Reflection – Man Man Kwok  Challenge and selection

I have once ran a workshop to help a church organization to understand the way Jesus taught about how  He means about His real family, the values he treasured and preached, and how He organized His disciples  to form the very first Christian Church. All the 8 participants were Christians, and they sought for a deeper  understanding on the teaching of Jesus and connect to their daily lives experiences. They were from  different backgrounds, including secondary school teacher, scientist at laboratory, clerical workers,  freelancers, student and a blind man.      Since concepts of family relationships, values and organizations are abstract ideas, I chose “visual thinking”  to gather the thoughts and insights of the participants, and make sure they are on the same page.

Application    I make use of “post-it” note (sticky note) to gather the thoughts of the participants. I asked them to write  (or draw) on each note one “character” in a family (i.e. “father”, “son”, “grandparent”, etc) in a general  perspective. The ideas were first clustered and then I ask them to organize the “characters” into a chart of  family tree on white board. It revealed that, in general perspective, Chinese people have an extended  family concept and think that there are at least three level of hierarchy in family (grandparents, parents and  kids). They also pointed out that the center of a family belongs to the parents, and the Father is always the

central commander who possesses most of the authority. So, we drew a set of concentric circle in which  parents is the center.

After that, the participants were asked to look into the Bible and pick from Jesus’ saying about His family  members. Using the same method, the participants also listed the family members Jesus mentioned on

post-it note one by one, and then the notes were re-organized into “Jesus’ family tree”. When compared  the two family charts, we found that Jesus’ ideal family relationship has a flatter hierarchy than our  common customs that consist of only two generations, and in the parent level the membership of “father”  has been absented. There is also a difference that Jesus emphasized Children should be at the central focal  and their interests should be served first.

The family trees and the organizational concentric circles helped us in the further discussion of how Jesus  innovated a more fairer structure in family than the patriarchic system in the history and nowadays, and  how this imply on the relationship between the peer (the brother-sister-hood). We also discussed that the  absent of a “father’s role” in Jesus’ ideal family is pointing to His teaching that there is only One Father in  Heaven, the God. These teaching on relationship between family members and between people and God  were used by Jesus as metaphor to build His very first Church organization.

Insights and Approach    The visual tools help us re-organize the Bible says scattered in different Gospels and articulate a clear

Parents

Kids

relatives (such  as  grandparents,  uncles and  aunts)

Children

Mother,  sisters,  brothers

Chinese Christians’ in Hong Kong

feel how the society thinks about  the power relationship in a family

Jesus’ teaching how Family members’

relationship and interests relate to  each others

Chinese Christians’ in Hong Kong  see the hierarchy in the

conventional Chinese family

picture of the teaching and help the participants of the workshop to relate to their own experience. We  shared the whole process and we together co-created the learning by discussing and drawing the diagrams

together. The participants felt the ownership of the knowledge that they are all involved to create. I myself  experienced on the power of visualization can help in the process of drawing people’s insights for  co-creation. Visual tools also help explain abstract concepts so it helps make sure participants and  co-workers are of the same page.    Recognizing the power of visual tools, I am ready to continue to use visual tools in my future workshop  designs to create engagement experience with workshop participants. I’d also recommend the use to my  colleagues. The insight I learn from this experience is that the facilitators wanting to use visual tools need  to be prepared with some physical materials, say “post-it notes”, white board, a big-enough common area

that every participants and actively engage in the discussion.


Reflection – Man Man Kwok Challenge and selection I have once ran a workshop to help a church organization to understand the way Jesus taught about how He means about His real family , the values he treasured and preached , and how He organized His disciples to form the very first Christian Church . All the 8 participants were Christians , and they sought for a deeper understanding on the teaching of Jesus and connect to their daily lives experiences . They were from different backgrounds , including secondary school teacher , scientist at laboratory , clerical workers , freelancers , student and a blind man . Since concepts of family relationships , values and organizations are abstract ideas , I chose “ visual thinking ” to gather the thoughts and insights of the participants , and make sure they are on the same page . Application I make use of “ post - it ” note ( sticky note ) to gather the thoughts of the participants . I asked them to write ( or draw ) on each note one “ character ” in a family ( i.e. “ father ” , “ son ” , “ grandparent ” , etc ) in a general perspective . The ideas were first clustered and then I ask them to organize the “ characters ” into a chart of family tree on white board . It revealed that , in general perspective , Chinese people have an extended family concept and think that there are at least three level of hierarchy in family ( grandparents , parents and kids ) . They also pointed out that the center of a family belongs to the parents , and the Father is always the central commander who possesses most of the authority . So , we drew a set of concentric circle in which parents is the center . After that , the participants were asked to look into the Bible and pick from Jesus ’ saying about His family members . Using the same method , the participants also listed the family members Jesus mentioned on post - it note one by one , and then the notes were re - organized into “ Jesus ’ family tree ” . When compared the two family charts , we found that Jesus ’ ideal family relationship has a flatter hierarchy than our common customs that consist of only two generations , and in the parent level the membership of “ father ” has been absented . There is also a difference that Jesus emphasized Children should be at the central focal and their interests should be served first . The family trees and the organizational concentric circles helped us in the further discussion of how Jesus innovated a more fairer structure in family than the patriarchic system in the history and nowadays , and how this imply on the relationship between the peer ( the brother - sister - hood ) . We also discussed that the absent of a “ father ’s role ” in Jesus ’ ideal family is pointing to His teaching that there is only One Father in Heaven , the God . These teaching on relationship between family members and between people and God were used by Jesus as metaphor to build His very first Church organization . Insights and Approach The visual tools help us re - organize the Bible says scattered in different Gospels and articulate a clear Parents Kids relatives ( such as grandparents , uncles and aunts ) Children Mother , sisters , brothers Chinese Christians ’ in Hong Kong feel how the society thinks about the power relationship in a family Jesus ’ teaching how Family members ’ relationship and interests relate to each others Chinese Christians ’ in Hong Kong see the hierarchy in the conventional Chinese family picture of the teaching and help the participants of the workshop to relate to their own experience . We shared the whole process and we together co - created the learning by discussing and drawing the diagrams together . The participants felt the ownership of the knowledge that they are all involved to create . I myself experienced on the power of visualization can help in the process of drawing people ’s insights for co - creation . Visual tools also help explain abstract concepts so it helps make sure participants and co - workers are of the same page . Recognizing the power of visual tools , I am ready to continue to use visual tools in my future workshop designs to create engagement experience with workshop participants . I ’d also recommend the use to my colleagues . The insight I learn from this experience is that the facilitators wanting to use visual tools need to be prepared with some physical materials , say “ post - it notes ” , white board , a big - enough common area that every participants and actively engage in the discussion .