From "Edit then Publish" to "Publish then Edit"

As a journalism major and an avid reader, I have been trained to edit, edit, edit and then publish. It must be perfect before going to print. That's why Clay Shirky's chapter on "publish and then edit" is particularly intriguing to me. It is such a shift in my thinking that it goes beyond me just saying that it's wrong. To me, this concept is so "out there" that I really have to stop and ponder how that could even work.

Then I thought about our confirmation class this past year. Our Youth Director separated the 9th graders from the younger students to give them the opportunity to discuss/explore their own relationship with God. One of the underlying goals was to give them the chance to express their doubts and their questions in a safe environment. It really was giving them a chance to "publish" their theology by giving them a place to lay it out (verbally), and then through discussion, to hone in on what they believe, what they question and what their doubts were. It was an interesting process -- frustrating at times -- but an important one.

I have met several people throughout my two years at my current church who were completely turned off by religion because they had serious questions about their faith when they were in confirmation. Those questions were either blown-off by the pastor or the students were too afraid to voice them.

So how can we be more open to "publish" first in our churches and "filter" later as people work out their faith questions? This confirmation class was one experiment. What is happening in your churches to allow people to talk out/work out their faith?