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”!

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.

Schedule

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.

Overview

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.

Registration Fee

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.

Trainer

Jay Wittmeyer, Executive Director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, is the facilitator for MSTI. 

Meals & Lodging

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.

Recommended Reading

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.   

Cancellation Policy

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.