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The Manifestry Method . . .

Together seeking common solutions, to common concerns,

while continuing to encourage individual initiative.

Introduction

The Manifestry Method of seeking common solution to common concerns was probably first recorded as being used thousands of years ago as “The Way”, used by the Primitive/Early Christian (before Constantine) as the method of reaching consensus in their beliefs, and in the way they lived their lives.

Neighborhood Coalition Clusters - Seeking and Manifesting the Will of The Holy Spirit of God (or the natural spirit of nature) - True coalition of independent individuals/families, dedicated to, together gathering together, in small clusters, in their homes, over a common (potluck) meal. - Together gathering, together to: seek, trust, care, share, and communicate relative to common concerns, and thus to coalesce the will of the people to resolve those issues too great to be resolved by the individual alone.

The word manifest and/or manifestant was probably first used during midlevel present uprising(s) in the 13^th or 14^th century.

One of the first accounts of this approach for reaching a consensus being used in America is probably Benjamin Franklin’s - Juntas. Also a similar approach was used by many peoples native to America in the Tribal Councils. Also by the pioneers as they moved west ward; barn raisings, quilting bees, threshing crews, round-ups were all examples of common people coming together to accomplish common task too large for the single individual to accomplish alone.

But unfortunately our modern society has lost much of the sense, and willingness to seek common consensual solutions to common concerns. Our culture does not seem to have a custom nor recognized method for seeking consensus.

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Introductory Guide to the Manifestry Method

Primary Objectives:

- To gather together

- To coalesce the consensual spiritual will of the community

- To together seek common solutions, to common concerns

while continuing to encourage individual initiative

Primary Facets:

· The Ministry

· The Missionary

· The Manifestry

Manifestants Gathering Together In Manifestry Clusters:

Next Door Neighbors (3 to the left, 3 to the right, and 7 across the street) gathering together, in Host Homes, with neighbors the hosts/hostess are willing to invite into their home, on fifth Wednesdays of the month, over a common potluck meal, to seek consensuses, in circular cluster coalitions.

Seeking Common Solutions to Common Concerns:

In accordance with Self-Determined Agenda(s) including but not limited to the following categories of human interests;

· Personal

· Familial

· Communal

· Educational

· Spiritual

· Economical

· Governmental

In An Orderly Manner:

Each in turn, (in a non-confrontational manner) from the bottom up;

5. Communing/Communicating

4. Sharing

3. Caring

2. Befriending/Trusting

1. Seeking

Action:

Any and all actual acts and/or deeds, (action beyond the coalescence of the spiritual will and/or beyond individual and/or collective resources of the people in the neighborhood community cluster) larger than any one participant and/or Manifestry cluster may be able to accomplish alone, are to be done through/by the appropriate existent Ministry, and/or Missionary entity(ies).

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A Moral Movement

Three Primary Facets

The three primary facets of a moral movement or any movement are:

The Ministry - those who minister:

- The Ministerial

- enable, administrate, supervise, teach, preach

- deciding, determining, authorizing, administrating, the concept

The Missionary - those who mission:

- The Organizational

- organize, facilitate, enact, administer, manage, promote, act, produce

- acting, accumulating, organizing, utilizing the material/intellectual resources

The Manifestry - those who manifest:

- The Multitudinous

- originate, initiate, orchestrate, advocate, encourage, disseminate, participate, partake, share, toil, do

- seeking consensual spiritual will of the community

- accumulating the spiritual resources needed to resolve a common concern

- coalescing (growing together) of the will of the community to utilize these

spiritual resources to find a common solution to a common concern

- manifesting (making evident to others) the common coalesced spiritual will

of the community to resolve a common concern

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Ten Marks of Movement Making Coalitions

(Modification/Adaptation of an essay by; Dr. Cornell (Corkie) Haan)

1. All coalition participants come to their strategic planning roundtable as equals except the facilitator(s) who come as a servant to the others. Therefore, the participants of the coalition control the agenda, not the chairperson as in an organization.

2. Well-balanced coalitions honor both task oriented and relational based leadership styles. Coalitions are built on trust and sustained on a shared vision, bigger than anyone participant may be able to accomplish alone, that becomes a broadly owned strategic initiative. Relationships and initiatives need each other like a railroad track needs a train and vice versa.

3. Coalition development usually includes a reconciliation process that starts with a dog-like sniffing, growling and checking out. Coalition participants scatter when a significant ministry drives the initiative. Elephants and ants don’t dance together very long unless the ant leads.

