Preventing Church Conflict: Promoting Church Growth
Faculty: Dr. Mary Kendall Hope (Profile)
This online course explores the skills and concepts needed to assist a pastor or evangelical leader prevent church conflict and promote church growth. This course can further benefit the individual seeking practices that will meet the challenges of a current church conflict.
The congregational behavior patterns that lead to church conflict are explored with an emphasis on methods to both decrease destructive behavior and prevention methods for further conflict. The five practices that lead to church growth (from Robert Schnase’s work – listed below) are explored as a holistic approach to the long-term prevention of church conflict.
Required Reading:
- Van Yperen, Jim. Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict. Chicago: Moody Publisher, 2002.
- Schnase, Robert. Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Abington Press, 2007.
Recommended Reading:
- Susek, Ron. Firestorm: Preventing & Overcoming Church Conflicts. Ada, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 1999.
- Snyder, John. These Sheep Bite. Appleseed Press, 2006.