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BY CYNTHIA TAYLOR

When the weather starts to turn cold, I love watching geese setting off for the south, flying in formation. One crisp, cool morning as I was thinking about visioning, the V-formation of the geese caught my attention in a new way: the birds were united by a common goal, and they were all heading to the same destination, working together as a team. Did you know that flying in a V-formation gives the flock 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone?

I was struck by their sense of teamwork and community, and I thought of how working as a flock united by a common purpose can help us as a conference develop a vision that has every segment and every member feeling included, essential, and valued.

Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Like the geese, when we have a compelling vision, when we all work together, heading in the same direction, and helping each other along the way, we can discern and achieve the vision that God places in our hearts.

Mark 10:27 sets the stage for visioning: "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" If we begin with prayer asking, "What is God asking us to be?" and truly believe that with God, all things are possible, our visions will challenge us to do greater things than we have ever imagined we could do.

The Discipleship Council has shaped the 2020 Visioning Process. Having participated in the conference's 2005 visioning process, I appreciated the inclusiveness of the approach taken then. The Discipleship Council members wisely suggested expanding this year's process to include others who would bring perspectives we might otherwise not have considered, such as members of the Council on Finance and Administration, the Board of Ordained Ministry and even people who are non- or nominally religious.

This rich array of voices allowed us to look at our past, who we are as a conference today and what God is calling us to be in the future. The feedback we gained in this fall's listening sessions on the four regions is now being sifted through and digested.

I am grateful for the energy, talents and leadership of Bishop Schol, Rev. David Argo and the members of the Discipleship Council, and for their contributions to this important work for the future of the Baltimore Washington Conference.

The discussions generated and the information shared during visioning are an important part of the process. As we take time to pray and discern together God's will for us, our hearts and eyes are opened to see in a new way. My hope is that the vision we create will guide us in the same direction, working as a team and helping each other to become more like Christ.

Like the geese, we're invited to take flight – together – soaring toward a God-inspired future.

Cynthia Taylor chairs the conference Discipleship Council.