David Wetherow has got us thinking, first about the idea that any planning event is an opportunity for invitation, and second, about invitation and introduction in general.   This led us to create a short workshop which we’ve now given a few times, “The Fine Art and Craft of Introduction and Invitation,” on rethinking how we approach community through growing our ability to invite and introduce by identifying and focusing on sharing our strengths.

We’ve been given permission to use a couple of examples to show and most recently this one, from Kari Sullivan in Portland Oregon, who is working with the excellent folks at Community Vision Inc, who organized some meetings with families who wanted to do some planning that I facilitated.

In preparation for a planning meeting for her son, Nick, she sent out this invitation:

 Dear friends and family,

 For the past several months, Nick…