Engaging One Another
Across Our Differences

Diocesan Deaneries host Mosaic Task Force Program

“Engaging One Another Across Our Differences” is the theme of the first of two programs offered for laity and clergy by each deanery of the diocese. An initiative initiated by the Diocesan Convention last October, calls for at least two deanery meetings each year to include clergy and lay members. The purpose of this initiative is to bring together members of various congregations for the common growth of the diocese as it lives out its mission and ministry.

In cooperation with the Mosaic Task Force, the diocese offers three sessions in May on three consecutive Saturdays and in multiple locations to begin this important work. Clergy and laity are invited to attend one session in their home deanery, though you are welcome to attend others as well. Each will run from 9am until 3pm with a lite lunch served. There is no charge to attend, though donations for the cost of lunch will are appreciated. The dates and locations are

• Saturday, May 7 (Green Bay Deanery) St. Anne’s, De Pere
• Saturday, May 14 (Wisconsin River Deanery), St. John’s, Wausau
• Saturday, May 21 (Lake Winnebago Deanery), Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Fond du Lac

Each session will be facilitated by Laura Smythe, an attorney, mediator and professor who addresses topics of cultures and change, critical thinking, creative problem solving and social diversity. She will address how our upbringing, our cultural background and societal trends have formed values around race which affect our relationships more than we assume. She is a lawyer with two decades of experience in teaching conflict management and resolution skills, serving as a professional mediator, and training staff at Aging and Disability Resource Centers throughout the state. She also serves the Wisconsin Supreme Court as an investigator for claims of attorney misconduct and various state agencies to educate about conflict management policies.

To plan for enough materials and food for each session, please register your attendance. If a group is coming from your congregation, only one person needs to register and tell us how many more are coming.