Several events and workshops helping leaders deal with conflict in the church setting are planned for this fall, winter, and next spring.

The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center invites Michigan United Methodists to attend their Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders, a 5-day event that helps participants deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. The next in-person session is on November 14-18, 2022, at the beautiful Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ. The next online session will be March 13-17, 2023.

To learn more details about these events and to register, visit their website.

Conflict is an inevitable part of life, whether in the home, school, community, church, or workplace. Having the skills to function effectively in emotionally intense, conflicted situations is important for all of us, especially those of us who are leaders. Lombard Mennonite Peace Center has trained thousands of church leaders from a wide range of denominations in the skills that are needed to deal with conflict in the church setting through its Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders.

This 5-day event is designed to equip church leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal effectively with group conflict. It also includes a component on congregational mediation and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory. Although focused primarily on the church setting, the skills learned are directly transferable to other settings, including the business and academic worlds.

A new one-day workshop called Restorative Conversations is also available. Devon Miller, LMPC Associate Director and the author and facilitator of this course, describes it this way: “Restorative conversations are useful when working through difficult or polarizing topics, processing shared painful experiences, building community, and dealing with certain levels of conflict in the church setting. The workshop will benefit all levels of leadership including pastors, lay leaders, youth leaders, and Sunday school teachers.” Three sessions of this workshop have been scheduled for next year: February 23, May 23, and November 2, 2023.

Please contact the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (630-627-0507 or [email protected]) with questions about their Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders or any of their workshops.

Thank you for your commitment to peace and wholeness within the body of Christ!

Last Updated on August 23, 2022