Facilitating Across
Differences

It is vitally important that the many difficult conversations taking place in our church communities are not driving us apart, but that the differences we have are listened to with openness and with a desire to understand. Facilitating Across Differences is designed to keep communication from breaking down when talking about polarizing topics that are being discussed at all levels of the synod.

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Participants will learn skills for facilitating charged conversations while staying connected and receptive to passionate members of a conversation. This training is applicable:

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* to race-related conversations in the Network for Dismantling Racism; and

 

* to congregation, presbytery and synod conversations on a wide range of topics.

 

There are 24 spots to be divided among 11 presbyteries. Our hope is that a cohort of at least 2 people per presbytery will participate in this training, and then help share it throughout the presbyteries and Synod of the Sun. (If you are the third person from a presbytery, you will be put on a wait list.)

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The Synod and Presbytery Leaders believe this training is timely and will bear fruit for the Church. To that end, they have invested heavily in the cost of the training to make it available. We want the participants to share in that investment, as well, with a modest registration fee and a commitment to full participation.