Guiding Church Communities
From Conflict To Connection
Conflict Transformation for Churches
Don't Let Conflict Turn Into a Crisis
The church gathers people from every race, socio-economic group, and worldview around a shared belief in Jesus. While differences of theology, perception, direction, process, and communication can be markers of a healthy community, they can also cause disruptive conflict. Unfortunately, these conflicts often damage key relationships, take away everyone’s time, and prevent you from focusing on the hopeful future you want to move towards. Through the process of conflict transformation, you can convert conflicts into immense opportunities for innovation and connection.
From Conflict
- Conflict between church members
- Conflict between pastors
- Conflict on the elder board
- Conflict within the denomination
- Conflict about money and property
- Conflict with municipalities
To Opportunities for Innovation
- Opportunity for deeper connection
- Opportunity for greater collaboration
- Opportunity to discern the Spirit together
- Opportunity for shared mission and resources
- Opportunity for shrewdness, legacy, and new revenue streams
- Opportunity to work together to bless the city
Conflict Transformation Empowers You
To Lead Through Conflict With Confidence
Maintain Key Relationships
Conflict can be disruptive to the relationships that make your church so valuable. But when transformed, conflict can actually become a wellspring of constructive communication and understanding that fosters stronger relationships.
Finally Focus On The Shared Vision
Sometimes it feels like you spend all your time and energy putting out fires. Through mediation, you can turn conflict into an opportunity to gain clarity on what’s important to everyone so you can move forward.
Become An Innovative Faith Leader
You want to boldly move into innovative spaces, but you are wary of what conflicts may arise when you do. When you learn to transform conflict, you can confidently venture into new areas, creating a culture where conflict = positive change.
We Understand Church Conflict
Churches are not immune to conflict. The conflicts that affect the world are playing out in our local congregations. Church leaders are constantly experiencing conflict. The heat they are encountering is so intense it’s leading to personal burnout, it’s affecting their families and home life, and it makes them want to quit.
Conflict can prevent the members of your church from showing up for each other, and it can degrade the relationships that promote flourishing. We started helping churches because we love the church, and we believe your church can have a positive impact on the community around you.
We’ve helped transform hundreds conflicts, and throughout those experiences we’ve learned that everyone has the innate skills to transform conflict. These skills are in you and in your church, and all we need to do is activate them to help bring clarity and connection out of the conflicts that you’re experiencing.
"We've helped transform hundreds of conflicts, and throughout those experiences we've learned that everyone has innate skills to transform conflict."
How We Guide You Through Conflict
Mediation
Mediation provides the opportunities for people experiencing conflict to say their piece, hear one another better, clarify their differences, and find paths forward. Before beginning, each person has the option of meeting with us individually. During this time, they can raise any topics they want to discuss and organize their thoughts prior to mediation. It can also be useful for people who are still exploring if mediation is right for them. Afterwards, we bring clients together (Zoom or in-person) and support them in having the best conversation possible about the issues they care about most.
Trainings
We offer multiple styles of training. The first is an in-depth training for new mediators to be equipped to address future inter-church conflict. We focus on skills and theories so that these mediators are prepared and knowledgable. The second is for congregants and leadership and addresses how to respond more constructively to the interpersonal conflict we experience in our day-to-day lives. We also consult with churches to create trainings tailored to their specific timelines, needs or interests.
Consulting
Sometimes you don’t need a mediator or training, but you still want help creating a plan to transform conflict. In a 1-on-1 environment, clients have the time and space to talk about the conflict they’re facing and discern where they want to go and how they can get there. We usually meet for two to four sessions, but can continue meeting for longer if a client desires it.
Book Your Free 15 Minute Introductory Call
If you’re wondering how we might be able to help you transform conflict, the first step is booking a free 15 minute introductory call. During our call, we will
- Learn more about your story and context
- Help you identify your key challenges
- Offer simple steps to help you transform conflict
Download Your Free eBook
Five Simple Steps to Transforming Church Conflict
This eBook is designed to help pastors and church leaders steward conflict in a way that builds relationships and opportunities. All too often, the way we treat conflict creates more conflict. In this PDF, you will
- Learn why traditional approaches to conflict are causing more conflict, and how you can change it
- Gain insight into who needs to be involved and when
- Create frameworks for how to transform conflict into opportunities for innovation
