For EldersAugust/2006

Inside• Called to Covenant and

the Ministry of CrisisIntervention

• Called to Covenant Chapter4: Called to Care 2The Ministry of CrisisIntervention by Presbyteries

• Called to Covenant —Resource BookPrimary Resources forChapter 4

• Print Resources aboutCongregational Conflict

Writers: Dorothy Henderson, Don Muir, Editorial Assistance: Keith KnightThe Presbyterian Church in Canada, 2006

50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7 telephone 416-441-1111 toll-free 1-800-619-7301 fax 416-441-2825www.presbyterian.ca

The Presbyterian Church in CanadaL’Église presbytérienne au Canada

August, 2006

Dear Co-Elders,

I once met a man who told me that he and his wife of 46 years had never had a “crossword” in their entire marriage. I smiled…but, inside my head, I said a very loud “HA!”

Who has not experienced conflict…in our families, with our friends and even in ourchurch?

In itself, conflict isn’t bad, but sometimes how we handle conflict can turn out very badly,indeed. Because we don’t know what to do or are uncomfortable with conflict, it is easyto use one of these unhelpful approaches—ignore, suppress, resist, react, explode. Unlesswe handle conflict wisely, it can escalate into something ugly which drives people awayfrom our churches.

In a way, conflict is a useful lens to help us see what people really care about. As sociolo-gist Georg Simmel points out, “the opposite of conflict is not peace but indifference.(Conflict: The Web of Group Affiliations) Conflict only arises when people care deeplyabout and are committed to each other and the congregation. Conflict can have a posi-tive outcome and be seen as a sign of vitality. So—if it helps you put a positive spin onconflict—when you hear someone arguing, remember to ask, “What is this important mat-ter they are addressing?”

In this issue of For Elders co-author Don Muir and I take a peek at conflict and offersome summer reading which will help you expand your awareness around conflict.

It is our hope that your new understanding will help you think about how decisions aremade, how conflicts help to define goals, clear the air, reaffirm commitment and get onwith the business of being Christ’s people.

Best wishes,

Dorothy HendersonOffice of Christian Education and Ministry with Children, Youth and FamiliesThe Presbyterian Church in Canada

Since we live in a world of unwanted computer spam and paper “junkmail” invading our homes, it is easy for us to overlook the truly helpfulinformation that comes our way. One valuable resource that may lie buriedunder a stack of paper or have been filed and forgotten is a PresbyterianChurch in Canada resource entitled Called To Covenant. Published in 2004,this valuable resource should have a conveniently located home in everycongregation of our denomination.

As the name suggests, Called to Covenant reminds us that we, asPresbyterian Christians, live in covenantal relationships with each other.It identifies the covenantal relationship that links together presbytery,congregation and minister in a pastoral manner. The congregation calls aminister. The congregation and minister covenant, to work together inministry. The presbytery, meanwhile, oversees this relationship andcovenants to provide for the wellbeing of ministers and congrega-tions under its care.

Called to Covenant is comprised of two books. The first (36 pages)covers the following topics.

Chapter 1 Called to Covenant:The Biblical and Theological Basis for Call and

Covenant

Chapter 2 Called to Care (1):The Ministry of Regular Pastoral Oversight by

Presbyteries

Chapter 3 Called to Be and Do:The Ministry of Congregational Planning

Chapter 4 Called to Care (2):The Ministry of Crisis Intervention by Presbyteries

Afterward Called to Covenant:Strengthening Congregation-Presbytery Relationships

The second book (72 pages) is a collection of resources meant to support and augment the first.

Dealing with molehills before they become mountains:

At a recent meeting of presbytery and synod clerks, a clerk was heard to comment on the time,energy and money spent “putting out fires” in the presbytery. Because “fires” happen within ses-sions, congregations and presbyteries, this For Elders issue specifically draws attention to interven-tion information outlined in chapter 4 of Called to Covenant. It is hoped that when sessionsknow about the options available within presbyteries, that at least some conflicted situations canbe dealt with before they escalate to levels more difficult to manage.

The following is a brief summary of chapter 4. Please consult the books themselves for moredetail. Copies are available through The Book Room at 50 Wynford Dr. for $12.00 plus GST.

