Our Purpose

Everything we do as Bridge Builders is geared towards transforming Christian culture – those ways of thinking and acting that are part of the fabric of Christian life, and often go unexamined.

Christian communities do not “do conflict” very well

Peace-making and reconciliation are key ideas in the teaching of Jesus, but in Christian communities they are often a weak element of the culture. So when there is disagreement and tension amongst Christians, they can find themselves struggling.

Bridge Builders Wants to See

Bridge Builders Wants to See local Christian communities that have a Biblically-grounded culture of peace-making, reaching out to offer life to the world.

Christian leaders who model this way of living and foster healthy relationships in the Body of Christ. It’s also great to find people looking on curiously at Christian communities and saying, “So that’s what reconciliation looks like in practice.”

Bridge Builders believes that

Bridge Builders believes that God is saving and recreating the fallen world and its inhabitants through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and through the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.

God has called the Church to be a people with a distinctive way of life expressing the love of God in concrete terms the Church is called to be an authentic sign of the kingdom of God by expressing the reconciling, community-creating love of God.

Practical peace-making and blessing of one’s enemies are core elements of the Christian gospel. These beliefs have found particular expression in the Mennonite tradition of the church, and Mennonite roots have shaped Bridge Builders’ ministry from the outset.

What We Do

The core work of our staff consists of running a training programme and mediation service. We also respond to requests for training and help, including consultancy, facilitation and coaching. We maintain a network, and we share resources and ideas.

Training

Training is the main thing we do:

  • A variety of practical workshops and courses
  • From one-off sessions to five-day residentials and extended programmes
  • Equipping Christians to lead more effectively, especially in the face of tensions and conflict

See what’s coming up on our training calendar >

Responding to requests

We can offer:

  • Tailor-made training or teaching – it can be part of your existing programme, or a conference
  • Support in challenging situations – e.g. coaching for leaders, or inter-personal mediation
  • Facilitation in a variety of settings – e.g. team-building, or making important decisions
  • Advice – e.g. designing processes for discussing difficult issues or building consensus

When our staff are unavailable to provide what you need, we may be able to find people in our network who can.

Sharing resources and ideas

  • The resources section of our web site has a growing collection of articles, reviews, bibliographic references and links
  • We are in touch with first-rate practitioners from the Mennonite Church, who helped to establish Bridge Builders in the early years
  • We aim to share practical experience and a theological basis for conflict transformation

Maintaining a network

  • We are in touch with hundreds of people who have done our training courses
  • Our network gives “added value” to our training programme