Curriculum – Lesson Plan #1

“From Process to Main Event,” Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty

Concept: In the first lesson, participants will examine Hinson-Hasty’s four snapshots of obstacles women face in the church, and consider what obstacles exist in their own context.

Setting: This lesson is intended for an adult small group or education class.

Time: The lesson is intended for a 60 minute session, but may be adjusted to meet your needs.

Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the participant will:

1. Identify obstacles toward gender equality in the church
2. Articulate Hinson-Hasty’s four snapshots of the process toward equality
3. Examine their own biases toward women’s leadership

Preparation: Make arrangements for an internet connection and screen large enough to view a YouTube video. Participants do not need to read Hinson-Hasty’s essay prior to the session.

Materials: Copies of Hinson-Hasty’s essay, pens/pencils, paper, equipment to view a YouTube video

Course Sequence:

Opening: Greet participants as they enter. Introduce the topic of the study and explain where participants can access future materials.

Presenting: Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0S2WlvNTU8 (YouTube video titled, “Ordain a Lady”)

Ask the group the following questions and encourage them to answer popcorn-style:

1. What issues did you hear in the song?
2. What were some of the obstacles to women’s ordination in the Catholic church?
3. Do you see any similarities in the Presbyterian church?

Exploring: Divide the participants into four groups and assign each group one of Hinson-Hasty’s snapshots. (Depending on the size of your group, you may need more than one group per snapshot in order to achieve a workable number). Ask the participants to:

1. Discuss their snapshot and its accompanying examples
2. Brainstorm any other examples that would illustrate their snapshot
3. Come up with a working definition of the obstacle to gender equality presented in each snapshot

Responding: Invite the groups to share their definitions and examples with one another. Are there any similarities in the examples? Ask the participants if they had ever thought about these obstacles before. Will you behave differently after learning about these obstacles? Do you think the church should behave differently?

Closing: Invite the participants to share prayer requests with one another. (If you have a large group, ask the participants to divide into their snapshot groups). You may either decide to pray for the group or ask the participants to pray in their small groups. Close by praying the Lord’s Prayer together. Distribute copies of the essay by Dr. Katie G. Cannon, or arrange to have it sent to participants electronically.