Conflict Transformation

Longing to Belong:
Conflict Transformation:

is a Biblical process designed to equip congregations to navigate through various stages of life and ministry including the inevitable conflict.

Conflict, or Storming, is natural, inevitable, and essential to our life and ministry together. However, many believers and congregations do not know how to navigate safely through these Storms in ways that will strengthen, and not destroy, our relationships and ministry.

The signature ministry of Plowpoint, Longing to Belong, is based on the book, Longing to Belong: Learning to Relate as the Body of Christ by Beth Crissman. This book, in its third printing and second edition, is a Plowpoint best-seller. Churches across the United States and literally around the world are using it to teach congregations the healthy way to transform conflict.

Plowpoint offers congregations a model for transforming conflict through a distinct process.
At the completion of the Longing to Belong process, participants will have:

• A clear understanding of the role and importance of healthy conflict in all relationships.
• A clear Biblical understanding of what it means to belong to Jesus Christ and to the Body of Christ, His Church.
• Essential Biblical skills needed to navigate safely and effectively through conflict.
• A Biblical context to create an environment of confession and forgiveness among believers.
• Essential functional and relational boundaries to protect the integrity of relationships and ministry together.
• An understanding of the practice of Christian conferencing through which key issues can be identified.
• The identification of and Biblical responses to key obstacles that must be overcome to move forward in ministry together.

The on-site process takes place over three three-day weekends, i.e., Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evening or Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday and can include the following:

• On-site Longing to Belong workshop. The facilitator will lead the six-hour workshop based on the core teaching from Longing to Belong: Learning to Relate as the Body of Christ by Beth Crissman.
• Following the Longing to Belong workshop, Plowpoint will facilitate the group in establishing a Congregational Relational Covenant and then facilitate Christian Conferencing (or storytelling sessions) to identify key issues to be addressed by the church’s leadership to lead the church forward effectively.
• Fifteen copies of Longing to Belong.
• Assessments and coaching for the pastor. Plowpoint will provide one-on-one coaching with the pastor utilizing assessments to optimize the effectiveness of the pastor to lead the congregation through various stages of ministry.
• Coaching and training with key lay leadership to equip and empower to address key issues and lead the congregation in the “right next steps” to claim God’s promising future for the congregation.
• Final report summarizing the process, key findings, and recommendations by Plowpoint.