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Conference Workshops
Peacemaking Women - Tara Barthel
DOWNLOAD DETAILED WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Areas of Concentration
Personal Peacemaking: These workshops cover a broad variety of topics that are designed to help you to remember to live out the gospel in all relationships.
Idols of the Heart “No Pets Allowed” - What or who causes wars within and among you? Got a PET PEEVE? Could it/he or she be a HEART condition? Do you desire something or someone more than God? Why is the word HEART mentioned in the bible more than eight hundred times? What or who controls you? This interactive workshop will teach participants how to recognize and denounce heart idols as the root cause of personal conflict, and how to approach and assist others who are overtaken with idolatry.
Using the Gospel to Battle Bitterness - Whether you are experiencing bitterness or are merely susceptible to it—we all are—or trying to help a person in conflict handle it, we need a Christ-centered, working way to fight against it. This workshop presents six biblical facts we are actually declaring about ourselves when we become bitter and do not manifest a forgiving attitude. These six facts directly flow from the gospel of Jesus Christ, who alone can melt bitterness and accelerate forgiveness.
Uprooting Anger - Anger remains one of the most frequent problems we encounter in conflict coaching and relational counseling. More than that, it is something that each one of us must address in our daily lives. This workshop overviews how to think biblically about anger, focuses on the heart causes of anger—those sinful ruling desires that lead to our varied expressions of anger, addresses righteous v. sinful anger, and shows how Christ forgives and changes angry people, including us.
Relational Boundaries and Peacemaking - Do you feel preoccupation and extreme dependence – emotionally, socially, and sometimes physically – on a person or object? Do you know someone who has tendency to try to control and the outcome of events? Are you experiencing power dynamics and in relational boundaries in life? How do you make peace without abandoning the relationship? How do you feel safe in relationship? How do you say “no” without feeling guilty? This workshop focuses on a simple three-step communication along with defining one’s own responsibilities in peacemaking.
Beyond the Reconciliation Blues: Finding Hope in the Journey Toward Racial Reconciliation in the Church - Author and editor Ed Gilbreath explores the biblical call to racial reconciliation and the challenges of living out it out in the church and society. Based on his book, Ed will remind us of this age old conflict that stands in the way of peace between brothers and sisters.
Peacemaking in the Story of Scripture - The Bible is full of stories of conflict and reconciliation, and these stories are woven together by one big story of reconciliation, the Gospel. How can we grow in understanding Scripture in this way? How does understanding the story of Scripture help us to grow in our ability to connect God’s Word to specific conflict situations? In this workshop, we’ll answer these questions and practice connecting Scripture’s story of peacemaking to our own life stories and conflicts.
Peacemaking for Dummies (2 parts) – This workshop, also known as the Peacemaking Seminar, is an excellent introduction to biblical peacemaking. Scripture is clear that Christians are to be known by their love (John 13:35) and peace (Romans 12:18). Sadly, however, most of us do not know how to respond to conflict biblically. When should we overlook? What does it mean to make a thorough confession? What should our relationships look like after we forgive? This workshop applies systematically biblical principles to real-life situations to equip you to respond to conflicts in gracious, wise, and God-glorifying ways.
Cross-Cultural Peacemaking: These workshops will provide you with the insights you need to promote peace when language, culture, race, political instability, and cultural norms all add to the challenges of any peacemaking endeavors. You will also learn practical steps you can take to equip your mission agencies and missionaries to respond to conflict in a biblically faithful manner.
Reaching beyond an international teaching event: challenges and solutions in international teaching events -This workshop is for those who may have the opportunity to present peacemaking internationally. You will hear and learn to evaluate deeper issues and needs from actual international peace teaching experiences. Come prepared with your own questions and experiences and engage in dialog.
Outcomes: This workshop will
-provide strategic guidelines that arise from stories of Peacemaking internationally.
