Has there ever been a year we’ve been more excited to turn away from than 2020? With pandemic, politics, and policing as the non-stop attention grabbers of the year, we are tired, exhausted. Tired of divisive political rhetoric; exhausted by the rising pandemic numbers and conversations over to mask or not to mask; overwhelmed by the surfacing of systemic racism that grips our country, and the tough conversations on that topic. And, of course, in The United Methodist Church, there is still “the conversation” going on. So, we’re tired, and yet perhaps there has never been a more important time to step into hard conversations.

Language is the most obscure construct and most important tool we have at our disposal. Conversation and discourse are how significant and lasting change happens. And these days, we’ve largely lost the ability to share our beliefs in healthy and productive ways, whether we’re sitting around the church meeting table or around the family dinner table. We’ve lost our ability to really listen without our own agendas getting in the way. 

In the book of Esther, Mordecai suggests to the new queen that perhaps if she remains silent at such a time as this, she and her family will perish. I think Mordecai was suggesting to Esther that if she didn’t speak up about the ills of her society, then she would miss her opportunity to do what God had called her to do. God will still achieve God’s agenda, but why miss God’s call on our lives? And this is what I’ve been thinking about lately: How can we humans, and especially we as faith leaders, be prophetic in ways that move the needle toward positive change. It starts with each and every conversation we have.

Join your colleagues, and LeaderWise facilitators Mary Kay DuChene and Victor Thompson, to explore how to break through the gridlock we seem to exist in today. Let’s learn together how to have difficult conversations that have in the past gotten stuck like a broken record, always repeating the same refrain and never going anywhere. We begin by examining the values that ground what we think, do, and say. Then we learn a new way to step into difficult conversations. On the other side of our 4 sessions, our hope is that you will have new courage and new tools for thinking about relationships and having conversations.

After all, “who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

LeaderWise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 to provide counseling and consulting for lives of service. It is a mission-driven organization with 50 years' experience providing psychological and leadership development resources to individuals and organizations.

Originally charged to serve the Upper Midwest, LeaderWise has expanded its work throughout North America. LeaderWise comprises an expansive team of educators and consultants from a variety of disciplines (counseling psychologist, clinical social workers, spiritual directors, leadership development consultants, educators) and cultural background.

This workshop is specifically designed to provide church leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to address, manage, and resolve conflict in a healthy and effective manner.  Participants will learn about conflict management styles, including their own default style, what the other styles look like, and how to grow in their ability to use and understand different conflict management styles.  Other components of the workshop will include learning how family of origin influences one’s attitudes about conflict, plus strategies for responding to conflict in the moment, opportunities for prayer, reflection, worship, and much more.

During the course, held in four sessions, we will first look at our own "stuff" that we bring to polarized conversations, connect more deeply the values and purpose that are behind our convictions, and then learn how to have a conversation with another person that comes from that place of purpose (internal motivation) rather than our (unfortunate but always there) needs to be right, or righteous, or whatever hook exists for each of us.

The conflict resolution strategies are based on the book, Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World, by Jason J. Jay and Gabriel Grant. Breaking through Gridlock has become an initiative across organizations and higher education with several resources. Access resources.

Please make plans to join now for the four sessions in 2021 on January 14, February 11, March 11 and April 8, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.—1:30 p.m., central time, 10:00 a.m. —12:30 p.m. mountain time. A Zoom link to be provided 1 week prior to the event.
Register here