Bearing With One Another in Love
Workshop Description
Transforming conflict into an opportunity for positive growth, reconciliation and healing: a free workshop for rostered leaders, sponsored by the South Carolina Synod ELCA and presented by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
Whether your church will experience conflict is likely a matter of when, not if. Conflict is a normal part of life, and the church is not exempt, so it is important to be prepared when conflict inevitably arises. Participants in this workshop will gain the understanding and the skills needed to prevent destructive conflict. This workshop is designed for pastors, judicatory leaders, and lay leaders alike from all denominations. Join us and learn how church conflict can be transformed from a negative experience into an opportunity for positive growth, for reconciliation and healing, and for a renewed understanding of God’s will for your church.
How You Will Benefit
- Learn that conflict need not be bad, but is an opportunity for growth.
- Understanding the Biblical basis for conflict transformation.
- Manage your own style of responding to conflict.
- Develop the communication skills necessary to resolve conflict peacefully.
- Learn strategies for preventing destructive conflict in the church family.
- Gain a model for working at congregational decision-making in a win-win manner.
- Look at questions like:
- If the church is called to unity, how can we prioritize relationships when we do not agree on various issues?
- How can we work through differences, or agree to disagree on other issues, and how can we develop a covenant of behavior toward each other that demonstrates respect and love even though we struggle with certain challenges?
Meet the Presenter
Jay Wittmeyer is the executive director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, which he joined on January 15, 2020. Wittmeyer had previously served with LMPC from 2004 to 2006. He is an ordained minister through the Illinois-Wisconsin District of the Church of the Brethren.