The Diocese of Los Angeles is inviting all its members into a Season of Reconciliation — beginning with workshops facilitated by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center during April and May. All are encouraged to attend the regional workshops planned on the topics of “Healthy Congregations” and “Conflict in the Church: Entrusted with the Message of Reconciliation.”
Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy notes that everyone involved in ministry, both clergy and laypersons, can benefit from the sessions. Workshops are designed for clergy, church staff, lay leaders – all members of congregations in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Anyone interested in enhancing his or her capacity to manage self in a non-anxious, mature ways in the midst of church conflict is also invited to participate.
Workshop leaders include Richard Blackburn, executive director of Lombard Mennonite Peace Center in Lombard, Illinois, a trainer and mediator with broad experience in serving as a consultant to conflicted church systems. He has participated in Dr. Edwin Friedman’s Postgraduate Clergy Seminar in Family Emotional Process.
“This intentional process has arisen in response to the challenges we’ve faced as a diocesan family over the recent Newport Beach property dispute,” said Susan Russell — All Saints Senior Associate for Communication. “But the benefits of doing this work together on systemic issues of congregational health and conflict management transcend the specific issues around Saint James and offer us a collective opportunity to learn from and with each other.”
Full details and online registration are here for the sessions, which begin with an evening session preceding a 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. daylong session.
Registration deadline for Workshop 1 (Healthy Congregations) is April 5.
Deadline for Workshop 2 (Conflict in the Church) is May 3.
Repeating Healthy Congregations workshops are set for:
April 18 – 19 at St. Alban’s, Westwood;
April 20 – 21 at St. Michael & All Angels, Studio City;
May 11-12 at St. Andrew’s Torrance.
Repeating Conflict in the Church workshops are scheduled for:
May 18 – 19 at Trinity, Orange;
May 30 – 31 at St. Mark’s, Altadena;
June 8 – 9 at Epiphany, Oak Park.
