This course in Church Leadership and Family Systems at the London Mennonite Centre is designed to enhance the ability of participants to function as mature leaders within their churches. It will provide a safe forum for processing challenging situations in ministry, while also facilitating reflection on a way of thinking about the human condition which has implications for all aspects of life. Following successful courses since 2005, Bridge Builders is pleased to continue to offer the course in 2009.

What can you do when a relationship between fellow Christians is strained? While you can pray for them, you may also be in a position to bring them together to try to overcome the tensions. If your training with Bridge Builders has given you an appetite for practical peace-making, and you want to be equipped to mediate between individuals, then the Mediating Interpersonal Conflicts course is for you.

Christians in Britain (and across western culture) are facing profound challenges and fresh opportunities. The long era of Christendom is coming to an end. We now live in a plural society, with multiple religious options alongside secular assumptions, in which Christianity has largely lost its position of dominance and privilege. Although we seem to be declining in numbers and influence, this new environment offers many new possibilities - if we have the courage and imagination to grasp them.

Crucible is a training programme for Christians with courage and imagination. It assumes:

“The Anabaptist vision of the Kingdom is a vision whose time has come.” (Gregory Boyd, mega-church pastor, 2008)

“We need a form of Christian faith that is holistic, integral and balanced…We so desperately need, as we move into this emerging culture, to learn to live a life of Christ instead of just going to church. Anabaptists know more about this than the rest of us.” (Brian McLaren, emerging church leader, 2007)

Western culture often seems awash in vengeance. And many Christians lead the way. Numerous surveys in the United States indicate that the more people go to church, the more likely they are to support the death penalty and torture. Does it have to be this way? Since the addiction to vengeance seems in part to be theologically grounded, perhaps a fresh reading of the Bible will provide an antidote.

This week of advanced training is for those wanting to extend their foundation training with Bridge Builders. The course provides follow-on training to equip people to work with church groups facing conflict.

CPT provides training for Peacemaker Corps applicants to give skilled, courageous support to peacemakers working locally in situations of violent conflict. An intensive, integrated, 4 week training course involves participants in action, reflection, and practice of a variety of peacemaking skills:

• Biblical Basis for Nonviolence
• Spirituality and Faith for Peacemaking
• Public Witness and Nonviolent Direct Action
• Negotiation & Conflict Transformation Skills
• Ministry of Presence -- Listening, Observation, Documentation

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a new training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church, and also for other Christians who want to deal better with conflict.

Attend this training course if you want to:
• Develop new skills for handling conflict
• Give time to personal growth as part of a worshipping community
• Be part of a movement that is changing the culture of the church

See Peace School website for further details:
www.peaceschool.org.uk

Christians across western culture are facing profound challenges and fresh opportunities. The long era of ‘Christendom’ is coming to an end. We now live in a plural society, with multiple religious options alongside the prevailing secular assumptions, in which Christianity has lost its position of dominance and privilege and churches are on the margins of society. Although we seem to be declining in numbers and influence, this context offers many new possibilities – if we have the courage and imagination to grasp them..

Questions about life-style and ‘green’ issues abound in our media. The Bible encourages sustainable living as we are called to be stewards of creation. The Mennonite Church has encouraged congregations and individuals towards living this out as well as funding exemplar projects and ministries to demonstrate this practically. How do we make this more fully our story – and then share it with others.

Do you want to be able to share with others some of the new insights about conflict that you have encountered through your training with Bridge Builders? If so, then this is the course you have been waiting for!

We warmly invite you to our leaf raking and open house at the LMC.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where did that come from?” in meetings, then don’t miss this chance to explore the power of feelings in a group. This event is run as part of the regular programme of the Bridge Builders Network, but is open to anyone interested in transforming the way churches respond to conflict. (Download flier here)

!!!Event postponed due to publication delays. Please check this site for a new date!!!
To celebrate the arrival of the fifth book in the After Christendom series, Worship and Mission after Christendom by Alan and Eleanor Kreider, the Anabaptist Network has organised two seminars – one in the north of England, one in the south.

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a new training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church, and also for other Christians who want to deal better with conflict.

