Practicing Discernment with the Seasons
How to Use the Seasons of Shalom
The Seasons of Shalom are designed to support faithful discernment, not to prescribe a program or produce specific outcomes. They offer language and practices that help communities pay attention to what is happening beneath the surface of shared life, so responses can be shaped by wisdom rather than urgency.
The Seasons Are Not Linear
The seasons are not steps to complete or stages to move through in order. Communities may inhabit more than one season at the same time, or return to the same season repeatedly over years. Faithfulness does not mean progressing forward, but responding attentively to what is needed now.
The Goal is Capacity, Not Control
The purpose of the seasons is not to manage change, solve problems, or ensure growth. Instead, they help communities build the capacity to listen well, tell the truth, sustain trust, and live together with integrity over time. The work of discernment often unfolds slowly and cannot be rushed without cost.
Resist the Urge to Jump Ahead
In moments of anxiety or uncertainty, leaders often feel pressure to move quickly toward organizing, decision-making, or action. The Seasons of Shalom invite restraint. Skipping seasons—especially Noticing, Trusting, or Grieving—can weaken shared life and undermine long-term faithfulness.
Use the Seasons as Shared Language
The seasons are most helpful when used as a common vocabulary rather than a diagnostic tool. Instead of asking, “What should we do next?” communities are invited to ask, “What kind of faithfulness is being asked of us right now?” The seasons help name that question without forcing an answer.
Begin with Conversation, Not Action
Communities are encouraged to spend time with a season before introducing practices or changes. Reading the season description together, reflecting on the signs, and naming what resonates can be faithful work in itself. Sometimes the most important outcome is clarity, patience, or renewed trust.
Stay Open to Return
Using the Seasons of Shalom well means remaining open to return—to listening again, to grieving again, to imagining again. Discernment is not a one-time event, but an ongoing posture shaped over time.
Seasons as Invitation
The Seasons of Shalom are offered as an invitation, not a requirement. They are meant to serve communities, not direct them. Used gently and with care, they can help churches and networks remain grounded, attentive, and faithful across changing seasons of life.
