The Mediation Skills Training Institute runs daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exception of Friday, which concludes at 4:30 p.m.
All Training Sessions
Single-Day Training Sessions
Healthy Congregations
Healthy Congregations uses the insights of family systems theory to help church leaders become more effective stewards of their congregations. This workshop was developed by Dr. Peter Steinke and is based on the work of Dr. Edwin Friedman, author of Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue.
Learn More +The Healthy Congregations workshop is designed to equip leaders to respond to the presence or potential threat of anxiety in a congregational system in ways that prevent destructive conflict and help the church stay focused on its unique mission and purpose. This workshop will help you:
- Learn how you as a leader can influence the health of your congregation – how to detect and avoid unhealthy patterns of living together in community
- Learn how to keep anxiety from becoming infectious
- Gain confidence in responding to challenges and opportunities
- Learn how to put limits on invasive behavior, manage reactivity, and overcome sabotage
- Discover how leaders can function as the congregation’s immune system
- Learn to focus on strengths, resources, options, and the future
Facilitator
The facilitator for such a program would be Jay Wittmeyer, LMPC Executive Director.
Workshop Outline
To see the standard outline of this workshop, click on the Workshop Flyer. Please note that this workshop schedule can be customized for groups if needed.
Sponsoring Healthy Congregations
Would you like to provide this training for a group at a time and place that is convenient for you? Your church, judicatory, or organization can sponsor this event in order to provide this training to your staff, leaders, or members of your community. For more information about sponsoring and hosting an LMPC training event in your area, call us at 630-627-0507, or email us at Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org.
Background
Healthy Congregations is a workshop originally designed by Peter Steinke, author of the books How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems and Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach.
A key concept at the heart of Healthy Congregations is “self-differentiation,” meaning people’s capacity to calmly articulate what they think and value, and to act on that basis, while staying in active relationship with those who disagree.
This crucial training for both clergy and lay leaders is designed for presentation as a single, nine-hour workshop. It can be adapted for formats such as leadership retreats or an adult Sunday School series.
Fractured Lives, Fractured Churches: Healing the Breach
American society is fracturing as more and more families experience estrangement with their loved ones. Tensions in American public life affects their private lives and vice-versa. Americans lack a shared identity, disagree on the nation’s purposes, values, and history, and are becoming more and more intolerant of those with whom they disagree. Estrangement in private lives often leads to intense tribalism in public life. Anchored in Family Systems, the workshop is designed to help leaders understand the phenomenon of estrangement, how it comes about and how can the church be a gathering place for restoration and healing.
Learn More +For more information, view the flyer for this event linked here.
Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches
Conflict is a normal part of life; unfortunately, the church is not exempt. This workshop will give participants the knowledge and skills necessary to manage conflicts within their congregations in a healthier manner. Join us and learn to regard conflict not as a negative force, but as a positive opportunity for reconciliation, spiritual growth, and a renewed awareness of God’s will for your church.
Learn More +In this workshop, you will learn:
- That conflict need not be bad, but is an opportunity for growth.
- The Biblical basis for conflict transformation.
- Your own style of responding to conflict.
- The communication skills necessary to resolve conflict peacefully.
- Strategies for preventing destructive conflict in the church family.
- A model for working at congregational decision-making in a win-win manner.
Workshop Outline
To see the standard outline of this workshop, click here.
The workshop runs from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The fee for this all-day event is $99. For a slightly expanded version of this workshop, see Conflict in the Church: Entrusted with the Message of Reconciliation below.
Facilitator
The facilitator for Conflict Transformation Skills would be Jay Wittmeyer, Executive Director.
Hosting a Workshop
This all-day workshop in conflict transformation is one of LMPC’s more popular programs available to groups, and is suitable for church retreat days, Saturday workshops, or part of a weekly adult education series. This workshop would also be appropriate for Christian schools to consider for a faculty in-service program or retreat.
Would you like to provide this training for a group? Your church, judicatory, or organization can sponsor this event in order to provide this training to your staff, leaders, or members of your community. For more information about sponsoring and hosting this event in your area, call us at 630-627-0507, or email us at admin@LMPeaceCenter.org.