-provide "questions I should have asked first"
-provide ideas from the story of peacemaking internationally
-provide "maybe nots" in international peacemaking
-allow the participant to weigh their own experiences against the guidelines and experiences of others
Methods: This workshop will
-use the stories of peacemaking internationally from international participants
-use handout summaries of lessons and stories
-provide discussion opportunities to evaluate participant experiences and questions with international programs
Making Sense of a Postmodern World - This workshop is an interactive discussion of the impact of the emergence of post-modernism as a culture on the mission of the Peacemaking Church. Participants will be provided with a description of the worldview and values of post-modernism. Based on an analysis of these values, there will be a discussion of how the resulting cultural conflict can be managed to protect the witness and effectiveness of the church and its mission activities. The presenters are members of a multi-cultural church and Senior International Representatives in the International Division of Peacemaker Ministries where their responsibilities include working with global cross cultural missions. This background will help focus the discussion on the local North American church, its short term cross-cultural ministry and its support of long term global workers.
A Conversation with Peter Kuzmic - Get to know Dr. Peter Kuzmic, one of our keynote speakers, in this informal question and answer session. Bring your questions and interact with one of the leading thinkers on Christianity and society, especially in post-communist Europe.
Short-Term Mission Teams: Challenges to Growth - Churches in the United States send over 1.6 million people on short-term mission trips each year. It may sound surprising, but short-term mission trips can be breeding grounds for conflict as team members experience new team dynamics, live in strange and often uncomfortable conditions and experience new cultures. Whether you are a member of a peacemaking team whose church sends out short-term mission groups, or you plan to participate in a mission trip yourself, you can serve your church and Christ’s kingdom around the world by learning how to prevent conflicts on mission trips, or how to resolve them when they do arise. Join us as we share ideas and ultimately seek to glorify God through serving him on mission teams.
Loving Your Enemies: Christianity and Islam - Society is changing rapidly. Our neighbors are now people once thought far-off and exotic. Now, being a faithful Christian and good neighbor requires knowing people and cultures very different from our own. In this workshop we explore some ways average Christians should approach their Muslim neighbors and friends. The workshop aims to encourage Christians with the knowledge that the gospel and the life of the gospel are all they really need to effectively love and share with their Muslim neighbors.
Church Peacemaking: These workshops are designed for the pastor, church leader, lay person, member of a peacemaking team or those interested in starting a peacemaking team in their church. They will help you to be equipped to handle the complex conflicts that a church faces.
Nurturing Your Church Toward a Culture of Peace - A very interactive hands on workshop with other learners. You will build some new relationships as well as receive and contribute as you experience community first hand. You will leave with enthusiasm and new hope for your church. You will take some new tools to help your leadership now.
Postmodernism & The Local Church: The Next Big Conflict (Why Do They Want and iPod Church?) - Does your young adult ministry talk about their own church plant? Are you a Youth Pastor with a simmering discomfort about your church’s Statement of Faith? What is this chatter about Emergent Churches anyway? Do you wonder if the people in your church with a lot of tattoos and body piercings can even be saved? Do you think about how ... or whether ... to move your church to a more multi-racial, multi-ethnic or multi-cultural body life? Do you wonder how we got to the point we ask such questions? If you do, this workshop is for you. If you haven’t, someone near and dear to you is asking these questions. Do you know how to answer? Are you ready to bring the Light of Peace to any storm clouds from postmodern culture in a biblical manner of peacemaking that glorifies our Father? If you hesitated in answering this question, this workshop is for you.
Peacemaking in the Presbyterian Church in America - Like all denominations, the PCA has its own set of strengths and weaknesses when it comes to peacemaking. During this workshop we will provide a detailed report on where and how peacemaking is growing in the PCA, highlight areas where our theology and ecclesiology provide rich soil for peacemaking, discuss ways to overcome institutionalized barriers to change, and explore how we can work together to accelerate the growth of a culture of peace in our congregations and the many other churches that labor beside us in our communities.
Peacemaking in the African-American Church - Conflict in the African-American community has the same source, it has the same solution; however, our journey to conflict resolution may take a different path. This workshop is a discussion of how conflict is addressed in the African-American community. Open discussion is initiated through the use of “Heart Scan ... Digital Truth." Come share as we look at various approaches to address conflict and we’ll share best practices that have worked in our churches and communities. This workshop is open to everyone; “come let’s reason together.”
