Pastors hold a pivotal and unique position in our churches and communities. Pastors must manage issues of doctrine, personality conflicts, and build relationships with the leadership of the church.
A Pastoral Intensive is a unique program designed to meet the needs of pastors and their families.
Pastoral intensives:
- Always involve the pastor and his wife. It helps determine if the pastor is achieving the relational, emotional, and spiritual health necessary to be effective in his pastoral role.
- Always appoints two Certified Christian Conciliators, one male, one female. This offers the widest range of expertise to address the needs of the pastor and his congregation.
- Provide biblical counseling and conciliation. Pastors gain insight into their situations through introspective sessions in a safe and respectful environment. Any interventions and plans of action must be in accord with the principles laid out in Scripture.
The ultimate goal of biblical counseling is to help others grow in faith, knowledge, and love for Jesus Christ as He increasingly transforms them into His likeness.
The pastor, his spouse, and the church acting through its Board of Elders is asked to agree to the general framework of the Intensive outlined above and the specific elements addressed. The Intensive includes not only in-person time with the conciliators for the pastor and his spouse, but also preparation work by all parties, and a willingness for the Board of Elders to undertake a requested preparation study from the conciliators.
Equipping and Training
Relational Conflict Resolution Seminar – This is an interactive seminar to teach the members of a church or ministry the basic principles of addressing unresolved conflict in a biblically faithful manner, preserving relationships and the unity of the church or ministry.
We believe that Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21-25, that his disciples experience unity with each other and with the Father, directs churches to address the conflict and its impact, and to help a watching world understand who God is and what He offers them through his son.
Relational Coaching Training – Training which equips the participant to coach others in the church or organization as they work through unresolved conflict. This training is designed to equip the church or ministry to provide assistance with their own staff and to serve their members.
The workshop uses targeted teaching, examples, and hands-on experiences to prepare you to help effectively. You will learn to listen for issues of the heart and redemptively apply the Gospel to yourself and to others.
You will be equipped with the principles and practical knowledge you need to faithfully guide you and your responses to those God puts in your path.
Discover Relational Wisdom Seminar – An interactive seminar designed to provide an introduction to relational wisdom. Along with teaching, it involves viewing and analysis of numerous video clips, group discussions, and application exercises. It provides a foundation for relationships, so that individuals are able to recognize and improve their understanding of God’s guidance in their relationships. It allows understanding of how others see and respond to you, and how you relate to others. These foundations teach how to reduce situations which strain or damage relationships and how to rebuild relationships as part of reconciliation.
Custom Training of Leaders – We provide custom-designed workshops to help elders, church leaders, and ministry teams address and improve leadership challenges.
Team Member Mentoring – A CRG team lead mentors an individual in three assistance cases. The team member shadows the first case, co-leads in the next case, then leads the third.
Recognizing the First Steps to Take
Without a doubt, failure to take intentional, significant action early, when the conflict is emerging, is the biggest mistake churches make. Even experienced pastors may find themselves denying the seriousness of issues and leaving problems unaddressed.
If you are seeking resources to resolve conflicts on your own, we encourage congregations to first:
- Contact your denominational or conference agencies.
- Use the books, DVD-based study, and other materials available in the Resources section of our website.
If you have looked inward and know you can benefit from assistance, call Crossroads Resolution Group.
Resolution Timeline: How Long Will the Process Take?
It takes time and hard work to develop a well-equipped team. Complete programs typically require two to three years, depending on the needs of the organization and the level of training that individuals need.
Generally a team can be in place within 4 to 6 weeks following the formal acceptance of a Proposal for Conflict Assistance. The actual amount of time to complete the assistance depends upon the type of assistance conducted.
The assistance process is comprised of four phases:
- Assessment, which begins with your contact to us, our assessment of your situation, and the presentation and acceptance of a proposal. This comprehensive document can be presented to church boards, committees, or the entire congregation for review and approval.
- Pre-on-site phase, which includes preparation and scheduling assistance.
- On-site phase, with visits ranging from 2—10 days. Depending on the number of days, this may be accomplished in one or two visits. Two-visit projects usually include a four- to six-week interval between visits.
- Post-site phase, which is the final wrap-up of our work together, and usually takes at least 30 days.
Using Third Parties
Sometimes, conflicts require an outside conciliator. Our conciliators are experienced in working with third parties. Situations include:
- Individual conflicts within in a church that has a complexity or sensitivity requiring outside conciliators (employment disputes, high-level legal disputes, etc.)
- Disputes between the organization and its member churches