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Called to Covenant and the Ministry of Crisis Intervention

We, thoughmany, are onebody in Christ,

and individuallymembers of one

another.Romans 12:5

Introduction:In The Presbyterian Church in Canada, the care of congregations and ministers belongsto the presbytery. This role gives the presbytery the duty and authority to interveneand assist congregations that are experiencing “barriers to the way ahead”.

Effective intervention by the presbytery is greatly enhanced when a trusting rela-tionship exists between congregation and presbytery. When the presbytery-congre-gation relationship is strong the guidance of the presbytery tends to be moreappropriate and more readily received. Developing a good relationship during non-anxious times will help lay a solid foundation of trust for ministry needed duringanxious times. Chapter 2 of this book describes ways to foster such a relationship.

The presbytery can equip itself to provide helpful intervention by:

a) Identifying Human ResourcesInterveners need skills that are similar to those required for interim ministry.A list of these skills is provided in the book on page 29.

Interveners may be recruited from within the presbytery, from a congregation,from a neighbouring presbytery, the synod, or another denomination.

b) Developing Human ResourcesThe presbytery should seek to supply the intervention team with whatevertraining is needed to accomplish the task set before them. Trainers may bebrought in from beyond the bounds of the presbytery or relevant books andother resources could be supplied. Intervention teams may themselves alsorequire pastoral care since intervention can be an emotionally and spirituallydraining experience.

c) Ensuring an Open and Informative ProcessThe presbytery should ensure that the intervention process is open and thatclear communication with the congregation and the presbytery is maintained.

d) Carrying Out an InterventionThe book outlines three intervention strategies. (See pages 30 – 33)

A) BridgebuilderB) MediationC) A Process for Congregational Turning Points

Naturally, the congregation helps prepare itself for intervention by beingopen to the Spirit of God and the possibility of reconciliation.

Implementing Church-Wide StrategiesThe chapter concludes by exploring some ways that the denomination could assistand equip congregations and presbyteries for the work of intervention.

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Called to CovenantChapter 4: Called to Care 2

The Ministry of Crisis Intervention by Presbyteries

When you explore the Called to Covenant Resource Book, you will discover thefollowing resources specifically chosen to support crisis intervention ministries.

1. Consultants and Resource and Training Centres for Conflict Resolution (pp 62-63)A list of possible contacts is provided.

2. Framework for Understanding Conflict (pp 64-65)The following subjects are outlined:

Dimensions, sources or roots of conflictInterventions to deal with conflictProblems to manage: polarities

3. Levels of Conflict (p 66)Five levels of conflict are listed with recommended interventions described

4. Mediation (pp 67-68)The following subjects are briefly outlined.

What is mediation?The goals of mediation.The role of the mediator.The process of mediation.When is mediation appropriate?When is mediation inappropriate?

Session Discussion: 1. Talk about the relationship your church has with the presbytery.

What could the presbytery do to improve the relationship? What could the congregation do to improve the relationship?

2. Review the levels of conflict listed in the Resource Book on page 66. What levels of conflict, if any, has your congregation experienced? Is it possible that some members of the congregation are at one level of con-flict while others are at a different level of conflict over the same issue?

3. Discuss how the presbytery has been, or could be, helpful in dealing withconflict in your congregation.

4. If there is a conflicted situation happening in your congregation, what stepscould be taken to deal with it?

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Called to Covenant—Resource BookPrimary Resources for Chapter 4

Behavioral Covenants in Congregations: A Handbook for Honoring Differences

Gilbert R. Rendle, Author, Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 1999.

This book offers congregations an approach to managing their differ-ences with maturity and respect. Rendle discusses the behaviouralcovenant as a useful approach to answering a key question: “How willwe behave when we don’t understand each other and when we don’tagree?” A written document developed and agreed to by leaders andcreators, the behavioural covenant is a set of promises to practice theGolden Rule in clearly identified ways. The book provides modules fordeveloping behavioural covenants in various group settings. Among thebook’s additional resources are examples of covenants for congrega-tions during troubling times.

Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach

Peter L. Steinke, Author. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 1996.

