A concerned Mennonite pastor told me recently that his congregation was going through a growth spurt that was taxing their facility. Almost immediately, some members started talking about building plans. Apparently little thought was given to alternative options (going to two services, for instance) or to asking what God was calling them to at this point in their congregational life.

This congregation is not at all unusual. Groups are often more concerned about reaching a decision, than making one, and they shortchange the process for the sake of expedient outcomes.

Making group decisions—whether in families or congregations—is notoriously difficult, anyway. The process exposes our humanity, since it surfaces variant visions, conflicting ideas and competing personalities. Different styles of individual decision making must be blended. Some individuals are very rational in their approach, others more intuitive. Some people make quick decisions, while others brood over them much longer.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about decision making came from former Commissioner of Baseball, Fey Vincent. When northern California was rocked by an earthquake during the 1989 Bay-area World Series between San Francisco and Oakland, Vincent had to make a difficult decision: Should he cancel the World Series? Or simply postpone it and, if so, how long?

Discernment in the body of Christ is not about imposing our will on others, but all members seeking together the mind and will of God.

As a lawyer he had learned that when you gather all the known, relevant facts, sometimes the decision is made for you. But he had learned not to make any decision that can reasonably be avoided. Postponing decisions is not necessarily indecisiveness; rather, it is a way of intentionally keeping open one's options.

Congregations too need to gather and assess all the known and relevant facts when faced with a decision; yet, they shouldn't too quickly foreclose on options, in order to listen to the Spirit of God moving among them. This takes patience and prayer; it involves talking to and listening to one another. Discernment in the body of Christ is not about imposing our will on others, or some group insisting on having its way, but all members seeking together the mind and will of God for them.

It is normal for anxiety to increase when groups are faced with major decisions. The bigger the decision or the more it is a response to a crisis, the greater the level of anxiety. Calling a new pastor or deciding whether to build a new physical plant strikes at the heart of a group's identity and mission. The process of decision making itself can be anxiety producing, as is the need to live for a spell with uncertainties about the outcomes of the process.

It is healthy for people to express their anxieties, to give people opportunity to say what makes them anxious about either the process or the future. But more important is time set aside for people to share their hopes and dreams for the future. When people share their own vision for the future of the congregation, the process of discernment can go to a deeper level that transcends the petty personal differences and turf battles that often arise when decisions must be made.

Trust is essential to good outcomes in group process. Mistrust creeps in when information doesn't flow freely, when some people have more information than others, or when certain individuals or small groups make decisions behind the scenes with little or no accountability to the rest of the group. Regardless of who makes a decision in the congregation—the congregation as a whole or some committee delegated with the responsibility—openness, information and transparency are needed—about the decisions being made, the strategy used, the anticipated timetable and, eventually, the outcomes.

Discernment is not just about making decisions at major junctures in our personal or corporate experience. By calling and conviction disciples of Christ are a discerning people. We ask daily: What is God calling me (or us) to be and to do? What is God's will for us as a community of faith in our context? Hopefully, this issue of Leader will help hone the discipline of spiritual discernment, which is essential to everything else we do as Christians.

Richard A. Kauffman