Invitation to the Point of View (“POV”) event on September 22, 2018

    You are invited to experience what we believe is a somewhat different and uncommon event.  It’s called POV (or Point of View).

    The purpose of our POV event is to provide an environment where people of various opinions/convictions about an issue can safely share their opinions, developing empathy for those with whom we may deeply disagree, and listening to one another as the body of Christ.

    We believe that the POV experience is different because it's counter-cultural and an uncommon experience, since, in our polarized world, there are not many spaces left that don’t have dividing lines.

    The POV process has been developed by both Pastoral and Lay leadership in the Florida Conference and is based on materials derived from The Anatomy of Peace, a book centered on resolving the essential elements within ourselves that lead to conflict. (You can check the book out for yourself: http://ws.arbinger.com/anatomyofpeace/, and it is also available on Amazon.)

    Why we are focused on the POV process is in response to the issue of LGBTQIA inclusion, which will be determined at a special called General Conference of the United Methodist Church, in February of 2019.

    For a more complete explanation of why we are having this initial discussion, I refer you to my recent pastoral letter, which can be found on my blog, just below this post, entitled, The Road Before Us.


    I want to explain what our September 22nd, POV meeting will and will not be.

What POV is:

POV is - a one day experience that creates a safe space for engaging difficult conversations through the lens of empathy, context and mission.

POV is - an opportunity for you to bring your thoughts, questions, emotions, and heart without the fear of being judged or coerced.


What POV is not:

POV is not - an attempt to change your convictions - no matter what they may be.

POV is not - a place to try and convince others of your deeply held convictions, though we want everyone to share their perspective.

The POV experience is a place and time where we will listen, we will share, we will reflect, and we will engage with one another.

    Again, our POV experience will be held from 9 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday, September 22nd, at Hope UMC.

    It is important for you to sign up at the Connection Center, as we will need to prepare the room, provide refreshments, and reproduce materials for each participant.

    I look forward to our time together. Peace.


You Are Loved,

Kelly W. Smith
Senior Pastor, Hope UMC