The Space Between Initiative
Leaders in the local church – both clergy and laity – need models, tools, resources, and support for hosting dialogue and providing leadership around divisive issues and points-of-view. We need our churches to transform from thermometers reflecting the divisions in society into thermostats shaping our society into Christ-likeness, through the ministry of reconciliation.
The name The Space Between comes from a prayer out of the Correymeela community in Northern Ireland and is written by Padraig O Tuama.
The Space Between Initiative provides leaders with models, tools, resources, and support for providing leadership around issues and points of view that are dividing our United Methodist Church, local churches, and communities. Currently there are four training opportunities, along with other resources for leaders – clergy and laity - to learn and grow.
This opportunity is good if your church needs practical strategies to live out our role in the reconciliation process.
Mediation Skills Training Institute by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center.
This opportunity is good for a leader who wants to learn the processes, techniques, and concepts needed for all involved parties to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution to a conflict, and move forward with greater appreciation and respect.
This opportunity is for leaders who seek to be trained to lead a 10-week study that trains church and lay leaders to lead participants through practices that help them engage in divisive cultural conflicts in ways that reflect Christ.
Developing and Implementing an Outward Mindset
This opportunity is good for those seeking to learn self-awareness and how to move from a self-focused to an others-focused mindset, learn tools for working in a way that is collaborative, fulfilling, and effective, positively influence others to change address and resolve conflicts.
Other Resources:
- Spirituality of Conflict: Reading Conflict through the Lens of the Gospel
- On Being Civil Conversations Project
- The People’s Supper
- Congregational Resource Guide Collection of Resources on Conflict
- Bridging Differences
- The Growing Edge and Navigating Conflict with Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer
- GCORR Online Course on Implicit Bias: What We Don't Think We Think
- Weave: The Social Fabric Project
Participants in The Space Between Initiative will be connected through Basecamp in order to further explore possibilities, provide encouragement, and continue growth.