“I saw in a fresh way that it is God's Word that brings about healing. The professional training and materials, the supportive staff and warm/encouraging fellowship with like students has caused me to seek even more AoR equipping! PTL!”

A Former Participant

Two NEW Case Studies

Two new case studies for role plays feature difficult situations to challenge and practice your skills in difficult cases.

1. One is a conflict between a Director of Music Ministry and Worship Team Leader, where the Team Leader used a church computer for Internet pornography and cybersex. This addresses issues of employment, betrayal, misuse of church equipment, moral failing, and a broken relationship.

2. The other involves a friend who was hired as an accountant to help save a business in bankruptcy. The accountant embezzled about $100,000 from the business. While prosecution is an option, the business owner's lawyer recommended mediation first in order to recover some of the lost funds. This case involves criminal issues, betrayal of trust and friendship, and significant amount of money.

How Is This Training Different from Foundational Conflict Coaching and Mediation Courses?

1. This is not a repeat of the foundational training. The basics will only be quickly referenced. The manual will have materials people can use as a refresher. Instruction will focus on applying the basics to difficult cases and expanding skills, especially on coaching.

2. For each case, the reconcilers will complete three pre-mediation coaching sessions with each party from the same case they mediate. Reconcilers will receive little information in advance, so they will need to use pre-mediation coaching to learn about the details and prepare their parties. This provides opportunity to practice using the new coaching skills and creating and assigning effective homework assignments. Because of the complexities of each case, the pre-mediation coaching becomes critical for the mediation.

3. A written exercise. In foundational training, participants don't really have opportunity to write a settlement agreement. But in this course, reconciler teams will be given time in the schedule to write either a Memorandum of Understanding or a Reconciler Report, depending on how their mediation goes. Their table instructor will review their written submission for comment.