Whether you want to change the world in big ways, or just be able to have deeper relationships with people who don’t think like you, conversation is the key. And yet, especially these days, conversations quickly get stuck—entrenched into our own small worldviews, assured we are right in our thinking. While we all like to think that we are  tolerant of a wide variety of views, we have our limits, and frankly we fall into the same judgmental attitudes and behaviors that we see at every turn. “If she would only listen!” “How can they be so blind?” These thoughts pervade my thinking when I’m not careful to notice them, and to correct myself. All Dakotas Conference clergy are strongly encouraged to attend this four-session conflict resolution worshop from Leaderwise to explore ways to effective engage in dialogue with everyone. 

LeaderWise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 to provide counseling and consulting for lives of service. It is a mission-driven organization with 50 years' experience providing psychological and leadership development resources to individuals and organizations.  

Originally charged to serve the Upper Midwest, LeaderWise has expanded its work throughout North America. LeaderWise comprises an expansive team of educators and consultants from a variety of disciplines (counseling psychologist, clinical social workers, spiritual directors, leadership development consultants, educators) and cultural backgrounds

This workshop is specifically designed to provide church leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to address, manage, and resolve conflict in a healthy and effective manner.  Participants will learn about conflict management styles, including their own default style, what the other styles look like, and how to grow in their ability to use and understand different conflict management styles.  Other components of the workshop will include learning how family of origin influences one’s attitudes about conflict, plus strategies for responding to conflict in the moment, opportunities for prayer, reflection, worship, and much more.

The workshop leader is Mary Kay Duchene. She is a leadership coach and consultant, facilitator, teacher, and strategist with more than 30 years of experience in management, leadership development, marketing, and business management and development. Mary Kay is also a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). 

A leadership consultant at LeaderWise, Mary Kay is committed to developing leadership excellence in faith communities. In addition to coaching, consulting with, and teaching individual leaders, she also develops teams toward achieving high performance and offers vision and strategy facilitation to leadership teams.

During the course , held in four sessions, we will first look at our own "stuff" that we bring to polarized conversations, connect more deeply the values and purpose that are behind our convictions, and then learn how to have a conversation with another person that comes from that place of purpose (internal motivation) rather than our (unfortunate but always there) needs to be right, or righteous, or whatever hook exists for each of us.

The conflict resolution strategies are based on the book, Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World, by Jason J. Jay and Gabriel Grant. Breaking through Gridlock has become an initiative across organizations and higher eduction with serveral resources. Access resources.

Please make plans to join now for the four sessions in 2021 on January 14, February 11, March 11 and April 8, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.—1:30 p.m., central time, 10:00 a.m. —12:30 p.m. mountain time.

Register here