eLM, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Church in Australia, is hosting the Conflict Intervention Course over three days in May, 2024. The course is for people who are recognised by their Presbytery as suitably skilled to be involved in responding to interpersonal and / or group conflict in teams or congregations. It is also valuable for the Chairs of Presbytery PRCs and other key leaders in Presbyteries to be aware of the options that are available for interventions so that they can encourage their use, even if they may not deliver the intervention themselves.

Presenters

Rev. Terence Corkin is a Uniting Church minister. He was the Uniting Church in Australia, Assembly General Secretary for 15 years. Since then, he has provided leadership, support and teaching in consensus discernment and has led seminars and facilitated meetings around the world. Terence has been a nationally accredited mediator and has taught on conflict and worked with helping conflicted congregations and teams to successfully resolve their conflict.

Julia Kuhn Wallace is a lay minister in the United Methodist Church who has served on the staff of the General Board of Discipleship based in Nashville Tennessee. Julia's areas of expertise include transforming conflict, mediating disputes, assessing congregational vitality, relaunching church, and leading strategic change and visioning.

Terence and Julia are the co-authors of the book, "The Church Guide For Making Decisions Together", and they host a website, "Making Church Decisions Together".

Course Outline

Sessions run from after lunch on Monday, 27 May, through to a pre-lunch conclusion on Wednesday, 29 May. The delivery method includes input, group discussion, reflection on personal practice / experience, group activities and case studies.

Here is an outline of the sessions attendees will attend as part of this training:

SESSION 1: Welcome and Introductions
SESSION 2: Conflict - Causes and Levels
SESSION 3: Conflict Transformation and Skills
SESSION 4: Conflict Styles (TKI)
SESSION 5: Leadership and Dealing with Difficult People
SESSION 6: Overview of the 3 Phases of an Intervention Process
SESSION 7: Intervention Models
SESSION 8: More Models & Planning an Intervention
SESSION 9: Critiquing and Evaluating Interventions – The Report
SESSION 10: Resistance to Change

SESSION 11: Resources, Networking and Support
This session provides additional resources for areas covered in the workshop. Participants will be invited to join a Zoom meeting in 3 or 4 months after the training to debrief on their experience and to learn together from experience gained so far. As part of the workshop fee the facilitators will provide two opportunities to join such a group. Participants can come to more than one if they wish. Opportunity will be given to network together and to take up additional coaching support from the facilitators.

Monday 27 May

1.00 pm onwards: Registration at CTM

2.00pm - 5.00pm Afternoon Session

5.30 pm to 6.30 pm Dinner provided on site.

6.30pm - 8.30pm Evening Session

Tuesday 28 May

9.00am - 12.30pm Morning Session (tea break included)

12.30 pm Lunch provided on site

2.00pm - 5.00pm Afternoon Session

5.30 pm Dinner provided on site

6.30pm - 8.30pm Evening Session

Wednesday 29 May

9.00am - 12.00pm Morning Session (tea break included)

Registration Costs, Subsidies, Educational Grants

Full registration is $600.00 which includes meals listed on the program. A discount of $100 is provided for each person where they are part of a team of 3 or more attending from the same Presbytery.

Registrations close Friday May 17.

There are several educational grants available for this conference: Lay Education, Continuing Education. Grant applications close on 1 May. See the VicTas Synod Education grants page.