Historic investment in our future

Peacebuilding Ministries


Peacebuilding Ministries offers trainings and services to help people live in peaceful relationships.

Interpersonal Peacebuilding

Participants explore who they are amid differences, learn communication skills that help deal with differences, discover a model for cooperative decision‐making; share in activities and discussion, and practice skills. 15-hour course, no prerequisite

Talk It Out

Participants learn to use the Talk It Out curriculum to teach children, kindergarten through 5th grade, skills for peacefully resolving their disagreements. 3-hour course, Prerequisite: Interpersonal Peacebuilding

Communication Styles

Participants discover their personal communication styles. This training provides insights to each participant’s communication style in both calm and distressed situations. An assessment tool is the basis for training activities, and is accompanied by a booklet. This training is appropriate for teens, young adults, and adults. 3-hour course, no prerequisite

Listening Ear

Participants will learn how to assist people in accessing their internal resources to resolve dilemmas in a constructive way without “fixing” them, giving advice, or counseling. 15-hour course, Prerequisite: Interpersonal Peacebuilding

Meeting Facilitation

Participants will learn how to organize and lead gatherings in a way that encourages open, productive communication and cooperative decisions that enhances meetings and discussions from Sunday school classes to business meetings. 15-hour course, Prerequisite: Interpersonal Peacebuilding

Peacebuilding Skills Refresher

Participants review and practice communication skills and processes learned in Interpersonal Peacebuilding and Listening Ear. The contents of this training are tailored to meet the needs of the group. 8-hour course, Prerequisite: Interpersonal Peacebuilding or Listening Ear

Cooperative Decision-making

Participants learn how to organize and guide meetings to promote broad participation in consensual decision making. 24-hour course, Prerequisites: Interpersonal Peacebuilding, Listening Ear, and Meeting Facilitation

The ministries of facilitation and mediation provide a way for people to process their differences or make decisions in a constructive and productive manner. Trained, impartial mediators and facilitators create a safe environment for discussion to occur.

Where conflict or disagreement exists, trained mediators guide an established process whereby participants can confidentially and effectively address their differences.

The role of the mediator includes establishing a safe and equitable environment for the conversation, identifying and implementing appropriate guidelines, assisting participants in sharing and hearing each others’ perspectives, and guiding the process.

Opportunities for the ministries of facilitation and mediation include:

  • between individuals who are struggling with their differences (mediation)
  • with groups dealing with difficult issues or group decisions
  • in dialogue groups for understanding perspectives about potentially divisive matters

Many more opportunities for ministry are available. Please contact Peacebuilding Ministries, and together we can determine a process that can help.

Experience

Individuals interested in exploration of a topic with a group of 5 to 7 participants for the purpose of listening and understanding others’ perspectives are brought together by trained facilitators. Topics are determined in consultation with the Peacebuilding specialist. Events can be one-time sessions, introducing participants to the Listening Circle process, or multi-session experiences on the same topic. Specifics will be determined in consultation with hosting group and Peacebuilding specialist.

Implementation and Facilitator Training

An Listening Circle implementation process is developed specific to the needs of a defined geographic area (e.g., Mission Center). Emphasis is placed on identification of relevant Listening Circle topics, development of an implementation process applicable to the geographic area or group structure, and training of potential Listening Circle facilitators.

Other Opportunities

  • Connecting congregations with local conflict resolution services
  • Assisting the implementation of conflict resolution programs for the congregation and community
  • Teaching interpersonal conflict resolution skills for and with children
  • Hosting Intergenerational Interpersonal Peacemaking workshops for adults and children together

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