Conflict in the Church: Entrusted With the Message of Reconciliation
Description
The workshop Conflict in the Church: Entrusted With the Message of Reconciliation is an expanded version of our Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches.
This workshop spans a Friday evening plus all day Saturday, making it suitable for church retreats. It would be an effective workshop for churches that are currently experiencing conflict—or those who simply want to work at preventing destructive conflict in the future.
Hosting
Groups interested in exploring the possibility of hosting a workshop can call LMPC at 630-627-0507 or email us at admin@LMPeaceCenter.org. For more details and an outline of the workshop, read the workshop flyer.
This workshop can be adapted, depending on the nature and desires of the hosting group. Other possible topics include Conflict Transformation Skills for the Family, Conflict Transformation Skills for the Classroom, and An Introduction to Mediating Interpersonal Conflict.
Facilitator
The facilitator for Conflict in the Church: Entrusted with the Message of Reconciliation would be Jay Wittmeyer, LMPC Executive Director.
Restorative Conversations
This one-day workshop introduces church leaders to the key concepts of circle processes and ways in which circles can be used within their congregations. Restorative conversations are useful when working through difficult or polarizing topics, processing shared painful experiences, building community, and dealing with certain levels of conflict in the church setting. The workshop covers the historical roots, biblical foundations, and core values and beliefs of restorative conversations. In addition, the key elements of circle processes will be demonstrated for participants by engaging in circle processes during the workshop. The workshop will benefit all levels of leadership including pastors, lay leaders, youth leaders, and Sunday school teachers. Enrollment will be limited to 20 participants to facilitate discussion.
Learn More +Restorative Conversations uses the practice of circle sharing as a way to address conflict in the church. Whether that be conflict in the distant past, or the present, this workshop teaches leaders how to facilitate discussions in a productive way. This workshop will help you:
- Learn how to engage in meaningful dialogue
- Create a space for all voices to be heard
- Develop active listening skills
- Become ambassadors for reconciliation
Facilitator
This workshop will be presented by Executive Director, Jay Wittmeyer.
More Information
To see more information for this workshop, please view the flyer here.
Hosting
To find out more about hosting a workshop to be presented by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, contact us!
If you would like to have this service within your judicatory leaders, you can either contact us via the link above, email us at admin@LMPeaceCenter.org, or call us at 630-627-0507.
Journey Toward Healing
This workshop is appropriate for those who have taken our Mediation Skills Training Institute and need a refresher, and also for those who would like an introduction to our popular 5-day event.
Learn More +The fee for this one-day event, which typically runs from 9:00am to 4:00pm Central Time, will be $99. If registering as a group of 4 or more, your group will save $15 per person, making the cost only $84.
Facilitating Healthy Pastor-Congregation Relations
NO MORE FHPCR TRAININGS FOR THIS YEAR. CONTINUE TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR AN UPDATED SCHEDULE.
The church is experiencing something of a crisis in the pastorate system. Clergy morale is low, with pastors under attack as never before. And increasing number of involuntary pastoral terminations leave a lasting legacy of pain in many congregations. this workshop is intended to help congregations address these problems.
This workshop suggests some structural changes that have been found to help churches function in more healthy ways. In addition, attention is given to emotional processes and the ways that leaders function, integrating family systems theory and the insights it provides with regard to leadership and self-differentiation. For details please consult this FHPCR Brochure.
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Leadership and Anxiety in the Church
NO MORE LAC TRAININGS FOR THIS YEAR. CONTINUE TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR AN UPDATED SCHEDULE.
Rooted in Scripture and grounded in Bowen family systems theory, this workshop identifies differentiation of self and anxiety as two key variables impacting human functioning. Leadership and Anxiety looks at the challenges presented by the rising levels of anxiety being experienced in churches today, as well as the role that self-differentiated leadership can play in calming such anxiety. Works of fine art illustrating Biblical themes help facilitate theological reflection on the themes being presented.
We live in an age of increased anxiety, which impacts church systems and leaders. Family systems theory offers a way of understanding congregational dynamics and anxiety. This seminar looks at the challenge presented by the rising levels of anxiety being experienced in churches today, as well as the role that self-differentiated leadership can play in calming such anxiety.
