NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

This is a week long workshop Randy is helping to facilitate for ongoing training for our New Tribes Missionaries.  Last month we told you a little about three different Listening Skills that are a part of this workshop.  This month we are going to say a little about four modules we cover in the area of Conflict Resolution Skills:  

 Confronting:  For many people, confrontation is the most difficult part of relating to others, yet it is essential to godly relationships. God’s Word is filled with confrontations and has much to say on the subject. This session guides participants through biblical guidelines and skills on how to confront others, from preparing for the confrontation, to steps to take when confronting. Both verbal and nonverbal ways to handle resistance when confronting are considered. The demonstrations and practice in confronting effectively help us become more comfortable and effective in confronting others when necessary.

Receiving Confrontation:  Receiving confrontation well is just as important, and often even harder, than giving confrontation, especially when we are confronted in anger. In this session the participants discover biblical ways to diffuse an attack.  Demonstrations show how to respond effectively and what to avoid doing when confronted in anger. Participants can dramatically see the difference that their reaction has when they are confronted in anger. Then they practice the skill in pairs.

Managing our Conflicts:  Conflicts with others are rarely easy to handle. This session starts by looking at some core beliefs about healthy relationships and conflict. We then discuss biblical ground rules for effective conflict resolution, as well as a suggested step-by-step strategy for managing conflicts. This strategy helps to slow the process down, and reduces inappropriate expression of feelings. Demonstrations help participants see effective ways to handle conflicts and what to avoid when in conflict.

Helping Others Manage Conflicts:  We sometimes observe others experiencing conflict that they are unable to resolve on their own. This session gives participants two strategies to help others who are in conflict. The first strategy is helping one person who comes to us; the second is being a mediator between two people with a conflict. Each contains specific steps to take. Two demonstrations illustrate these strategies, followed by a discussion of the demonstrations and practical application of how this skill can be used in our own lives.

In many of our letters we have talked about Randy helping to facilitate SYIS workshops.  We thought over the next few letter we would tell you a little about this workshop.  One of the goals of member care is to help give ongoing training to our NTM missionaries in areas that will encourage them Spiritually and help them in their personal lives as they serve to see lost people reached with the Gospel.  The SYIS workshop is one of those tools that we are using to help our missionaries.  There are 16 different subjects that we cover in four overall areas.  Listening Skills; Conflict Resolution Skills; Skills For Living In Christian Community and Skills For Long-Term Ministry Effectiveness And Enjoyment. In this letter we are going to tell you a little about 3 subjects under Listening Skills.

LISTENING SKILLS

Loving Listening:  Loving listening is the cornerstone of effective relationships.  True loving listening is a skill that must usually be learned. We demonstrate how not to listen, and how to listen more effectively. Then the participants have an opportunity to practice loving listening. They become aware of what level other people may be on and how to respond appropriately. Specific skills and behaviors are presented to keep in mind when listening to others.

Drawing people out:  Drawing others out is a vital step in ministering to them. The key to drawing a person out lies in the “bubbles” he or she brings to the surface. Bubbles on a lake indicate that something is underneath that is not obvious. When something is important to us, we send up bubbles to see if anyone will notice and be interested. Bubbles are a direct line to the heart. The concept of bubbles is explained and demonstrated. Participants discuss and practice four key ways to respond to bubbles: silence, questions, self-disclosure and observations.

Helping Others Solve Problems:  When someone comes with a problem, people are often tempted to give advice on what the other person should do. But this probably isn’t the most helpful to them. In this session, we learn seven steps for helping others explore options, so they can come up with a solution themselves. Participants watch a demonstration where one person helps another solve a problem. Then they practice using the seven steps with a partner, on either a real or hypothetical problem.