Overview

If you had to sum up Christian discipleship in one word, “repentance” would be a compelling choice. But Jesus’ first and most emphasized command may be his least obeyed. Jesus said, “repent and believe,” so why are we, even as Christ’s church, so much more comfortable being believers than being repenters? In what ways do we misunderstand biblical repentance, and what are the barriers to us embracing with thanksgiving the “repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18)? In an angry and divided culture that has turned repent and believe into repent and be canceled, nothing is more critical for the health of all of our relationships than a passionate return to biblical repentance.

When you think of the spiritual disciplines that you are actively cultivating in your life, does “conversation” make the list? Are you a better conversationalist than you were five years ago? Most people find these difficult questions to answer, but they are critical questions to be able to answer with a confident “Yes.” God finds his way into good conversations that eventually lead to the gospel. So, practically and concretely, what would it look like to take day-to-day conversation seriously as an essential aspect of Christian witnessing and discipleship, and to see those conversations consistently leading to others turning to Christ? That is the question I want to explore together in this workshop. 

If you’ve read The Peacemaker, or taken part in a peacemaking seminar, you’ve encountered the PAUSE Principle of negotiation. Many of us think of the PAUSE Principle as applying to conflicted relationships only. But, PAUSE can also be used in everyday conversations to help even strong relationships grow stronger. In this Workshop, we’ll explore how godly heart attitudes support the creation of compelling joint-problem statements, the key to negotiating cooperatively. In preparation, please read Chapter 11 of The Peacemaker.

Our approach is from a broad theological framework:  creation, the fall and redemption.  We are created to give God glory and honor and to receive honor as those in the image of God, living in peace (shalom).  With the fall into sin, people no longer glorify God.  While there is still appropriate honor, sin corrupts honor in two ways:  vainglory and sinful pride.  With the entrance of sin there are two forms of shame:  achieved shame arises from our own sinfulness, and ascribed shame arises from others devaluing us.  Shalom is replaced by conflict with God, with others and within ourselves.  But the triune God comes to redeem.  The work of the Father is portrayed in the parable of the father and two sons.  The Son redeems honor through humility and endures ascribed shame on His path to the cross, providing not only forgiveness but the honor of adoption.  The Spirit enables us to experience honor and overcome the shame of persecution.  Shalom is given to our hearts and relationships.  We close with a joint declaration:  “Proclaiming the Gospel with Adoption in Christ.”

In this workshop a biblically based framework for friends helping one another work through common problems of living will be developed and  illustrated with common scenarios. New Testament “one another” passages will play a significant role in the presentation. These principles may be applied to a wide variety of relational issues, including misunderstandings and judging, grumbling and complaining, gossip, grief and worry.

Speaker: Jeff Forrey

Jesus said in John’s Gospel that it is by our unity that the world will know that He is the Christ, in effect putting His reputation in our hands. There must be something so qualitatively different about our lives and our relationships with one another that the world sits up and takes notice. While this is certainly true about our individual lives, it applies even more to our lives together in the Church. The impact of a congregation that lives a culture of peace where grace is breathed to each other and to outsiders, especially in the midst of conflict, provides a compelling witness to the watching world.

This workshop will show how the Christian & Missionary Alliance has developed and implemented a denomination-wide model for peacemaking that has trained 386 conciliation coaches and 48 mediators in local churches and districts who are available to assist church members and leaders in resolving conflicts quickly and personally. The prompt and effective assistance of these “in-house” volunteer conciliators has proven to prevent many personal and church conflicts from escalating into consuming disputes, divorces, church splits or pastoral burnout. The workshop will also explore ways that your district, presbytery or denomination can implement a similar training model and develop your own network of volunteer conciliators. The opportunities for God-honoring changes to the conflict culture of our churches are virtually limitless and consequently, so are the opportunities for a skeptical world to see that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.

Speaker: Rick Stein

In this workshop we will provide an introduction to the key principles of conflict coaching and mediation and show how they have been used to resolve conflicts and reconcile people in churches, ministries, mission teams and Christian owned businesses.

Providing biblical care and counseling for hurting marriages is a tremendous privilege. Yet, what anyone who has ever come alongside a hurting couple knows, this is not for the faint of heart. In this seminar, we will learn primary ways relational wisdom can be a useful tool in marriage counseling. Applying RW principles to the counselor, the husband, and the wife can enrich each person’s experience. In this way, important conversations and hopeless situations become opportunities for the power and grace of God to be put on display.

Although the world and many Christians view church discipline as being judgmental and punitive, the Bible teaches that church discipline, appropriately administered, is a redemptive “rescue mission” that graciously draws straying Christians back to a right relationship with God and other people. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the typical misconceptions and pitfalls of church discipline, such as divisions in the local church and community, and legal risks. We will then set forth the ways that discipline can be carried out in a gospel-centered, redemptive and legally prudent manner.

(This is the same workshop listed in the RW Shepherd section) In this workshop we will use actual case studies to provide an introduction to the key principles of conflict coaching and mediation and show how they have been used to resolved conflicts and reconcile people in churches, ministries, mission teams and Christian owned businesses.

In this workshop we will walk through the resources and procedures RW360 has developed to enable churches, ministries, mission teams and Christian owned businesses to recruit, training and manage their own in-house Peace Sower Teams. 

