[Ailist] Re: AI and Religous Youth Groups

[Alice Leibowitz]

Corbin-

That sounds like a perfect start. The only thing I would add about creating
values in a new context is to ask the participants why they came to the
group to begin with. Then you can take those responses, which may be
superficial, and use AI questions to add depth to the concepts.

For example, I was working with a new board of directors for a Hispanic
social service agency. I asked each of them why they had joined the board.
All of them either said they like to help people or they wanted to have more
of a connection to the Hispanic community. I had them interview each other
in pairs about a time that they helped someone and felt good about it and a
time that they felt really connected to the Hispanic community. Then they
took the themes from all those stories (which included things like "love"
and "independence") and made posters for the agency.

-Alice


>
> --
> Alice Leibowitz
> Partner
> Insight Unlimited LLC
> Non-profit, Community, and Grassroots Consulting
> Hartford, CT
> alice at insightunlimited.org
> www.insightunlimited.org
> (860) 956-9299
>
> ~Contact us for a free 1-2 hour consultation~
> Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:21:36 +0000
> From: Corbin Davis <hiphopcorbin at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Ailist] AI and Religous Youth Groups
> To: <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
> Message-ID: <BAY135-W301A924D8FE708A3975BF2D29D0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
>
>
> Greetings!
>
> I am a "beginner" with the whole AI experience,
> having encountered it in the past couple of years.  Having done some
> initial reading I am still feeling  "new" to this amazing universe.
>
> I
> am a seminary student doing a year long internship as a youth director
> for a Japanese-American Church (the denomination is United Church of
> Christ, a progressive denomination).
>
> The church has never had
> a "real" youth program.  Starting from scratch is both exciting and
> challenging.  My goal is to use AI in the formation of this group from
> the start.
>
> We are just beginning, and as a group the community
> is fluid.  I am never sure exactly how many will attend or how many new
> faces there will be.
>
> So far we have had some good discussions
> and I also have been able to form a leadership team of four committed
> high school aged youth.  Together the leadership youth and I explored
> these AI influenced questions:
>
> 1. When have we felt transformed through our connection with a community?
> 2. Share a story of a time at church that you felt welcomed and valued.
> 3. What do you value most about this church community?
>
> These questions yielded an exciting and energizing first meeting but I
> know that there is so much more yet to come.
>
> I am looking for advice from those who have used AI in a youth or young
> adult religious group setting.
>
> I
> also would value input from others on using AI to start a new community
> and how we explore shared values in a context that is "new".
>
> Corbin Davis
>
>
>