Bringing Peacemaking into your Church - This workshop comes out of 15 years of practical experience with peacemaking in a local church. It is both vision building and practical. You will catch a vision of what difference peacemaking can make in your own congregation. The seminar will present “Dos and Don’ts” in developing your ministry, practical guidance for building your team, and simple beginning steps. There will be plenty of Q and A time to ask your important questions.
Wounded in the Church - People come to church “wounded in heart,” and we even “wound” one another in church. To be wounded in heart means we experienced violation of justice and/or absence or withdrawal of love. Anger is a normal response to being wounded in heart, so we look to Scripture for understanding and dealing with both righteous and sinful anger. We also learn about biblical lament, God’s pattern for praying in times of hurt and hardship.
Peacemaking in the Congregational Polity of the Evangelical Free Church – Join Tom Mouw, District Superintendent of the North Central District, as he shares insights that he has observed from Evangelical Free Churches in the North Central District who have implemented resources and strategies at various stages to cultivate a culture of peace.
Peacemaking Teams: The Adventure Begins - A fast-paced introduction to church peacemaking teams. Gary Friesen, Executive Vice President of Peacemaker Ministries, will lead an interactive workshop designed to cover all the basics and answer your most critical questions regarding the why, how, and what’s of church teams. Don’t miss it!
Advanced Training in Peacemaking: These workshops are designed for the next step for candidates pursuing certification or those involved in church peacemaking teams and as ongoing training for Certified Christian Conciliators.
Advanced Issues in Intervening in Church Conflict (2 parts) - Many times conflict experienced by local congregations is complex and feels so powerful that resolution seems unachievable. This 2-session workshop is designed for the participant to experience the realities of peacemaking when a local congregation is embroiled in a complex and highly difficult issue. Using interactive discussions, role plays, and instruction 2 often experienced and highly challenging issues churches in conflict face will be addressed. While each session will stand alone, attendance to both sessions will accentuate the learning experience.
Session One: Dealing Redemptively with an Unrepentant Leader: Breaking through the blockade of deeply seated heart issues
Session Two: Dealing with Theological Disputes that have polarized a church: Creating a safe-dialog for volatile discussions
Components of Case Administration - Do you have difficulty encouraging and leading individuals to engage or continue in Christian conciliation? Part A of this two-part workshop will lead participants through Overcoming Objections received from participants to a conciliation. The workshop will focus on those individuals who are obligated to the process of Christian conciliation either through contractual agreements, church requirements, and those individuals who are reluctant to engage in conciliation. The instructors will facilitate participant discussions and role-plays, in addition to demonstrations, which will offer hope and encouragement to individuals throughout the process of Christian conciliation.
Issue Statements are an important part of helping parties identify the issues with which they need assistance, helping them seek resolution and reconciliation.
Part B of this two-part workshop will focus on constructing a Statement of Issues for a conciliation. The instructors will lead participants in constructing a statement of issues from parties’ submissions. We will use individual submissions from each party to a case and combine them into one Statement of Issues which reflect the issues in a neutral presentation for mediation and arbitration.
Before the Marital Mediation: Preparing Conflicted Couples to Reconcile - Does the phrase “marital mediation” cause you to feel uneasy? If so, you may have provided conciliation services to a conflicted couple. Because of the depth of the parties’ emotional pain, providing conciliation services to conflicted couples often requires a special approach. The hurt and anger of marital conflict, as well as the high stakes associated with marital failure, often brings a frightening intensity to reconciliation attempts that leaves church leadership, Christian conciliators and the parties’ themselves perplexed and despairing as to how to bring about reconciliation. How can Christian conciliators prepare conflicted couples for the important work of repentance, confession and forgiveness? Instructors will describe in detail a proven, step-by-step approach to pre-mediation coaching for couples and their Christian communities so that the parties and their churches are fully prepared to participate effectively, carefully and redemptively in a marital mediation.
