The Healing Project at The Church of the Palms offers these special events and programs in March:
Sunday, March 19th: Morning Worship Commissioning Service & Dedication of our “Interfaith Chapel for Healing.” Rev. Shea Darian will be preaching. Prayer Shawls will be dedicated. Team members and volunteers for the Healing Project will be blessed.
Saturday, March 25th & April 22nd: Story Circle Events. Come for one or both events on the same day, including:
9:30-10:15 am: An Introduction to Story Circles with Dr. John Genette. Come to this introductory session to learn more about the story circle experience. John will offer insights into the age-old tradition of story-sharing, exploring German-Jewish religious philosopher Martin Buber’s perspective of the I and Thou relationship that is at the core of true dialogue. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions about story circles and practice telling brief personal stories in dyads related to a common theme.
10:30-12 pm: Story Circle. Themes: March 25th – “When Grieving Is Healing” & April 22nd (Earth Day) – “Communing With the Earth as a Healer.”
Participants will be given a question prompt to spontaneously tell a brief 3-5 minute personal story in a safe space with no more than 12 participants. Stories are told uninterrupted with a brief pause between stories before another participant shares. After all stories are told, the group is guided to reflect on their collective experience.
Story Circle Guide: Dr. John Genette is co-founder of the Storyscope Project and a Research Fellow (Hon.) in Communication at Arizona State University (ASU). As a master’s student at ASU, John was awarded the Dessie E. Larsen Fellowship in recognition of two unique contributions: using “art as meditation” as a research method, and creating Civil Dialogue® – an original format that promotes civility in public discourse. John also serves on the Strategic Planning Team of Doing Grief Community Healing Project. He welcomes the opportunity to help others find creative ways to process grief and access joy.