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4. Individual Roles Within the Group

A Role for Each Participant

Every participant should have a part to play in the life or mission of the group -- responsibility for some part of the life of the group. Every group needs participants who will take several basic roles. These roles may have different names, or be combined in different ways, but each group needs a moderator, someone for spiritual accountability, and someone to uphold the vision of the group.

Moderator / Abbot
The person who structures the group life, develops the agenda, makes sure everyone has a chance to share, saves time for the essentials and helps keep the balance of work, play and worship.
Spiritual Guide / Director
The person to whom others in the group are accountable for the faithfulness and richness of their spiritual lives; the one who receives, prays over and provides comments on weekly reports from group members.
Vision Keeper / Prophet
The person who takes the longer view of the life of the group; the one who keeps the group in touch with its call; the one who challenges when things get too comfortable.

Other roles that may be combined with those described above, or with each other include a worship leader, someone to stay in touch with the larger community, and (if the group has a corporate mission) leaders for the mission work of the group.

Worship Leader
The one who leads the worship life of the group.
Ecumenist
The person who keeps the group in touch with the rest of the church: other groups, the larger Seekers community, the other C. of S. descendants, and the wider church.
Activist
The one who leads the group into action. This may be directed toward the corporate mission of the group, or toward the growth and development of the group itself.
Celebrant
The person who calls the group to play, and encourages full expression of our joy.

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