4. Coalition gatherings are typically not events such as are meetings, conferences or training seminars where someone stands in front of the group to tell everyone else how to do it. They are strategic planning roundtables where everyone is a presenter responding to the key strategic question:

"What can we do better together than separately?”

5. Coalitions are inclusive. Organizations are exclusive. Coalitions grow by filling the roundtable with the intellectual resources needed to accomplish the shared vision or initiative. Coalitions that do not continually invite new people to the roundtable either shrink away or become an organization.

6. A coalition needs a person or a small group to facilitate or coordinate the shared vision or initiative(s) of the coalition. These facilitators kill a movement by functioning as a top-down controlling organizational governing board or executive committee, rather they are to serve the coalition. As a Chamber of Commerce does not compete with its storeowners, those who facilitate a coalition should do nothing to compete with the participants of the coalition. If the facilitator individual/group is perceived as controlling or running things, coalition participants will applaud but withdraw.

7. Top-down controlling organizational structure and leadership quickly makes a movement into a monument. Organizational structure is very good at maintaining things, and efficiently accomplishing physical tasks. But coalitions only become movements when collaborators (co-labors) accustom to maintaining their ministries and/or missionaries are willing to allow for the empowerment of the movement’s manifestries.

8. A coalition's internal communication is its life-blood. Strong coalitions communicate before, during, and following decisions. Coalitions can cause movements, change paradigms, and alter attitudes when each participant, led by the consensual spirit of the movement, communicates similar messages to their constituents.

9. Coalitions are synergistic spirit-driven answers to our inner desire for peace and harmony. Trust and shared vision both arise from collaborators spending many hours in seeking harmonious solutions.

10. Coalitions may become power tools when implemented nationally, regionally, in counties/cities, and in local communities/neighborhoods. Organizations with their organizational boards and committees are important exclusive groups; that are needed to maintain principles and policies, and/or to efficiently accomplish physical tasks. Coalitions are inclusive groups; that discover strategic initiatives, coalesce the spiritual will of the people, and bring together the resources (of existent organizations whenever possible) needed to accomplish that shared vision or initiative.

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Organizations versus Coalitions

Technically a coalition is an organization, but there are some differences in the manner in which they function.

Some Differences

Organizations                                      Coalitions

> members join                                     > participants participate

> individual concedes freedoms            > individual retains freedoms

> individual submits to the will              > individual retains individual will

of the organization                                   and individual initiative

> hold meetings                                  > have gatherings

> agendas/schedules predetermined    > agendas/schedules determined

by leaders/boards                                  by participants

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The Manifestry Gathering - In An Orderly Manner

Dedicated to; together, gathering together in our own homes, in our own neighborhoods, over a common potluck meal, to seek and manifest a more perfectly coalesced overwhelming consensual spiritual will of the people relative to the recognition, preservation and furtherance of an attitude of community.

Gathering on fifth Wednesday evenings, (or other times/days of weeks with fifth Wednesdays) often enough to maintain continuity of thought, but not so often as to become intrusive.

When we gather together each one should bring food. (Material which feeds and supports the body, mind or spirit.) Food for common physical nourishment. Food for common mental or spiritual nourishment.

Each should bring; a song/saying, a rhyme/rap, an educating/informing disclosure, an interpretation and/or a common concern to share.

Let everything be relevant, constructive, edifying and for the good of all. Let any and all new ideas and/or new concerns be introduced only at the lowest level.

If someone wants to speak about a common concern let the circular discussion cluster be limited to no less than three and no more than seven manifestants/participants.

If someone wants to speak in a foreign language (unintelligible utterances, or about in-comprehendible concept(s)) let the discussion cluster number be limited to two or three, and then let one interpret and explain what is said for all to understand. But if there is no interpreter it is best that the one who can only speak in a foreign language be quite, and think some more, as otherwise there will only be confusion.

Let only two or three, (in the circular discussion cluster), who are inspired to communicate (mutually exchange and scrutinize ideas) speak in turn, while the rest pay attention and weight and discern what is said. But if an inspired thought comes to another who is sitting in the circle then let the first be silent and all lessen to the inspiration, until all in turn who are inspired to speak to the issue have had their turn.

If a gathering has more than one cluster, then only the consensually chosen communicator of the respective clusters should communicate the consensus of that cluster to the other clusters.

For in this way we can share and seek the truth and consensus one by one, (face to face, shoulder to shoulder) so that all may learn, and all be stimulated and encouraged.

Thus the gathering is not under the unknowing speaker's control but under the will of the spirit and consensus is reached not in confusion and disorder, but by peace and order

When the cluster is representative of several households, then, in the custom of the era, let each household discuss among themselves, and only the consensually chosen commun