sharing Our Histories . .9 Session Three—The Faith We Have In Common . .10 Session Four—Structure and Polity . .11 Session Five—Ministry . .12 Session Six—Planning for a Life of Full Communion . .13 Session Seven—Celebrating the Eucharist Together . .14 Evaluation and Planning Response Form . .15 Appendix . .16 Make Us One With Christ 5 Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. Introduction This Study Guide version of Make Us 3. Sessions will be held weekly or One With Christ is a process guide for use biweekly, with representatives of the by congregations of The Episcopal Church two congregations sharing leadership as and The United Methodist Church as we appropriate and jointly planning how live into the period of Interim Eucharistic discussions will be structured; each Sharing inaugurated in 2006. It is the session may last up to one and a half congregations, clergy, and lay people of hours; The Episcopal Church and The United 4. Sessions will meet alternately in each Methodist Church that will live out full congregation’s building and begin with communion in mission and witness in its worship led by the host congregation in most fundamental and meaningful sense. a manner so as to express something of Through the process outlined in this its authentic liturgical and devotional study guide, congregations from each tradition, concluding with a joint communion will explore each other’s Eucharistic service at the last session; history, traditions, faith, worship, and life. 5. Participants from each congregation, It will also guide congregations in looking under the guidance of their clergy at how they might engage in common where possible, will complete the mission in their communities. This appropriate evaluation and planning discussion guide assumes: response form and return it to The 1. Two congregations, one Episcopal and United Methodist–Episcopal Church one United Methodist, from the same Dialogue.1 community have agreed to engage with This discussion process is self- each other in this discussion; explanatory and requires few additional 2. Each congregation will be represented resources. However, plan carefully so that in the discussion by roughly the same leadership may be shared between the two number of people, most likely 10-12 congregations and participants may have from each congregation but with other the best opportunity to see what full options possible; communion between The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church may mean for their congregation’s witness. 1 Return completed evaluation forms to: The United Methodist–Episcopal Dialogue Team, c/o The Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017. 6 Make Us One With Christ Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. Session Summaries Session One—Providing opportunity Session Six—This session for participants to begin to know concentrates on having participants one another and to be introduced brainstorm ways their two to the present dialogue between congregations might “live into” full The United Methodist Church and communion. The Episcopal Church, a dialogue Session Seven—This closing session whose goal is full communion by has two parts: first, participants will 2012. take their brainstorming ideas from Session Two—The session provides session five and decide on some an opportunity to look at a brief practical next steps together; history of the two communions. second, the Study Guide process Sessions Three, Four, and Five—In will conclude with a joint these sessions, participants explore celebration of the Eucharist. three areas which will be important While the first and second sessions in the hoped-for full communion and the last two sessions need to be relationship between our two done in order, sessions three through churches: (1) the faith we have in five may be reordered to suit the common; (2) structure and polity; needs and calendars of participating and (3) ordered (i.e., ordained) congregations. ministry (including the role of Thank you for your participation bishops) and the ministry of the and God’s blessings as you begin your laity. study! Make Us One With Christ 7 Copy: Material Located in the Archives of the Episcopal Church. Session One Getting to Know One Another OBJECTIVES When all have had the opportunity to introduce themselves, invite participants to discuss By the end of this session, participants will have What do we seem to have in common as individuals? begun to: How do we seem to be different as individuals? 1. Know each other as individuals and as people of faith; Note these similarities and difference on the flip chart 2. Know each other’s congregation, identifying or chalkboard. similarities and differences; and 3. Know the goal of the present dialogue between The ACTIVITY C Congregational Introductions 30 minutes United Methodist Church and The Episcopal Church Ask each team to introduce its congregation to the group. The introduction might contain some or all of the PREPARATIONS following: A brief history of the congregation; Prior to the start of the session, consider making the The congregation’s self-understanding of its mission following preparations: and identity-defining core values; Have simple refreshments available; Something of the congregation’s programmatic Arrange chairs in a large circle so participants can easily ministry, including its support of and participation see and hear each other; in denominational and ecumenical ministry; and Have a name tag available for each participant; Something of the congregation’s organization and Have available a flip chart, paper, markers, and masking governance. tape (or a chalk board and chalk); When the two teams have finished their introductions, The host congregation for this session should prepare a invite participants to discuss brief opening worship drawing on its authentic What do we seem to have in common as congregations? liturgical and devotional tradition (see Activity A How do we seem to be different as congregations? below); What might we be able to learn or appropriate from Have teams of two or three from each congregation each other as faith communities? prepared to introduce their congregation to the Again, note the similarities, differences, and possible whole group (see Activity B); and learnings on the flip chart or chalkboard. Have one or more persons from each congregation prepare to present a brief history of their respective ACTIVITY D The goal of the current dialogue communion (see Activity D for two suggestions on how this might be done). The story of Anglican-Methodist Dialogue is told in Appendix A. One of the facilitators should summarize this Opening Worship 15 minutes history for the members of the group.