Attend this training course if you want to:

•Develop new skills for handling conflict
•Give time to personal growth as part of a worshipping community
•Be part of a movement that is changing the culture of the church

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christian leaders often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Senior Church Leaders is a training course for those in positions of oversight in the church. The five-day course is focussed on conflict in church settings, and is run by the Bridge Builders team whose training work has been acclaimed by many church leaders. As a senior leader, you will want to attend this training course if you are looking to:

• Develop new skills for handling and transforming conflict

This Body & Soul weekend explores and develops key themes:

Spirit and Freedom
- life in the Spirit as the source of ethical living
Truth and Life
- case studies, biblical interpretation and choices
Discovering Values
- values-based Christian ethics
Living Towards Believing
- seeking life choices that point towards truth
Sex, gender and difference
- the diversity of human gender identity
Sex, orientation and debate
- questions, experience and homosexuality
Sex, marriage and divorce
- exploring human sexual relationships

Following the success of several Cross-Currents film and spirituality weekends, several participants have got together to continue in 2010!

Films: we will watch about 5 films together and have a quiz on the Saturday afternoon. There will also be some time for relaxation! There is also the possibility of going to see a sixth firm after lunch on the Sunday at a local cinema (either the Odeon at Muswell Hill or the Phoenix Cinema at east Finchley). This will depend on what's showing at the time.

Rooms available (including all meals and drinks):

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a new training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church, and also for other Christians who want to deal better with conflict. Attend this training course if you want to:

• Develop new skills for handling conflict
• Give time to personal growth as part of a worshipping community
• Be part of a movement that is changing the culture of the church

This course in Church Leadership and Family Systems at the London Mennonite Centre is designed to enhance the ability of participants to function as mature leaders within their churches. It provides a safe forum for processing challenging situations in ministry, while also facilitating reflection on a way of thinking about the human condition which has implications for all aspects of life. Following successful courses since 2005, Bridge Builders is pleased to continue to offer the course in 2010.

What can you do when a relationship between fellow Christians is strained? While you can pray for them, you may also be in a position to bring them together to try to overcome the tensions. If your training with Bridge Builders has given you an appetite for practical peace-making, and you want to be equipped to mediate between individuals, then the Mediating Interpersonal Conflicts course is for you.

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a new training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church, and also for other Christians who want to deal better with conflict. Attend this training course if you want to:
• Develop new skills for handling conflict
• Give time to personal growth as part of a worshipping community
• Be part of a movement that is changing the culture of the church

This is the first opportunity to gather together representatives from the various groups that have joined the new Anabaptist network of communities and Anabaptist network of organisations. We hope that you will join us and that you will invite several others from your community or organisation to come too.

Below is the programme for the day, which includes two meals and plenty of time for conversation and making connections. There will be a bookstall and resource area, so please do bring along any resources or display material that others might find helpful.

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church, and also for other Christians who want to deal better with conflict. Attend this training course if you want to:
• Develop new skills for handling conflict
• Give time to personal growth as part of a worshipping community
• Be part of a movement that is changing the culture of the church

Do you want to be able to share with others some of the new insights about conflict that you have encountered through your training with Bridge Builders? If so, then this is the Training of Trainers course you have been waiting for!

All welcome

11:00 Leaf Raking (bring gardening gloves and rakes)
13:00 Soup and Bread

14:30 Annual Christmas Party & Open House
Fun and Festive
The Future of the LMC (Jeremy Thomson, Chair of LMC Trust)
Christmas Carols
Tea and Christmas Cookies

RSVP by 1st December hosts at menno.org.uk
or phone 0845 4500 214 / 020 8340 8775

Download a pdf to print out

Course is now full (6/12/2010)
Waitlisting available upon request, please apply for alternative Transforming Church Conflict courses

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christians often feel ill-prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Leaders is a training course intended for those in leadership positions in the church who want to deal better with conflict. We encourage you to attend this training course if you want to:
• Develop new skills for handling conflict

Conflict is normal and inevitable – but Christian leaders often feel ill prepared to handle conflict in the church. Transforming Church Conflict: A Foundation Course for Senior Church Leaders is a training course for those in positions of oversight in the church. The five-day course is focussed on conflict in church settings, and is run by the Bridge Builders team whose training work has been acclaimed by many church leaders. As a senior leader,you will want to attend this training course if you are looking to:
· Develop new skills for handling and transforming conflict

Friday, March 25 until Sunday, March 27, 2011, the very first semiofficial CPT Europe Regional Convergence will be held in Berlin. This will give the growing CPT presence in Europe a chance to (re)connect, conspire, (re)act, and reflect. You are invited.

This is a great chance to connect with the growing movement of Christian Peacemakers around Europe and hear stories from project work in Palestine, Colombia, Iraq and Canada (working with First Nations communities).

TRAVEL NEWS: USE BANK BRANCH OF THE NORTHERN LINE. Charing Cross to Camden Town is closed this weekend!