Ambassadors of Reconciliation

Church Reconciler Training Practicum

The Ministry of Reconciliation

God reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. We are called to serve as Christ’s ambassadors, sharing that good news with all around us, especially in times of conflict.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NIV)

The church proclaims our reconciliation to God through preaching and the teaching of God’s Word. God’s forgiveness is received through Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The pastor announces God’s grace in corporate and individual confession and absolution.

And yet, we often struggle to live, proclaim and cultivate lifestyles of reconciliation in our relationships with others.

Reconciliation Ministries in Your Congregation

Reconciliation is not an event, but a lifestyle. To equip and assist your members in living lifestyles of reconciliation, appoint reconcilers and train them to serve your members through Reconciliation Ministries in the following activities:

Teaching – equipping the saints in biblical peacemaking for lifestyles of reconciliation;
Coaching – guiding individuals to apply biblical approaches in specific conflicts;
Mediating – assisting two or more people in conflict to reconcile relationships and resolve material issues;
Arbitrating – deciding substantive matters through a just and fair hearing.

Church Reconciler Training Practicum

This specialized practicum prepares all leaders – pastors, elders and other lay leaders, teachers, administrators, parents – to guide people through their conflicts.

This training is especially helpful for church reconcilers. The church is meant to be a place where its members can seek help in applying God’s message of reconciliation to their personal conflicts. Church reconcilers teach through Bible study, coach individuals in conflict, mediate parties in dispute, and decide issues for parties in arbitration. This course equips leaders and appointed reconcilers to serve in reconciliation ministries.

A former participant shared: “When I first learned biblical peacemaking, I thought it would change my ministry. It did much more – it changed my life!”

Who Should Attend?

The Church Reconciler Training Practicum is ideal for anyone who assists others in their conflicts. Thus, pastors, principals, elders and other lay leaders, teachers, business owners, executive and mid-level managers, counselors, social workers, and human resource managers all benefit from this training. But in reality, anyone who has the opportunity to help others on dealing with a specific conflict will enjoy this training.

Course Features

This intense course incorporates all the training from Blessed Are the Peacemakers Seminar, Coaching People through Conflict Practicum, and Mediating People through Conflict Practicum. In addition, participants learn how to teach peacemaking in various settings and administrate a reconciliation ministry in their organization.

Participants learn from pre-course study, live teaching, demonstrations by instructors, and exercises in reconciliation. Each participant receives a study guide and a booklet, Guiding People through Conflict by Ken Sande and Ted Kober (Peacemaker Ministries, 2005).

A special feature of this training is a one-on-one live evaluation from one of our instructors at the end of the training. Because our average instructor/student ratio is 1/8, this training provides excellent personalized feedback and coaching.

Pre-Course Study

Participants begin their learning through completing Pre-Course Materials for Mediation:

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande (Baker Books, 3rd ed., 2004)
Confession & Forgiveness by Ted Kober (Concordia Publishing House, 2002)
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp;
Mediation Self-Study manual and six CD’s by Sande and Friesen (Peacemaker Ministries, 2008)

These books and audio-recorded seminar provide practical guidance on personal peacemaking, mediation, and living a lifestyle of reconciliation. The practicum builds on these basic teachings, helping leaders understand more fully how to apply these concepts to their own relationships as well as helping others.

Registering for a Practicum

To register for a scheduled practicum, see Scheduled Seminars and Practicums.

Click here to learn about Practicum Fees.

Schedule

Participants attend a full week of training, usually beginning on Sunday evening at 5:30 for dinner and concluding on Saturday morning at 10:30.

Hosting a Practicum

If you are interested in hosting a practicum, please call 406-698-6107 or email at bzagel@HisAoR.org.

Hosts usually provide the space and refreshments for breaks. Fees for lunch or lodging may be added to the costs of registration.