Congregational Consultation
Each time I work with a congregation the process is a little different, because the situation is always unique. But there are common elements.
My approach to working with a church has been shaped by my years of experience as a mediator. I have learned that the participants in a mediation will almost always reject a "solution" proposed by the mediator, or will blame the mediator later if the agreed-upon solution doesn't work. So, I like to work as a coach and facilitator, rather than as the "expert". I think the people in the congregation are the expert on themselves and their situation, but I can help them find their answers. That approach does two things - it keeps the responsibility for the "outcome" squarely on the people of the congregation, and it helps the congregation recognize the expertise within.
Specifics about the consultation process
Getting Started with the consultation process
I will conduct interviews and group sessions to help the congregation define:
1. the issues
2. areas of commonality
3. areas that need work
4. priorities for where to begin
Depending on what the needs and priorities are, I might suggest starting with some communication workshops to help the people of the congregation learn to speak to one another in helpful ways. Sometimes there is a sense of urgency about getting right to the issues, but it helps a lot if the people agree about how to talk to each other first.
I rely on my past experience with organizations and boards to help churches with organizational issues. I also have access to a full range of training and development materials to work at organizational development issues. I enjoy teaching groups, such as Sunday school classes, about communication. It seems nearly every conflict is rooted in failing communication in one way or another!
Timetables vary. The initial phases for Assessment, Summary, Reporting and setting priorities for Next Steps (Intervention) can usually be completed with 50 hours of consultation time. The complexity of the intervention determines how long that phase will take.
One of the first steps for a Congregational Consultation, is to form the Reference Group. This group of 6 – 8 people helps me get a sense of what the issues are, and acts as a liaison between the work we are doing together and the congregation as a whole. They become advocates and promoters for workshops or meetings with the congregation. The people in the group are selected to represent the polar opposite views on the primary issues the congregation is struggling with. They should be people who are held in high esteem by others in the congregation, and must be willing to make a real effort to work together.
Forming the Reference Group
I ask everyone I talk with for names of key people who meet the definition of the "Reference Group", and it usually isn't hard to find 6 - 8 people who represent the diverse views of the congregation. I work with that group to help them learn how to talk with each other, and then they help me plan the rest of the work with the congregation. That usually takes at least 3 meetings. Again, the time frame varies, depending upon the sense of urgency, how available people are for meetings, etc. It's likely the Reference Group can be established within a month.
After the key issues are identified, (both the issues that bind the group and the issues that divide the group) and the priorities for things to work on have been established, the most important part of the process begins. It might include a vision/mission identification process, communication training, coaching for subcommittees about how to integrate the vision/mission with the activities they plan, etc. That part of the process can take up to a year, and I can lead that process, or be available for consultation at whatever level the congregation needs through that year and longer.
Mediation for individuals
At any point in my work with the congregation, I am available for interpersonal mediation. Sometimes there are interpersonal conflicts that seem insurmountable. Those conflicts can have huge spheres of influence. If the individuals are willing to meet, I welcome the opportunity to meet with them to see if they can find a way through their differences. It needs to be defined in the contract if interpersonal mediation is included in the hours I contract with the congregation (paid by the congregation) or if the participants pay separately.
Costs and contract
I like to work with a contract for service. I usually contract for 50 hours of service, at $85./hr. ($4,250) That usually gives enough time to identify the issues and plan the next steps. The contract can then be extended for the implementation phase.
The Role of the Consultant
A message to congregations requesting consultation
Your congregation has called on me because you are in the midst of a very difficult time. I believe that the answers you are seeking probably already lie within your congregation, and my role is to help you sort through the parts of this conflict and your history to find the pieces that you might choose to change for the future. As a consultant, I come to the process more as a coach, than as a referee. I will not take sides or tell you what to do. I am committed to working with you to identify the structures or practices that are setting the stage for the sort of conflict you have been experiencing.
Conflict between people is as old as the world (the Garden of Eden), and conflict and posturing in the Christian church began with the disciples, when they argued about who would be the greatest among them, as recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. The church is neither immune to conflict nor the chief among those who are in conflict - conflict and differences in style or preferences are a reality people encounter everywhere. The difference can be in our choice of how to deal with it.
In I Corinthians 12:12-31, the description of "one body, many parts" offers a very helpful image of the congregation as it is intended to operate. Every part is important, whether seen or unseen. And if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. I call on you to carry this image with you as we work together. It will help you to remember to honor and respect the person who has had a different experience than you have had in the past here in your congregation.
The work you have chosen to do always includes some tense moments. There are very strong feelings, a lot of hurt feelings, and directly conflicting opinions about what went wrong and what needs to change. I will help you establish guidelines for how you want to talk about those difficult things. We will work carefully to provide ways for you to express your opinions in ways that avoid heaping still more hurt on what exists already. This will not be easy, and will require grace extended to one another.
As the consultant, I come to this work fully aware that restoration of relationships is God's work. My goal is to be a tool to aid the work God intends to do in your congregation.
This work is yours. You will decide where you want to go and I will do what I can to guide you to that destination. I believe your congregation will be stronger and healthier for the effort.
Prepared by Nancy Rohrer Sauder, Mediation & Consulting
2743 Brookfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17601
phone: 717-569-2733 fax: 717-569-4279
email: nancy@saudermediation.com
The Role of the Reference Group
When a congregation is embroiled in conflict and calls on someone from outside the group for help, that consultant also needs help. Each congregation is different, so there is no set formula that can be applied to all congregations. The consultant needs information about how the congregation usually makes decisions, how things are done, and what is likely to be effective in this congregation. Following are some of the things the Reference Group is likely to be asked to do:
1. Help plan the components of the consultation
-surveys
-interviews
-meetings
-reports
-announcements
2. Identify "key" factors in the conflict
3. Establish guidelines for communications
-for verbal exchange in meetings
-regarding how information is shared beyond the reference group
4. The reference group might serve as a "pilot" group for working through the thorny issues the congregation is facing. If the reference group can reach agreements, perhaps they can help to foster that kind of understanding in the congregation at large.
5. The reference group is intended to include people who have differing views of the issues; people who are respected by others in spite of their differences. The group should be committed to making a real effort to work together.
6. The consultant forms the group from names suggested by leaders of the congregation during early interviews. Usually a core of 6-8 names emerges, and there is consensus among the leaders about who should be invited to serve on the Reference Group. It is important that the group include people with the qualities mentioned in #5 above.
7. If individuals should need to terminate their work with the group, they are encouraged to do so in a group meeting, rather than by phone call or by default.
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