Our commitment at Better Together is to help churches build unity across difference for the sake of their mission to the communities in which they live and serve. When churches themselves are places known to navigate disagreement or difference while keeping Christ at the center of what they say and do, and when their love for their communities fuels ecumenical partnerships that focus more on who they love than what they disagree about, we believe churches offer a compelling testimony of the reconciling love of God in Jesus Christ to a watching and wary world.
Living out the witness of the unity of Christ and his reconciling love in a divisive and polarized culture that has impacted all aspects of our communities can be a challenging and exhausting call, especially when people feel stuck or isolated. That’s why we’ve put together a one-day workshop, in partnership with The Colossian Forum, designed to help churches strengthen their congregations and local communities for unity through intentional fellowship and practical training in the area of Christian conflict transformation.
Who would attend the workshop?
The workshop is an excellent opportunity for people who work together in any leadership capacity to
gather another around a shared or renewed commitment to navigate conflict in a way that keeps Christ at the center,
explore five practices that can help to transform conflict from something that usually pulls people apart into something that can bring people together, and
connect with other churches or partner organizations to extend a shared commitment to build unity in the community and invest together in learning ways to strengthen a healthy partnership.
While anyone from the host congregation is welcome to attend, a special invitation might be offered for those who serve on staff, council, and committees. The workshop is also a good opportunity to explore or strengthen relationships with neighboring churches or local partner organizations. The host church is welcome to extend the workshop invitation to additional groups.
Better Together is looking to have a minimum of 20 people attend the workshop, and the maximum is set only by the host church’s scope of invitations and the church’s meeting capacity.
What is the time commitment of the workshop?
It’s recommended to host the workshop on weeknight from 4:00 - 9:00 pm or a Saturday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.