Harnessing Conflict for Change (two-day workshop)

The Challenge 

As pastors throughout the country are pulled more and more frequently into contentious community issues (i.e., the recent truck convoy, border protests, pro-vaxxers vs. anti-vaxxers, etc.) polarized positioning from various parties is creating a challenge for pastors to meet the needs of all parishioners within their churches.

 The Transpectives team approaches inner and outer conflicts not from a right-or-wrong, black-or-white, good-or-bad perspective, but rather through paying attention to the conflict system surrounding the issues that people fight each other over. These conflict systems hold a wealth of information that benefit all parties, including individuals who play a role in meditating them (i.e., pastors). The key to accessing this valuable information is through what Transpectives calls one’s Inner Track. This workshop addresses the inner and outer dynamic of conflict by exploring Self-in-System and System-in-Self. 

This three-stage workshop will provide pastors in the MB family with facilitation tools that foster deeper self awareness in all parties they work with, including a deeper understanding of their own role. Over time these skills have the potential to engender healthy positioning in all parties during any conflict that presents itself in a church setting, as the pastor becomes increasingly able to facilitate from an effective and trusted relational position, not an interest-based one. 

John has been helping organizations and leaders across the globe for the past four decades, as they embrace change and uncertainty. His early days were with grassroots initiatives to end Apartheid in South Africa. John encourages clients to harness conflict for professional and personal success, as conflict offers many undervalued gifts to the process of transformation. He is an accomplished international business and leadership coach, mediator, published author and university professor. 

Tere is a creative mediative consultant and former policy analyst, with twenty-five years of experience in systemically managing change. She assists marginalized social groups and executive decision-makers navigate the often sensitive relationship/professional spaces that can occur in organizations. She has a background in communications, engagement, process design and strategic impact. Tere is also a writer and poet, and often approaches conflict through a creative lens.

https://bcmb.org/event/harnessing-conflict-for-change/