- Distinguish between acute anxiety and chronic anxiety
- Compare the family projection process as understood in Bowen family systems theory, with René Girard’s understanding of scapegoating
- Gain insight into how the scapegoating process impacts church conflict
- Understand emotional triangles and the importance of maintaining non-anxious presence
- Recognize the role of playfulness in defusing anxiety
- See self-differentiated leadership as a key to overcoming the impact of anxiety
- Enhance your role as a leader in the church
This workshop has been designed especially for pastors, church council/vestry/session members, pastor–parish committees, and judicatory leaders of all denominations. For participants to derive maximum benefit, we recommend that a team made up of clergy, staff, and lay leadership from the same congregation would attend the event together.
Registration & Discounts
For each of our single-day events, a discount of $15 per person is available to groups of four or more, provided they register all together with a single payment. We request that you complete your registration at least one week in advance of the workshop to ensure the timely arrival of the workshop manual. Please provide the name and contact information for each participant at the time of registration.
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Multi-Day Training Sessions
Mediation Skills Training Institute
This 5-day event is designed to equip church leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. It also includes a component on congregational mediation and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory. Although focused primarily on the church setting, the skills learned are directly transferable to other settings, including the business and academic worlds. Join us and find out for yourself why a previous participant described MSTI as “The best and most thorough model for mediation with individuals and congregations that I have experienced in more than three decades of ordained ministry”!
Learn More +Conflict is an inevitable part of life, whether in the home, school, community, church, or workplace. Having the skills to function effectively in emotionally intense, conflicted situations is important for all of us, especially those of us who are leaders. Lombard Mennonite Peace Center has trained thousands of church leaders from a wide range of denominations in the skills that are needed to deal with conflict in the church setting through its Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders.
For more details, please consult this 2024 MSTI Brochure. If none of these dates fit your schedule, then you might consider contracting with us to present MSTI when it is convenient for you!
The Institute includes lectures, discussion, and guided practice in role-plays. Active and practical in focus, the sessions emphasize hands-on skills training and real-life role-plays based on the kinds of conflicts faced by participants. A more detailed description of the sessions is available upon request.
The registration fee is $850, which includes five full days of instruction and a hard copy of the MSTI training manual. We strongly encourage you to register at least two weeks before the event begins so that your manual arrives in time. Cancellations are subject to a $100 nonrefundable fee if LMPC is notified at least two weeks prior to the institute, or half of the registration fee otherwise.
Jay Wittmeyer, Executive Director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, is the facilitator for MSTI.
For those attending MSTI in person, daily refreshments will be provided. Participants will need to arrange their own lodging and meals.
For helpful information, such as nearby hotels or dependable taxi service from a major airport, either contact our office or visit a reservation website such as Trivago for current prices, availability, reviews, amenities, etc.
Reading before this training course is not required, but here is a list of books that we recommend reading if you would like to get a head start on this workshop’s content.
Here are some of our recommended readings. For a more detailed list, make sure to view our Recommended Reading page.
Fisher, Roger and William Ury. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.
Friedman, Edwin H. Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue.
Lederach, John Paul. Reconcile: Conflict Transformation for Ordinary Christians.
Richardson, Ronald W. Creating a Healthier Church: Family Systems Theory, Leadership, and Congregational Lie.
Schrock-Shenk, Carolyn and Lawrence Ressler. Making Peace With Conflict: Practical Skills for Church Transformation.
Cancellations are subject to a $100 nonrefundable fee if LMPC is notified at least 2 weeks before training, or half of the registration fee within 2 weeks of the start.
Leadership Development Through Family Systems, Cohort A, Grand Rapids, MI
Formerly “Clergy Clinic”
Leaders today face many challenges. In this time of increased anxiety and stress, we need leaders who focus on their own integrity, functioning, and the nature of their presence rather than look for quick-fix solutions or fancy techniques. Participants in this program will be challenged to invest in their own emotional maturity and functioning as a way to enhance their sense of calm and differentiation of self. Participants will have the opportunity to build a cohort of like-minded leaders facing similar journeys and challenges. Sign up today to experience the life change for yourself!
