Supporting personal & professional growth.
Clergy, Lay Leaders and
Staff of Religious Organizations
Teach practical ways to live out spiritual values
Connect with your congregants during homilies and one-to-one encounters thus increasing trust
Listen with your heart to what others are not saying
Motivate and retain volunteers
Resolve conflict among pastoral staff and in the congregation harmoniously
Learn a model to increase compassion, express yourself with mindfulness, and embody unconditional love
A harmonious religious staff can create a vital congregation. Empowering Communication (EC) can help religious leaders to embody respect, care, and compassion -- nutrients which allow congregations to flourish. Embodying EC consciousness in meetings can create inclusion and inspire all members to work for the well being of the whole. Your staff will learn a model to address and resolve conflict among staff and congregation members. In addition, our programs can enrich your congregants' lives by teaching them a model to increase peace and harmony in all relationships. EC provides a model to transform judgment into compassion and to live out unconditional love -- teachings that resonate with the deepest spiritual principles of the world's major religions.
"I have found Nonviolent Communication to be a humanizing spiritual practice, beautiful in its simplicity and in its potential to transform misunderstanding and conflict into opportunities for mutual growth. I believe that it is consonant with the teachings of Jesus and a source of practical wisdom for communities of faith, especially those that have been torn apart by vitriolic discourse. For these reasons and more, I teach it regularly in my seminary courses and recommend it highly to church leaders."
~ Rev. Dr. Theresa F. Latini, former Assistant Professor of Congregational and Community Care, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul MN
"In Scripture, Jesus asks us to love our enemies and judge not. St Paul instructs us to speak the truth with love and return to no one evil for evil. But how can we love our enemies?! What do we do when judgments arise in our minds? How do we speak the truth with love when the truth is not easy to deliver? How do we respond to aggression? Nonviolent Communication provides us with a clear road map to implement these tall orders. I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone trying to live and teach Christian principles."
~ Father John Balluff, Pastor, St. Mary's ParishWest, Chicago, Illinois
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope ... I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh, The Fourth Mindfulness Training