Appendix B: A Letter of Invitation (Example)

Dear Darrell:

Studies from numerous sources show that many—if not most—adults in America do not have a strong theological grounding for their faith; faith represents what church, parents, or friends have taught. Few have the opportunity to do theological reflection that would result in a more mature faith development.

NET Groups is a project designed to discover whether adults can make deeper connections between their daily lives and their understanding of the Christian faith. I would like you to be one of ten people who participate in this project here at St. John's.

What will it mean for you if you participate in this project?

1. You will be asked to participate in an opening retreat so that we might set the ground rules for our work together. We might do this in a long evening or on a Saturday early in September.



2. The pilot project uses a "case study method." This is a method whereby you write up an experience from one of four areas of your life: (a) family life, (b) professional life, (c) personal spiritual growth, or (d) social relationships. The group will use the case studies for theological reflection. Over the course of the project, each participant will present two case studies.



3. Each participant will be trained in "journaling," which is a way to record one's experiences and reflect upon God's presence in those experiences. The journal will be shared only with the group facilitator (me).



4. Each participant will be reading devotional and theological works each session.



5. In between the two rounds of case studies, we will be doing group reading on the theological issues that have been raised by our case studies.

I would appreciate a call the week of August 6th so we can talk about the status of your involvement.

Personally, I am very excited about this project and do hope that you will seriously consider being a part of this pioneering effort.

Sincerely,