Church

Peacebuilding

Program.

Building long-term capacity for peacebuilding and conflict transformation within the church.

A training/community-coaching hybrid program that equips church members, and ultimately church communities as a whole, with knowledge and skills to address conflict constructively and to actively build peace together.

Whether related to health and safety, relationships, civic and political unrest, theological and social divisions, etc., there is a lot going on right now in the US and around the world. We are all encountering these challenges in different ways as nations and as smaller communities and families.

Additionally, throughout the world and throughout history the church has played a significant role in peace and conflict settings – both for peace and for violence. We believe there is a powerful witness and impact in churches acting for peace and integrating peace-based values and practices into their communities.

Peace and conflict work must be intentional.

This course is designed to help you begin that journey. We will set you up with a strong foundation from which to continue to grow your knowledge, skills and awareness in building peace and transforming conflict. While this course focuses specifically on church settings, the core of the learning applies in any setting in which you live or work.

We have envisioned a training-coaching hybrid framework because while we will provide theory and tools in peace and conflict analysis and skill-building, this program is a shared creation. We provide guidance, educational content, and facilitation assistance, and we situate that learning firmly within your own contexts. We trust that you all are the experts on your own contexts, and we want to help you explore those contexts in more depth and from various perspectives and lenses.

Space is limited to allow for balanced participation, targeted learning, and relationship-building .

Program Details

This is a virtual program carried out through gatherings on Monday evenings from 7:30-9:00pm EST October 31-December 12.

Sessions will include a combination of large and small group discussions, lecture/presentation, group work, role plays, and more. Our overall approach is experiential, interactive, and relational. We are intentional about the environment we create in order to invite a space that is curious, brave, and safe.

Session 1 - Exploring Our Contexts

Begin exploring how peace and conflict shows up in the church and the role the church has played in various contexts of peace, conflict, violence and more.

Session 2 - Peacebuilding Foundations

Diving into theories and frameworks for understanding peace and conflict and how they can provide insight into conflict and injustice in church contexts.

Session 3 - Understanding Conflict

In this session we ask: what is conflict, how does conflict show up interpersonally and in our church settings, what meaning do we make of it, and how do we respond?

Session 4 - Analyzing Conflict

Building on the previous session, we examine conflict in more depth and on larger scales, learning tools and models for analyzing conflict to get to its roots. We explore how deepening our understanding of conflict helps us respond more effectively and creatively.

Session 5 - Containers for Difficult Conversations

As we address conflict, we can make use of frames for holding difficult conversations. Practicing skills, capabilities, and strategies that will help us have these conversations both interpersonally and in group settings.

Session 6 - Looking Inward and Backward

Self-reflection and community reflection- we reflect on ourselves, the church’s history and the church’s present. We’ll examine our theologies and their impact as well as the spiritual roots that ground us through conflict.

Session 7 - Looking Outward and Forward

In this final session, we bring everything together. How does all this connect to our personal and community relationships beyond church settings? How can we move forward and cultivate a culture of peace in our own churches and in the church universal?

Price: 800 USD

Please reach out to us at info@tranformationcollab.org if you would like to attend but need financial assistance OR if you would like to support someone else in attending.

Pricing

  • I would highly recommend [this course] to learn concepts that can help in difficult conversations.

    Pilot Program Participant

  • These kinds of experiences are part of counteracting the extreme reactivity and polarization prevalent in our culture these days.

    Pilot Program Participant

  • I feel like I will be more considerate and empathetic when engaging others.

    Pilot Program Participant

  • [Participating in this course] is a very effective way to build tools for restorative engagement on difficult issues.

    Pilot Program Participant

Facilitators

  • Fadia Thabet (she/her)

    FADIA IS A CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND PEACEBUILDING PRACTITIONER focused on conflict transformation initiatives designs and training.

    Her specialties include training and facilitation design and delivery, conflict mapping and assessment, monitoring, evaluation & learning, and humanitarian and peace initiatives design.

    Learn More

  • Sophie Bouwsma (she/her)

    SOPHIE IS A MUSICIAN AND PEACEBUILDER focused on addressing the roots of structural and cultural violence in the United States.

    She grew up as a missionary kid and has been a regular attendee at churches from over half a dozen denominations. She cares deeply about faith communities and is always interested in exploring religion’s past, present, and future roles in the world.

    Learn More

What does this program offer you?

  • A foundational education in peace and conflict focused specifically on church contexts.

  • Learning conflict analysis via real-world examples to be able to respond to conflict more effectively.

  • Dialogue skills to assist you in holding difficult or divisive conversations.

  • Connection and discussion with participants from a variety of contexts.

  • A library of peace and conflict learning resources including readings, analytical tools, models and more for application in your own interpersonal, communal and congregational settings.

  • New lenses and awarenesses to bring to your own faith and to your faith communities.

  • Opportunities for guided reflection.

  • Ultimately, a deeper understanding of the dynamics of conflict paired with increased capacity to more effectively understand and respond to those dynamics in everyday life and in church settings.

  • A Certificate of Completion issued by Transformation Collaborative.

 FAQs

  • No. We are not affiliated with any religion or faith, but many of us come from faith/religious backgrounds, and we all hold a wide array of beliefs. We offer this program as peace and conflict professionals providing space for you to explore your faith and religion through the lenses of peace and conflict transformation.

  • While we encourage you to attend each session for the benefit of your own and other participants’ learning, we understand that circumstances may arise in which you are not able to attend one of the sessions. In such instances we ask for as much notice as you are able to give us if you need to miss a session.

  • Yes! We expect to offer this program again early in 2023. If you would like to hear about future offerings of the program (and get the first opportunity to register), sign up for emails at the bottom of the page.