{"id":25566,"date":"2015-10-05T13:24:30","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T17:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=25566"},"modified":"2015-10-15T10:15:47","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T14:15:47","slug":"cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooperative by Design peacebuilders committed to helping congregations of all denominations through positive change"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Mennonite congregation is going through a restructuring process. Its members sense that the 20- and 30-somethings in its community desire a different model for congregational life, but they don\u2019t have a clear plan or vision to make the change. What is the next step?<\/p>\n

The answer: Cooperative by Design<\/a> (CBD), which describes itself as \u201ca consortium of peacebuilding practitioners, each committed to creating a more just and peaceful world by enabling healthier families, organizations, communities, and societies.\u201d Initially growing out of a network of peacemakers in Arizona in the early 1990s organized by CBD member and Eastern Mennonite University graduate Tom Brenneman, the consortium today includes ten members, seven of them with EMU connections.<\/p>\n

The congregation contacted CBD member Dave Brubaker<\/a>, associate professor of organizational studies at EMU\u2019s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding<\/a> (CJP). Brubaker and a recent CJP alumnus facilitated a conversation that led to a vision statement and a plan to move the congregation from a board-commission structure to a more flexible, team-based model. It was unanimously adopted.<\/p>\n

Grounded in faith<\/h3>\n

Church consultations like that one comprise the majority of CBD\u2019s work, but the practitioners\u2019 diverse skills are also applied in a variety of other settings. Their focus areas include change management, strategic planning, congregational revitalization, conflict transformation, mediation, facilitation, coaching and training.<\/p>\n

Brubaker says the work is deeply grounded in faith and spirituality.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me it is a reflection of God\u2019s desire for a more peaceful and just world,\u201d Brubaker says. \u201cIf we can do it congregation by congregation and organization by organization, then we\u2019re participating in God\u2019s vision, even when we\u2019re doing it imperfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of the work comes from referrals, about one a month on average, but CBD recently formalized one relationship when it entered an agreement to partner with the North Carolina-based Center for Healthy Churches<\/a> (CHC) and assist CHC in its work with congregations in Virginia. Particular attention will be given to proactive initiatives that address conflict before it reaches the crisis stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe encourage people to consider consultants at an early entry point of a conflict or strategic planning,\u201d says CBD member Jane Ellen Reid<\/a>, who also serves as university ombudsman for EMU. \u201cWe very much encourage people to be open, transparent and involved\u2014including those who may have a contrary vision. Stepping into (conflict) can be a healthy, normal, practical thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Holders of the process, not the solution’<\/h3>\n

Brubaker says he and Reid recently worked with a \u201cLevel 5\u201d conflict in a congregation that had let a problem fester too long, as many congregations and other groups do. \u201cOne of the toughest I\u2019ve ever done,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s good when congregations are more proactive. It\u2019s so much more effective at the front end.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CBD members emphasize that they are not some sort of peacemaking superheroes who can speed in and solve a conflict. They simply provide an outside perspective, help all voices be heard, and give guidance for the way forward. \u201cReference teams\u201d composed of key stakeholders in the situation at hand are formed to carry out the desired outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are holders of the process, not the solution,\u201d says CBD member Roxy Allen Kioko, a graduate of EMU\u2019s master\u2019s in conflict transformation<\/a> program and instructor with the Summer Peacebuilding Institute<\/a> and in EMU\u2019s business department<\/a>. \u201cA lot of consultants go in and make a recommendation and the congregation is supposed to implement it. But a lot of times it fails because there is no ownership of it. By collaborating with a diverse and well respected team within the congregation, they take ownership. They are involved from day one, from assessment to implementation and follow-up. It\u2019s a unique thing about our model that can hopefully lead to better success.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Mennonite congregation is going through a restructuring process. Its members sense that the 20- and 30-somethings in its community desire a different model for congregational life, but they don\u2019t ... read more about Cooperative by Design peacebuilders committed to helping congregations of all denominations through positive change<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,12503,264],"tags":[17044,9993,15942,16974],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-25566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-cjp","category-graduate-programs","tag-dave-brubaker","tag-jane-ellen-reid","tag-roxy-allen-kioko","tag-tom-brenneman"],"yoast_head":"\nCooperative by Design peacebuilders committed to helping congregations of all denominations through positive change - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cooperative by Design peacebuilders committed to helping congregations of all denominations through positive change - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Mennonite congregation is going through a restructuring process. Its members sense that the 20- and 30-somethings in its community desire a different model for congregational life, but they don\u2019t\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-05T17:24:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-15T14:15:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2015\/10\/emuCBD1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/cooperative-by-design-peacebuilders-committed-to-helping-congregations-of-all-denominations-through-positive-change\/\",\"name\":\"Cooperative by Design peacebuilders committed to helping congregations of all denominations through positive change - 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