The Foundry
Partnering with churches to make disciples and form leaders
Welcome! We're grateful to have the opportunity to partner with River Rock Church for a time of training, conversation, and engagement. The videos below are meant to be brief introductions to some key topics and serve as a springboard for a time of conversation and discussion on January 9.
Rev. Bill Flavin - You Mean I'm an Elder like Peter?
Rev. Bill Flavin - You Mean I'm a Deacon like Stephen?
Discussion questions for elder and deacon videos
1. What are you most excited about in your role on our board?
2. What is one thing you have a question about?
3. What did this video stir up in you?
4. What is one skill you want to learn to help you in your role?
5. How can the board support you in your new role?
1. What are you most excited about in your role on our board?
2. What is one thing you have a question about?
3. What did this video stir up in you?
4. What is one skill you want to learn to help you in your role?
5. How can the board support you in your new role?
Dr. Jeff Fisher - Cultivating Healthy Spiritual Habits in Difficult Times
Discussion questions for "Cultivating Healthy Spiritual Habits in Difficult Times"
1. What are some of the "automatic" habits that you already have (not necessarily "spiritual")?
2. What have been your experiences and/or expectations about rhythms of rest like sabbath-keeping?
3. What have you found to be some of the most common obstacles to establishing or maintaining healthy habits?
4. If you could craft a "perfect" repeatable weekly rhythm what kinds of things would you want included each day and each week?
1. What are some of the "automatic" habits that you already have (not necessarily "spiritual")?
2. What have been your experiences and/or expectations about rhythms of rest like sabbath-keeping?
3. What have you found to be some of the most common obstacles to establishing or maintaining healthy habits?
4. If you could craft a "perfect" repeatable weekly rhythm what kinds of things would you want included each day and each week?
Dr. Branson Parler - Cultivating Fruitful Conversations in a Polarized Time
Discussion questions for "Cultivating Fruitful Conversations"
1. What do you think about the definition of conversation as a “corporate spiritual discipline?” How does that change our perspective of conversation or affect the priority we might give it?
2. How would you respond to the following statement? “The more a church can have good conversations, the better disciples it will make.”
3. We don't have conversations in a vacuum; we are formed and shaped by our broader culture. What in our daily experience in our broader culture contributes to developing these good practices, and even fruit of the Spirit? What in our daily experience in our broader culture teaches us to develop bad habits, the works of the flesh?
4. Where and how can you foster fruitful conversations in your church context?
1. What do you think about the definition of conversation as a “corporate spiritual discipline?” How does that change our perspective of conversation or affect the priority we might give it?
2. How would you respond to the following statement? “The more a church can have good conversations, the better disciples it will make.”
3. We don't have conversations in a vacuum; we are formed and shaped by our broader culture. What in our daily experience in our broader culture contributes to developing these good practices, and even fruit of the Spirit? What in our daily experience in our broader culture teaches us to develop bad habits, the works of the flesh?
4. Where and how can you foster fruitful conversations in your church context?
Dr. Brian Telzerow - Pacing Presence
Discussion questions for "Pacing Presence"
1. What % of your ministry staff, volunteers, elders and deacons time is spent with people in their environment? (Places of work, school, homes, neighborhoods, dinners out, activities not at church)
2. What efforts need to be done with job descriptions for staff, volunteers, elders and deacons to prevent "mission creek" from preventing significant time being spent with those in need as well as the congregation overall?
3. What needs to be done differently to train ministry staff, volunteers, elders and deacons to embrace a more intentional role of building relationships with those they serve?
1. What % of your ministry staff, volunteers, elders and deacons time is spent with people in their environment? (Places of work, school, homes, neighborhoods, dinners out, activities not at church)
2. What efforts need to be done with job descriptions for staff, volunteers, elders and deacons to prevent "mission creek" from preventing significant time being spent with those in need as well as the congregation overall?
3. What needs to be done differently to train ministry staff, volunteers, elders and deacons to embrace a more intentional role of building relationships with those they serve?