Peacemaking in Families: Healthy Relationships and Paths to Reconciliation
Eight 3-hour
Empowering Communication* Workshops
for
First Congregational Church
of Western Springs
and the wider Community
February - November 2026
Questions and to Express Interest: leslie@empoweringcommunicationinc.net
These workshops are in-person at First Congregational Church of Western Springs, 1105 Chestnut, Western Springs, IL, 60558, and build on each other.
Participants are requested to plan to be at all eight sessions.
A virtual option on some occasions may be possible.
“I am excited to offer these workshops for families of First Congregational Church of Western Springs and the community. Empowering Communication is, for me, a process to liberate the power of love in ourselves and others. It has supported my family, and my work in settled and interim ministries for 24 years. I believe the tools learned in these workshops support immediate and extended families. A colleague said “Families are the people we love the most and treat the worst.” The good news is that with Empowering Communication our families offer us a rich place for practice. The workshops will offer us a place to mourn, celebrate, and grow. In practicing peacemaking in families, we have rich soil in which to work and at the same time inspire healing the world.”
- Rev. Leslie Ritter-Jenkins, Facilitator (scroll down to learn more about the facilitator).
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There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear. - I John 4:18
Peacemaking in Families: Healthy Relationships and Paths to Reconciliation
Perhaps there is nothing we long for more than peace in our families, and yet we are stumped. How do we find strategies in life that meet family members’ needs of freedom and self-responsibility, choice and commitment, authenticity and awareness of how we affect others, compassion and power? In this series you will learn the basic components of Empowering Communication, EC, that are the building blocks for healthy relationships, and effective, and powerful dialogue. You will learn how to stay heart-connected in small and large conflicts, offer appreciation and acknowledgment that is fuel for life, and explore multiple paths towards reconciliation one-on-one and in a group through Family Circles.
EC deepens our ability to hear what others are saying, and to express ourselves confidently with strength and humility. It increases the likelihood of eliciting understanding vs defensiveness, offensiveness, or withdrawal. When we employ Empowering Communication, trust, understanding, and cooperation often increase in our relationships. EC empowers us and our loved ones in our immediate and extended families.
In this series you will learn:
to make peace employing a simple four-step process
to express yourself clearly and effectively vs stimulating resistance in others
to take care of yourself in this process
healthy and satisfying alternatives to making demands, guilting, shaming, or giving up
to listen deeply to people of all ages, and no matter their words of blame or judgment, hear their Needs and Values
to find solutions with care for everyone’s needs
to give children, teens, and young adults a powerful vocabulary so they can be guided by their “inner compass” vs peer and societal pressure
to transform conflict and heal divisions
how to mediate informally and formally and how to facilitate a Family Circle process
We will meet eight times February - November 2026 for three hours. Our learning will include reading “A Helping Hand, Mediation with Nonviolent Communication”, role-play, individual and small group exercises, time for discussion and questions. One source for this book: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=A+helping+hand+by+lib+Larson
There will be an informational meeting on February 18, 11:10am, First Congregational Church of Western Springs, where Leslie will answer questions and take feedback about the series including the best days of the week and time of day to meet. If you are not able to attend this meeting PLEASE EMAIL QUESTIONS AND YOUR INTEREST to Leslie leslie@empoweringcommunicationinc.net.
FOR MUTUALITY
Please consider making a voluntary contribution to support the ministries of First Congregational Church of Western Springs for these workshops depending on your resources. We invite you to consider a gift of $100 - 500.
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About the Facilitator
Rev. Leslie Ritter-Jenkins has served United Church of Christ churches in positions of associate and lead pastor, in two settled and two interim positions. She is one of over 900 trainers worldwide with the international Center for Nonviolent Communication, (CNVC.org). Leslie is eager to share Empowering Communication because, for her, it is a spiritual practice that brings the gospel to life.