Virtual Church Conflict: Workshop, Manchester

A workshop training day for people in church leadership

King’s House Conference Centre, Manchester

A challenge

In the thirty years since the internet was launched, electronic media have taken over the way human beings communicate. One result is that email and (more recently) social networking have become an everyday part of church life. There are huge benefits, but there are problems too. Misunderstanding and offence can always spring up where communication is careless, but now disagreements in church life have a whole new face. Churches have bitter experience of the damage done by ill-considered emails and social media postings — which can be the spark that lights a fire, or the fuel that helps stoke it up.

This all presents challenges — both spiritual and practical — for people in pastoral leadership. How to model and encourage wise use of written words? How to respond to conflicts that seem to spring up out of nowhere? What policies or systems to adopt as conflict-prevention measures? What biblical insights to draw on?

Want to be better equipped?

This workshop offers theological principles and also frameworks for good practice. It is designed for people who are part of a church’s leadership group (e.g. a staff team, ministry team, eldership, diaconate, church council), especially those with pastoral responsibility. As with all Bridge Builders’ training, the aim is to encourage and equip.

Programme

Running from 9.30am to 4.30pm, the programme includes worship, presentations, case-studies and hands-on skills training.

• Review your own use of electronic communication, and devise a personal list of dos and don’ts
• See how inappropriate communication may be part of a wider pattern of behaviour
• Add to your tool-kit of possible responses
• Plan how to help your church explore the whole business of responsible electronic communication

Click on the following link to download full information about the day: Virtual Church Conflict – Manchester, 8 Feb 2017

Trainer

Colin Patterson is Assistant Director of Bridge Builders, and an Anglican priest. He has worked as a training officer for the Diocese of Durham, is an experienced adult educator, and is author of the Grove booklet How to Learn Through Conflict and a contributor to 101 Great Ideas for Growing Healthy Churches.

Venue

King’s House Conference Centre, Sidney Street, Manchester. The King’s House Conference Centre is in the centre of Manchester, a 6-minute walk from Oxford Road railway station and a 10-minute walk from the St Peter’s Square metro-link tram stop. Nearest all-day parking is at NCP, Chester Street.

Cost

The cost of the workshop is £65 per person, payable in full at the time of booking. This includes training materials, refreshments and a simple buffet lunch.

Booking

Please add your ticket to the cart below. Cancellations before 29 January 2017 will receive a 50% refund. Thereafter no refund will be provided. Please see our terms and conditions.

If no more places are available and you would like to be added to a waiting list, please contact the office on 020 8883 3033 or email bb@bbministries.org.uk.

Please note: If a third party (eg. Diocese) is paying for your ticket, please book using your own name and contact details. Select direct bank transfer as the payment option and you will receive an order confirmation containing bank details. You can either pay directly, or forward the order confirmation to the third party for payment.

If you have previously attended a Bridge Builders course and experience any difficulty logging into our website, please contact the office on 020 8883 3033.