Region to Offer Mediation Skills Training

Maybe I’ve become cynical after all these years of ministry, but I tend to get tickled when people are surprised about church conflict. Churches are made up of people and when you have two or more people you will have conflict at one level or another. Furthermore, a Baptist church is made up 100% of self-confessed sinners. So if you aren’t surprised about violence in prisons because of the make-up of the population, how can you be surprised about conflict in church that is full of sinners?

Yes, I am aware of sanctification and of our responsibility to “grow in Christ and in our walk”. But, unless I’m unique, I haven’t arrived yet… I’m still a sinner and I suspect most of the people sitting in the pews are as well. Sure, their sins might be like what one leader in the faith described when hearing the confession of the nuns as “being stoned to death with popcorn”, but they are still sinners. The Apostle Paul claimed to be “chief among sinners” and I suspect he was far more sanctified on this earth than you or I ever will be. So we shouldn’t be surprised about people having trouble getting along in our churches. Jesus wasn’t.

Consider the number of conflicts He addressed in His ministry. We can begin with His mother wanting Him to help out some relatives at a wedding – then there were the religious leaders who didn’t like what He was teaching – and let’s not forget Mary and Martha – or the Sons of Zebedee and their mother – or the woman caught in adultery and her accusers. It seems that if we are going to be Christ like, that one of our roles might actually be that of dealing with and helping others to deal with conflict.

Fortunately Jesus taught us a great deal about this and modeled it even more. Much of this wisdom has been incorporated into the upcoming “Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders” event that is being cosponsored by us with the Lombard Mennonite Peace Institute, February 28 through March 4, 2011. The skills that will be taught at this event are helpful not only in a person’s individual life, but in the life of the community. In addition to learning and practicing these skills, participants will also be given the tools to take them back to their church and community to teach others how to use these skills as well. The skills allow us not to avoid conflict, but to address the issues that are creating conflict and to find a way to work towards a Christ like solution to the situation.

Cost for this training is $695 and the event will be held at Calvary Baptist

Personally, I have benefitted greatly from this training. I would love to see each of our pastors and as many as possible of our key lay leaders receive this training. That’s why we have worked at finding financial aid to provide for our pastors and for our congregations. Ministerial staff of our churches who register will automatically receive a $200 discount for this event. In addition, many of them will be eligible to apply for a $300 grant from the American Baptist Home Mission Society. You can learn more about this grant at: http://www.nationalministries.org/education/financial_aid/ministerial_info.cfm

To encourage lay leaders to attend, we are offering a $500 scholarship to any church who sends a lay leader with their pastor to this event. This $500 can be used to help pay for multiple leaders or to offset the cost of sending one person to the event.

For more information about the “Mediation Skills Institute”, contact your Congregational Coach or the Regional Office. You may also download the info/training brochure and registration form at http://www.abcrm.org/churches/mediationskillstraininginstitute.htm.

Steve Van O
ABCRM Executive Minister