Church Conflict Workshops
Conflict is an inevitable part of human community.
People are complicated, and as we relate to one another,
we open ourselves to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and strong emotions.
People are complicated, and as we relate to one another,
we open ourselves to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and strong emotions.
Convergence offers two types of workshops for conflict happening in your congregation.
Healthy Communications Workshop
- What does healthy communication look like?
- What skills do we need for healthy communication?
- How can we manage difficult conversations and emotions?
- How do our individual styles affect how we communicate during conflict?
- How is conflict healthy?
- What does healthy conflict look like?
- How can we build structures for healthy communication into our congregational life?
7:00-8:15pm – Introduction to Healthy Communication, Communication Skills
8:15-8:20pm – Short Break
8:20-9:30pm – Discovering Your Individual Style for Communicating During Conflict
9:00-10:30am – What to Do When People Are Angry: Levels of Conflict, Family Systems, Triangles, Scapegoating, Listening and Self-Differentiation
10:30-10:45am – Break
10:45-11:45 am – Introduction to a Process for Healthy Communication - How it all Works
11:45am-12:00pm – Break
12:00-3:00 pm – Practicing A Process for Healthy Communication - Role Play and Debrief
Transforming Congregational Conflict Workshop
Conflict is an inevitable part of human community. People are complicated, and as we relate to one another, we open ourselves to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and strong emotions. Engaging conflict creatively presents tremendous opportunities for personal and congregational transformation when handled well. Unfortunately, conflict in congregations all too often tears congregations apart rather than making them stronger.
Convergence provides a dynamic and engaging approach to conflict transformation for churches, denominations, NGOs and business organizations. This training is particularly effective for leadership councils, Sessions, Vestries and curated congregational groups. This 1.5 day online workshop will walk your group through how to become skilled in conflict transformation. You will learn skills that will reshape your interactions with present and future congregational conflict and equip you for managing conflict in your work and personal life.
Together, we will explore the following topics:
- What is conflict?
- The intersection of conflict and story
- Your individual approach to conflict
- Family Systems Theory, triangulation and conflict mapping
- Managing difficult conversations and emotions
- How conflict functions in groups and organizations
- Your congregational conflict habits
- A process for addressing conflict between individuals and within groups
- Healthy congregational conflict practices
In addition to presentations on each of these topics, there will be opportunities for sharing our personal experiences with conflict and working on leading through difficult conflict using case studies and role playing.
7:00-8:15pm – Introduction to Healthy Communication, Communication Skills
8:15-8:20pm – Short Break
8:20-9:30pm – Discovering Your Individual Style for Communicating During Conflict
9:00-10:30am – What to Do When People Are Angry: Levels of Conflict, Family Systems, Triangles, Scapegoating, Listening and Self-Differentiation
10:30-10:45am – Break
10:45-11:45 am – Introduction to a Process for Healthy Communication - How it all Works
11:45am-12:00pm – Break
12:00-3:00 pm – Practicing A Process for Healthy Communication - Role Play and Debrief
Facilitator: Rev. Cameron Trimble, Mediator
Cameron is a certified mediator experienced in transforming congregational and organizational conflict, working in a variety of settings including projects through the United Nations. She has been a pastor of four congregations in the Atlanta area as well as serving as a regional and national denominational leader working with local congregations in renewal and transformation. She co-founded and serves as the CEO of Convergence, an international church consultancy. She serves as a senior consultant, a frequent speaker on national speaking circuits, is a pilot and an author. Cameron is particularly focused on human transformation and leadership. Her coaching clients are primarily executive leaders going through dynamic culture transformations.
