Do you ever feel conflict is keeping your congregation from flourishing? Churches often are locked in the “basement” level of communication – precariously hovering between conflict and compromise. This workshop explores how to better “navigate the nonsense” in churches and avoid bad habits that break down communication instead of building it up. Clergy can inadvertently amplify church conflict when trying to help others. Their problem-solving efforts often only make matters worse, which gives life to “the church monster” that devours congregations. This workshop seeks to uncover hidden pathways to higher levels of communication that promote community and creativity in ministry.
Presenter: Rev. Doug Bixby serves as the senior pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Attleboro. Rev. Bixby is a graduate of North Park Theological Seminary, M-Div. 1993, and received an undergraduate degree from Hope College in Holland, MI. He is the author of three books. His most recent book is Navigating the Nonsense: Church Conflict and Triangulation. His second is The Honest to God Church: A Pathway to God’s Grace, published by the Alban Institute in 2007. The first book he published is called Challenging the Church Monster: From Conflict to Community, published by Pilgrim Press in 2002.
This program is presented by the Center for Transformational Leadership (CTL) of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ (SNEUCC) as part of the “Lunch & Learn for Leaders” series. These programs are all created in response to the challenges and concerns identified by our clergy and lay leaders. While these resources offer many solutions to problems, they also reveal opportunities to be realized. Rather than ask, “How are we going to …..?” (you fill in the blank – eliminate this internal conflict; become financially sustainable; grow our membership), consider asking the question, “What might happen if…..?” (we focus on creating a new vision for the future; reimagine how we use our buildings; increase our community engagement).
The Center for Transformational Leadership is able to offer these programs largely because of our churches’ financial support expressed through Proportional Giving. The CTL is here to help your congregation not just survive, but to thrive!
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