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Congregational Life: Social Justice: Conflict/Division & Reconciliation

online and in-person connections for service and justice work

Welcome

Welcome to The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources to help congregational leaders facilitated healing conversations about and in the midst of conflict, division and reconciliation: within and without the congregation. Here you'll find opportunities for:

If you don't find a resource to fit your need, don't hesitate to consult with The Ministry Lab's director, Rev. Emily Meyer, who is happy to assist you.

Small Group Discussions

Abundant Lives | A Progressive Christian Ethic of Flourishing (Udis-Kessler)          Border Dance               The Church’s Unholy War          Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva          Fight Like Jesus     The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon          Forgiven but Not Forgotten     The Gospel of Peace in a Violent World                    How to Have an Enemy          In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World     In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World     Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and  Fractured a Nation: Kobes Du Mez, Kristin: 9781631495731: Amazon.com: Books     Just Us     Leading with Love          Listening to the Movement     Picture of Love Is the Resistance     A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community      Neighbor Love through Fearful Days: Finding Purpose and Meaning in a Time of Crisis     The Peacemaker's Path: Multifaith Reflections to Deepen Your Spirituality     Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next     The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide               Saving Grace by Kirsten Powers     The Space Between Us          The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War: Sharlet, Jeff: 9781324006497:  Amazon.com: Books     Upside-Down Apocalypse     The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization - Coleman, Peter T.     We Become What We Normalize: What We Owe Each Other in Worlds That Demand Our Silence     We Will Not Cancel Us     Welcoming the Unwelcome                    Worth Fighting For

Access free digital resources related to Redeeming Violent Verses, including a group/individual discussion and reflection guide and suggestions for teaching violent verses to children (including notes on answering children's difficult questions) at www.wjkbooks.com/RedeemingViolentVerses.

Children's Books

     Stories to Inspire Imaginations               treasuries.jpg     Main_lend_a_hand_cover          One City, Two Brothers     The Peace Book     Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox     Sarah Rising                    What You Need to Be Warm     

The Bittersweet Story of the Real-Life Peaceful Bull Who Inspired Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson’s Ferdinand

A journey to the abyss between the real world and the ideal world, and a romp across our mightiest bridge between the two.

By Maria Popova for The Marginalian

Empowering Leaders

Krista Tippett interviews Serene Jones in Grace in a Fractured World. The Oklahoma-born theologian of trauma speaks on our political & spiritual love crisis: “Everything is falling apart, and something new is emerging.”

Guidelines (adopted in 1992) for use in times of conflict and disagreement.

Kyle Roberts, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs at United Theological Seminary, authored, “Leading Through the Contention: Guidance from Open and Relational Theology in Navigating Conflict".

Engaging the Community

Rev. Dr. Cameron Trimble, reflecting on how our words/language create our realities, encourages us to Say What You Mean.

Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

In season two of our podcast Learning How to See, we are invited to confront the host of biases that prevent us from connecting more deeply with ourselves and one another. Listen and discover how seeing is social, political, and contemplative.

Kairos Blanket Exercise

The Kairos Blanket Exercise is developed to create reconciliation through education and understanding.

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a program of KAIROS CANADA. KAIROS Canada is an ecumenical movement for ecological justice and human rights around the globe.

Hollaback! logo

Hollaback and Asian Americans Advancing Justice teamed up to create free Bystander Intervention Trainings. See here for dates and details.

Rev. Dr. Michael Piazza urges us to name America's Dividing Line as what it is: racism. Only after naming the divide can we hope to heal it.

On Being with Krista Tippett

Bishop Michael Curry & Dr. Russell Moore

Spiritual Bridge People

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An Interactive Journal on Christian Social Justice offers numerous and varied ways to engage.

Brian McLaren's, The Five Electorates in 2020 is essential reading for understanding the "other"; see also Recognizing Our Biases.

MennoMedia’s ~ing Podcast Episodes 14 & 16 feature Mennonite pastor and author Melissa Florer-Bixler speaking about loving one’s enemies and author Shane Claiborne speaking on love amid violence, respectively.

Sister Joan Chittister issues A Call to Be One.

Webinars & Trainings

CONVERGENCE offers numerous leadership and community development webinars on-demand or in a cohort:

  • White Too Long: A Webinar with Robert Jones from the Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology

In Our Library

Antisocial by Andrew Marantz          Spade_mutual_aid     A Peace of My Mind, Exploring the Meaning of Peace One Story At a Time     screenshot     Why the Christian Right Is Wrong: A Minister's Manifesto for Taking Back Your Faith, Your Flag...  -     By: Robin Meyers