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.
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.
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".
The skills improvisers use to create compelling stories are valuable off-stage too. In their workshops, Danger Boat facilitators guide groups through exercises to enhance listening, collaboration, and creativity. Participants will gain skills in: adaptive leadership, navigating different perspectives, creative brainstorming, deep listening, and comfort in the unknown. Workshops can be tailored for any group size and duration, from 55 minutes to multi-day retreats. Discover new approaches, bring your group closer, and build a “yes, and...” culture all while having fun.
The Art of Difficult Conversations with Tane Danger of DangerBoat Productions/Theater of Public Policy
Rev. Dr. Cameron Trimble, reflecting on how our words/language create our realities, encourages us to Say What You Mean.
by Adam Russell Taylor (author of A More Perfect Union, above)
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.
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 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.
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.
CONVERGENCE offers numerous leadership and community development webinars on-demand or in a cohort:
See also our Courageous Spaces Toolkit.