Every speaker and leader wants his or her content to lead to changed lives, but far too often we settle for conveying information rather than aiming at transformation. What is a transformational learning context? Could it be that the way we are presenting our material undermines the very goals we have in preparing it? Come join us for this seminar as we look at themes related to “desirable difficulty” and “subversive spirituality” in our teaching, combining the best of modern pedagogical theory with ancient Biblical wisdom.

In this workshop Dr. David Mason will be presenting real life experiences of using RW360 training in the public square. Learn how Dr. Mason has used RW360 to impact his community with practical presentations and applications of RW360 in military, educational and business settings. Dr. Mason teaches the practical, not the theoretical application.  Relational Wisdom benefits ANY setting where individuals work together, as a team.

Speaker: David Mason

The RW model of coaching will be presented through a case study and small group work, exploring how you can use this approach to help other people learn a variety of relational skills.

Listening well is a crucial competency that all successful coaches possess. We will present the elements of effective listening and provide opportunities for practice through hands-on exercises.

Asking good questions is a critical requirement of effective coaching and can be harder than it looks. We’ll share tips regarding how to know which questions work well and provide opportunities to practice asking questions that heighten awareness during in-class exercises.

Healthcare, cultural and political events in 2020 have spilled into 2021 with a vengeance, triggering an enormous increase in personal, family, church, employment, and legal conflicts. These events have also created an enormous need for the relationship-healing and conflict-resolving principles of relational wisdom, biblical peacemaking and Christian conciliation. This workshop will describe strategies and resources that you can use to magnify the impact of social media, blogs, personal conversations, free introductory presentations, continuing education credits and strategic networking to generate new opportunities to provide training and conciliation services in both Christian and secular venues.

A person seeking power and control can exploit our peace-seeking strategies to their advantage. So, when coercive control is present, we will need to change how we engage with those under our care. We will build upon what we learned in the general session about an oppressor’s mentality and apply it to abusive marriages so that you can wisely set ministry priorities. 

A typical conciliation process assumes a neutral equal relationship between parties and a mediator. However, in complex cases, mutuality may be impossible to foster if power dynamics are not assessed wisely and stewarded lovingly. A Christian conciliator must learn to intentionally and consciously hold power for the flourishing of the vulnerable. Together, we will explore the stewardship of a conciliator’s power, learn how to detect power imbalances in complex cases, and adopt best practices for navigating abuses of power. This course will be a combination of a lecture, brief case studies, and small group discussions. 

The more people involved in a conflict, the more complicated the conciliation process becomes. These two workshops will provide a foundation for addressing many of the unique challenges and opportunities of conciliating group conflicts, whether they involve a church, non-profit, business, multi-party legal dispute or an extended family. Topics will include initial assessments to determine suitability of conciliation, interviews, identifying subgroups and factions, special teaching and homework, caucuses and joint meetings. (These two workshops are interdependent, so workshop #1 is a prerequisite to attending workshop #2).

Ever feel hopeless and helpless as you strive to live at peace within your family? Who hasn’t? Corlette will share how biblical peacemaking and relational wisdom have given her and her family a “track to run on” in the midst of relational challenges. The Sande’s have navigated the many seasons of life ranging from Ken’s growing and demanding ministry responsibilities, Megan and Jeff’s early childhood and teen years and Corlette’s zealous approach to homeschooling. Each season was filled with many joys, as well as countless opportunities to “practice what they preached!”

Dave Mikulsky (Certified RW Instructor), and Jim Valentine (Retired Law Enforcement Officer/Supervisor) will lead an interactive discussion regarding the application of Relational Wisdom 3.0 for the Law Enforcement community. As these articles show, Law Enforcement is under siege like never before. With record numbers of officers leaving, rising suicide and divorce, relational wisdom and peacemaking are needed now more than ever, both on and off the job.

In this workshop Dave and Jim will discuss how RW principles, such as Hard Skills/Soft Skills, Neurology of Emotions, and the RW Paradigm with Acrostics, can better equip those in Law Enforcement for the increasing demands of their profession.

Dave and Jim will also present and demonstrate how Certified RW Instructors can work with Retired officers and or Chaplains, using a special version of Exploring Relational Wisdom 3.0 (Values-Based) for Law Enforcement.

This workshop will present a process used by an actual small group, consisting of both Black and White men and women, to increase understanding and support and seek to resolve tensions in response to racial issues and events. The use of Biblical and Relational Wisdom principles and processes will be discussed as critical components in addressing cross-ethnic concerns to increase unity.

This workshop will enable you to gain an increased awareness of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by blended families. It will also equip you to guide families (and relatives) in resolving conflicts and managing the life changes that accompany divorce, remarriage and moving into new stimulating but also complicated relationships. This training will be of value to those who live in blended families as well as those who assist or interact with blended families, including counselors, conflict coaches and mediators.

This presentation will demonstrate the use of RW techniques in individual and group counseling settings. Consistent with and building on such therapies at CBT, DBT, and ACT, the presenter will review the clinical indications and applications of the skills outlined in the RW Seminar Curriculum. Participants will learn the relevant clinical themes and the “client-friendly”

interventions to engage individual clients and group members. Drawing from case examples and group development from his private practice, the speaker will use role-plays, handouts, and verbatim scripts to illustrate the benefits and the practical use of RW with clients. A model for an “RW Skills Group” will be outlined and differentiated from other types of counseling and coaching groups. This presentation will equip counselors and coaches to bring RW from concept to context to techniques, “from the podium to the pavement,” so clients learn a personal Christian theology to build healthy relationships and pursue and live a life worth living.