After the Marital Mediation: Helping Reconciled Couples Restore Their Marriages -Have you mediated a marital dispute “successfully,” only to see the couple split up later? Heart-breaking stories of positive reconciliation experiences gone sour cause pastors, conciliators, conflicted couples, and their Christian communities to lose heart. Some wounded peacemakers have quit peacemaking because of the seemingly futile investment of sweat, blood and tears into couples who do not make it. Why do marital mediations which seem to go well have such a high failure rate? Instructors will describe in detail a proven, step-by-step approach to post-mediation coaching for couples, their Christian communities, and their churches so that the progress made in promoting reconciliation through marital mediation will result in fully healed, restored and thriving marriages.
Walking With People Redemptively Through Divorce - Part I: The focus will be on walking alongside those hearing the threat of divorce creep into their marriage, those who are going through divorce and those facing life after divorce. Whether you are the friend, the family member, the lay volunteer in church, the pastor or even the lawyer they consult, you will need to know how to encourage those caught in divorce to respond redemptively to the daily challenges they face in their circumstances, that they may grow closer to the Lord in this emotional and painful time.
Part II: Building on Part I, this segment will focus on how the church can step up and be involved in a redemptive way when members’ marriages are in danger of divorce or are going through divorce, or when members are dealing with issues after divorce. Whether you are a concerned member of the church, part of a Peacemaker Team in the church (or trying to get a team started), or on staff in the church dealing directly with divorce situations, you will want your church responding to the situation biblically and redemptively for the people caught in divorce.
Challenges in Mediation - This workshop will use a live stop-action role play demonstration to portray some common challenges that can arise in mediation: (1) A party offers shallow, short-lived forgiveness; (2) A support person hinders rather than helps the process; (3) A party refuses to respect the confidentiality of the process; (4) One party persists in what seems to be their hardened heart. The two experienced Certified Christian Conciliators leading this workshop will lead the class in a discussion of various responses to these challenges, and invite participants to role play effective ways to deal with them.
Advanced Conflict Coaching – Coaching in Difficult Situations - Many Conflict Coaching experiences involve sitting across the table over a cup of coffee. Some, however, develop into situations that challenge both our experience and skills. This workshop will provide instruction and practice that will add to your understanding of and hone your skills in Conflict Coaching. Using real case scenarios, you will practice Coaching using Scripture to identify heart issues and to speak words of forgiveness, assurance, and hope to those in need.
Certification Coach Training and Refresher – By invitation only.
Marriage and Family: These workshops are designed to specifically deal with conflicts that occur inside the home. Learn to practice peacemaking with those who know you the best.
Rebuilding Marriage After Adultery - Probably no crisis devastates a marriage, and intimidates a conflict coach or counselor, more than adultery. Yet God's Word gives powerful hope that even this serious sin can be overcome and that the marriage can be rebuilt and stronger than it ever was. This workshop anchors the offender and the offended, and we who help them, in Christ-centered hope. We’ll consider a practical, biblically-based path for each spouse and a step-by-step plan to help them rebuild their marriage together. (The same truths also apply to other forms of serious relational betrayal.)
Using The Young Peacemaker in your Church, Home and School - The Young Peacemaker curriculum (authored by Corlette Sande) is designed to teach students the biblical “Storm vs. Beacon” principles, and encourage age-appropriate responses to identifying and resolving conflict at church and in the home, school, neighborhood. Participants will recognize the adapted Slippery Slope, 5 A’s, etc. and may be actively involved in preparing to teach one lesson. Adults will benefit by bringing a copy of The Young Peacemaker curriculum. Many creative teaching strategies and practical applications for all ages will be shared. (The Young Peacemaker is available in the bookstore).
Building Family Unity Through Confession & Forgiveness – Peacemaking within the family can be so difficult, especially when emotions run high. And yet, the home is perhaps one of the most important places where reconciliation is necessary for family unity and for encouraging the faith. Learn how you can build family unity through confession and forgiveness. Each participant will receive a copy of “Announcing God’s Grace” to help lead them through confession and forgiveness among those they love most.
