Category Archives: Authentic Relationships in the Church

Q. OK. We’re “reconciled.” I guess. But how could we ever trust one another again?

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Tara Barthel

Q. OK. We’re “reconciled.” I guess. But how could we ever trust one another again? A. Trust God. Love People. So how do Christians rebuild trust with one another in the aftermath of church conflict, even if problems have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Strengthening the Church, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Q. OK. We’re “reconciled.” I guess. But how could we ever trust one another again?

Two Elements of Redeeming Church Conflict: Intentionality and Contentment

Posted on November 15, 2018 by David V. Edling

Q. How can I maintain an “eternal perspective” given the harsh realities of this church conflict? A. It is one thing to give mental assent to the concept of living from an “eternal perspective,” and quite another to actually fit … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, HOPE in the midst of conflict | Leave a comment

Twenty Years Without an Apology

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Tara Barthel

I heard from a friend this week (after she had made an apology to a pastor and asked his forgiveness) that the pastor was gracious, forgiving, and VERY surprised/grateful. Why surprised? Why grateful? Because, you see, as he explained: He had served in … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor, Strengthening the Church | Comments Off on Twenty Years Without an Apology

Are Your Church Relationships Otiose? (Vain. Ineffective. Of no use.)

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

Q. How can church-going Christians truly build the “ties that bind” and cultivate “the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace?” through intimate, safe, authentic relationships that will persevere through conflict? A. “Where a people prays, there is … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Disappointment in the church, HOPE in the midst of conflict | Comments Off on Are Your Church Relationships Otiose? (Vain. Ineffective. Of no use.)

“Helping entrenched people is what we do and who we are.” (Pastor Whipple of Kossuth Street Baptist Church)

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Tara Barthel

Dave and I were blessed to read an endorsement of “Redeeming Church Conflicts” by Pastor Whipple of Kossuth Street Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana. I especially appreciated Pastor Whipple’s encouragement for his church members to be prepared to redeem conflict (since it … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Change in the Church, Excerpts from "Redeeming Church Conflicts", Reviews of "Redeeming Church Conflicts" | Comments Off on “Helping entrenched people is what we do and who we are.” (Pastor Whipple of Kossuth Street Baptist Church)

“I Already Know That!”

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

In my years of serving as a Christian mediator, I have been privileged to assist extraordinarily gifted men and women of great faith and world-class formal educations. In one such situation, I was sitting between two (very angry) co-senior pastors … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Causes of Church Conflict, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor | Leave a comment

When Friends Talk About Us Behind Our Backs

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Tara Barthel

(A re-post from Easter 2014) It is always such a shock to discover friends (real friends!) are talking about us (critically) behind our backs. Sometimes, their motivations really are loving and God-honoring—they are seeking counsel, prayer, and encouragement for how to face a … Continue reading →

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One Reason Why Your Church is Losing Its Youth: Look at How (Gracelessly!) You Treat One Another

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Tara Barthel

Just as I was posting Dave’s most recent article on “preserving your pastor,” my friend Melodee posted a link to this article on Facebook and I was struck by how much the two overlapped: Reaching Our Young People The article … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor | 1 Comment

The Greatest Danger to Your Pastor’s Spiritual Growth

Posted on September 1, 2016 by David V. Edling

I have always believed that the highest character trait of a Christian is humility. There are many statements in the Bible that support my position. Here are just a few: This is the one I esteem: he who is humble … Continue reading →

Posted in Abusive churches, Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Causes of Church Conflict, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor | 3 Comments

How to Preserve Your Pastor (Parts 6 and 7): Sharing Ministry…with Friends

Posted on January 26, 2015 by David V. Edling

For the past several weeks I have been posting articles that interact with Dr. Thom Rainer’s research titled The Top Seven Regrets of Pastors based on his interviews of twenty-plus pastors who had been in Christian ministry for at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor | Leave a comment