Managing Conflict in the Church

by Kale, David W.

• ISBN13: 9780834119376
• ISBN10: 0834119374
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-01
• Publisher: Foundry Pub the

Summary

A music minister resigns from his church because several board members threaten to have him removed if he doesn't return to a traditional worship style. Several people stop tithing in protest when their church decides to spend money on a new gym rather than a new fellowship hall. As a church starts a second service to accommodate their growing congregation, thirty members leave because they want to start a new building project instead.The consequences of unresolved conflict in the church are disastrous. A small argument can grow into a tug-of-war that rips the church apart. From personality conflicts to power politics, the causes of discord in the church are as diverse as the people involved in them. But you can handle the variety of conflicts that you encounter daily if you have a fundamental understanding of the nature of conflict. Managing Conflict in the Church will help you recognize the roots of conflict, develop communication skills to manage conflict, and even learn to transform conflict from an affliction to an asset.

Table of Contents

Preface	5	(7)
Conflict in Action	7	(10)
A Christian View of Healthy Conflict	17	(12)
Sources of Church Conflict	29	(12)
Conflict Levels	41	(10)
Early Warning Signals and Creating Firewalls	51	(12)
The Roles People Play	63	(12)
The Church as a Communication System	75	(12)
Fair Fighting; Dirty Fighting	87	(8)
Communication Skills for Conflict Managers	95	(12)
Mediation	107	(12)
Negotiation	119	(16)
Conflict Resolved	135	(14)
Bibliography	149