Building Affinity Circles: Supporting the Inner Work of Dismantling Systemic Racism (a Pilot Series)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

You are being invited to make history in the Presbytery of San Francisco (PSF) by joining

Building Affinity Circles: Supporting the Inner Work of Dismantling Systemic Racism (a Pilot Series). 

You’ve been doing the work of Dismantling Structural/Systemic Racism. Now, are you ready to talk about it?

Affinity Circles are small group conversations in a contemplative listening setting that supports vulnerable storytelling, narrative introspection and savoring self-truths. This pilot series is a continuation of the work of resiliency-building and spiritual practices. We will explore and be curious together about our ongoing need for self-awareness and self-identity expression, spiritual renewal, truth-telling and truth-bearing, and expanding our comfort zones in our conversations and encounters about race.

An affinity is an inherent likeness. In groups, that might mean similarities in work/projects, gender, race, or something else. Our small group leaders are professional practitioners of spiritual direction and/or spiritual care, utilizing trauma-informed, action-reflection models of engagement in conversation.

Your input matters. Pre- and post-surveys[1] will be used to determine the content and presentation of future Affinity Circles to support your personal and PSF anti-racism work. And there is no cost to you. Affinity Circles is sponsored by the Presbytery of San Francisco.

Let’s learn together. Grow together. Be curious together. Be non-racist together.