Leadership Conference, Part 2

Well, I'm back home in Chicago. Didn't get a chance to blog during the second half of the week in Denver.

The ICSL Congress on Wednesday did not disappoint. There were some ruffling of feathers as predicted. Drawn-out discussions on parliamentary procedures. Proposals voted for and proposals voted down. Hopefully all is now smoothed out for all concerned.

Thursday's open discussion was not really an open discussion. We broke off into smaller groups based on questions posed by the audience. I ended up in a group that discussed the whole "church" label and organizational structure. It was very interesting. Most of the group felt that "church" might not be the best way to describe this movement. (One of the reasons the organization changed its name to Centers for Spiritual Living). We are more of a teaching, a philosophy of life. We considered more educational names like "institute" "center", etc.

I have to admit, when I tell friends or co-workers that I go to "church" or I am President of the Board of Trustees at my "church", I half-feel obligated to follow that up immediately with "but it's not what you think, or it's not your typical church, or it's not your average church." How do you sum that up in a 5-word slogan?

Science of Mind, New Thought, Religious Science are all hard to describe most people. It is not what people grew up on. I hope that changes soon.

In all, the Leadership Conference was an experience that will continue to have an influence on my thinking and how I approach things as I continue to reflect back on it. It is something where the true ramifications may not be known for some time. It will continue to evolve and grow within me.

Next stop: Summer Conference here in Chicago July 26 - 30. I'll need the time to prepare!


Namaste