Steinke argues that the congregation is best understood as a system andthat the most effective ways to nurture congregational health is by shift-ing the focus from single individuals or issues to the way the congrega-tion functions as a whole. Steinke also discusses the ten principles ofhealth, the “wheel of well being,” and how anxiety can affect a congrega-tion. He highlights the crucial role that leaders play in congregationalfunctioning. With illustrations from congregational life, as well as discus-sion questions at the end of each chapter, this book will be useful forstudy by clergy or lay persons responsible for the health of a congrega-tion.

How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregation as

Emotional Systems

Peter L. Steinke, Author. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 1993.

Steinke applies family systems thinking to guide the reader from a“micro” view of congregational relationship to a “macro” view. Drawingon biblical stories and contemporary congregational scenarios, PeterSteinke clearly articulates our interrelatedness and its inevitable potentialto produce anxiety and other emotions. He urges readers to recognizethat the anxiety inherent in interrelatedness provides opportunities forchange and growth. He encourages leaders to be “self-differentiated,” orin responsible and responsive relationship that neither diminish theirown integrity or the integrity of others. The book offers helpful exam-ples of congregational problems and resolutions.

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Print Resources about Congregational Conflict

Moving Your Church Through Conflict (DownloadableResource; see link below)

Speed B. Leas, Author. Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute,1996.

Moving Your Church Through Conflict presents a step-by-stepapproach to conflict resolution. Speed Leas describes the esca-lating levels of severity in congregational conflicts: “problemsto solve” (level 1); “disagreements” (level 2); “contest” (level 3);“fight/flight” (level 4); and “intractable situations” (level 5). Healso recommends appropriate strategies for addressing eachlevel, acknowledging that at times the most appropriateresponse is to seek outside help. Aimed at congregational lead-ers who find themselves facing real differences (not simplymisunderstandings), this classic is essential reading for congre-gations seeking to understand and resolve conflicts. Availablefor download athttp://www.alban.org/BookDetails.asp?ID=1751.

Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior

Arthur Paul Boers, Author, Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 1999.

Dealing with difficult behaviour is challenging in any situation, but faith communi-ties are especially vulnerable to being overwhelmed and dominated by the tensionsthat result. Difficult people can hold a congregation hostage because the communi-ty may not consider it “loving” to call the destructive individual toaccount. Arthur Boers offers a global approach to managing such situ-ations by applying family systems theory. Boers has found that prob-lems arising out of difficult behaviour should not be approached in alinear way, but should involve looking at the behaviour of the groupas a whole. Change must occur in everyone, not only the “difficult”one. The bibliography cites many related resources.

Understanding Your Congregation as a System: The Manual

George Parsons, Speed B. Leas, Authors. Herndon, VA: The AlbanInstitute, 1993.

In this application of systems theory, congregational leaders can explore the forcesat work and examine their systemic implications in six key areas: strategy, process,pastoral and law leadership, authority, relatedness, and learning. The manual pro-vides an overview of systems theory, complete instructions for administering andscoring the Congregational Systems Inventory (available separately), and guidancefor interpreting and explaining the inventory results through the examination ofsample scores. One focus of the book is to help congregations live in the tensionbetween stability and change by encouraging adaptation to demographic and devel-opmental changes without incurring too much stress and conflict.

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Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.

William Bridges, New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1991.

This book describes how successful organizational change takes place when partici-pants have a mental picture, a plan for, and a part to play in that change. It alsoprovides step-by-step strategies for reaching this goal and minimizing the disrup-tions caused by the change.

Called to Covenant: Strengthening Congregation-Presbytery

Relationships.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 2004.

Chapters 1 (Biblical and Theological Basis for Call and Covenant) and4 (Ministry of Crisis Intervention by Presbyteries) are particularly help-ful around conflict. This document is available for download online atthe Ministry & Church Vocations department of The PresbyterianChurch in Canada website:http://www.presbyterian.ca/mcv/index.html.

Called to Covenant Companion Resource Book, 2004. See especiallyp. 70 for books that focus on interpersonal relationships by HarrietGoldhor Lerner.

Available through the

Email them at bookroom@presbyterian.ca.

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