Each day will begin at 9:00am and conclude at 4:30pm. Participants are asked to read The Leaders Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation by Jim Herrington, Trish Taylor and Robert Creech and A Family Genogram Workbook by Israel Galindo, Elaine Boomer and Don Reagan. Both books are available for purchase from LMPC. We further recommend reading Extraordinary Relationships by Roberta Gilbert and A Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman. These books are also available for purchase from LMPC. For additional information, you may wish to consult this flyer.
This year, we are pleased to implement a new price alternative. You can now register for one, two, or all three sessions of this training.
Price range:
- $425 for one session
- $850 for two sessions
- $1,075 early bird rate for all sessions
- $1,275 for all sessions if registering after September 9th, 2024
Cancellation policy to come. For a reference, refer to the cancellation policy from Cohort B below.
Leadership Development Through Family Systems, Cohort B
Formerly “Clergy Clinic”
Leaders today face many challenges. In this time of increased anxiety and stress, we need leaders who focus on their own integrity, functioning, and the nature of their presence rather than look for quick-fix solutions or fancy techniques. Participants in this program will be challenged to invest in their own emotional maturity and functioning as a way to enhance their sense of calm and differentiation of self. Participants will have the opportunity to build a cohort of like-minded leaders facing similar journeys and challenges. Sign up today to experience the life change for yourself!
Each day will begin at 9:00am and conclude at 4:30pm. Participants are asked to read The Leaders Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation by Jim Herrington, Trish Taylor and Robert Creech and A Family Genogram Workbook by Israel Galindo, Elaine Boomer and Don Reagan. Both books are available for purchase from LMPC. For additional information, you may wish to consult this flyer.
Travel, accommodation, and meals will be the responsibility of the attendee. The LMPC will provide a list of possible options for accommodation in the area prior to the start of the workshop to assist in this process.
North Raleigh Presbyterian Church
11905 Strickland Rd., Raleigh, NC 27613
Keller United Methodist Church
1025 Johnson Rd, Keller, TX 76248
Cancellations are subject to a nonrefundable administration fee of $100 if we receive notification prior to September 25, 2023, or half of the registration fee if notified prior to October 2, 2023. Afterward, there will be no refunds or credit for missed sessions. Such cancellation fees are necessary, since we are required to contract with family of origin group leaders several weeks prior to the first session.
Leadership Development Through Family Systems, Cohort C, Online
Formerly “Clergy Clinic”
Leaders today face many challenges. In this time of increased anxiety and stress, we need leaders who focus on their own integrity, functioning, and the nature of their presence rather than look for quick-fix solutions or fancy techniques. Participants in this program will be challenged to invest in their own emotional maturity and functioning as a way to enhance their sense of calm and differentiation of self. Participants will have the opportunity to build a cohort of like-minded leaders facing similar journeys and challenges. Sign up today to experience the life change for yourself!
Each day will begin at 9:00am and conclude at 4:30pm Central Time. Participants are asked to read The Leaders Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation by Jim Herrington, Trish Taylor and Robert Creech and A Family Genogram Workbook by Israel Galindo, Elaine Boomer and Don Reagan. Both books are available for purchase from LMPC. For additional information, you may wish to consult this flyer.
Cancellation policy to come.
Advanced Clergy Clinic 2023-2024
This series is designed for graduates of our Clergy Clinic and for those with an extensive background in Bowen family systems theory. If you have not attended Clergy Clinic but are wondering if ACC might still be appropriate for you, please contact our office. Registrants are expected to attend the entire 9-day series.
Learn More +Our distinguished guest presenters for Advanced Clergy Clinic 2024-2025 will be Dr. Kathleen Smith in October, Dr. Robert Noone in February, and Kathleen Cauley in April. Make plans now to join us and take advantage of their expertise!
Cancellation policy coming soon.
Our distinguished guest presenters are looking forward to this cohort, just as we are! Click the image below to watch a short clip by Dr. Margaret Marcuson discussing what she will bring to the ACC conversation next Spring.