Grace & Marriage: A Beautiful Union – Grace-filled is the last word most people would use to describe their marriage. Instead, disappointment, frustration, emptiness, anger, hurt, and loneliness are more apropos to the emotions many feel. But God promises to make grace abound “so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). Can this really be true in our marriages? Using the truths of God’s Word and personal stories, Rick and Annette will join you on the journey of moving our marriages from performance-based to resting on the foundation of the grace of God.
Flying the Coop: Interactions Between Adult Children and Their Parents – A growing number of conflicts seem to come between parents and their adult children. This mystifying relationship can plunge into deeper confusion with the addition of new family members. Add job changes, moves, economic upheaval and value differences into the mix and it’s no wonder we see so many families in crisis. But no matter the complexity of the interactions, God’s Word has answers for parents and their grown children to reconcile, restore, and strengthen their relationships. From personal insight and stories from families of old, come see how God continues to lovingly remind his children of his work of grace in our lives.
  Leadership Track: Leaders play a key role in guiding their churches toward a culture of peace, yet many leaders feel ill-equipped for this role. This track will address many of the issues that church leaders face, and it features visionary teaching from Ken Sande, powerful insights by Old Testament scholar Tim Laniak (ShepherdLeader.com), and practical training from experienced church leaders. This series of workshops is a sneak preview of the new peacemaking resource built especially for church leaders (to be released in Spring 2009).
Women's Track: Author and speaker Tara Barthel brings her years of experience and insights to a new eight-week video resource for women, The Peacemaking Church Women's Study: Living the Gospel in Relationships. Join Tara in this track as she addresses topics of interest to women and introduces some of the new material from this study.
- The Peacemaker Women’s Study—Living the Gospel in Relationships: Do you ever wonder why relationships among Christian women can sometimes be shallow, competitive, or even non-existent? Would you like encouragement and practical help for growing authentic and grace-filled relationships? In this workshop, we will purposefully remember the sweetness of the gospel as we provide an overview of the brand-new Peacemaker Women’s Study and help you to evaluate how it might fit into your church, women’s ministry, or personal devotions. Come and be encouraged as we drink deeply of God’s grace and learn to minister that grace to others!
- Relationships that Show the World Jesus: Even with diverse personalities, backgrounds, gifting, and levels of maturity, Christian women truly can live out Jesus’ prayer for unity found in John 17:23 and learn to “accept one another as Christ accepts us” (Romans 15:7). This workshop is based on the final session of the Peacemaker Women’s Study video series, so if you would like a taste of our new resource, this is the workshop for you! Come and explore practical steps we can take to relate well with people—even difficult people who bring us great suffering—all for the glory of God and the proclamation of the gospel to a watching world.
- Living as a Peacemaking Woman When Our Marriage is Difficult: Sadly, many women suffer greatly in their marriages. They may be married to an unbeliever, or their husbands may have severe areas of immaturity and sin that cause great heartache and pain for the entire family. In less extreme examples, even relatively happy and healthy marriages go through seasons of difficulty and trial. This workshop will explain what it looks like for a woman to be so rooted in the grace and glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ that she can respond to even the worst seasons of marriage with patience, kindness, and “wisdom from Heaven” (James 3). Specific examples of how the church can help in these difficult marriages will be discussed.
- Grace for Women with Strong Gifts and the Men Who Lead Them: It may seem counterintuitive and downright ironic, but gifted women who are passionate about peacemaking often get into profound conflicts with their leaders. These conflicts may be personality-driven (especially when the woman has a “powerful personality”), tied to differing priorities, or simply the result of sinful hearts. But whatever the source of the conflicts, there is grace for the relationship. In this workshop, Dave Edling and Tara Barthel will share candidly about the conflicts they had with one another while on staff at Peacemaker Ministries, and give practical advice as to how the gospel of grace helped them to accept, serve, and grow to delight in one another.
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