Have you longed to be a part of God’s beloved community of love, healing and cooperation?
Come join us in learning how our communities and congregations can become more spiritually nourishing
and healing places.
Learn techniques for your own personal growth in peacemaking.
Our facilitator for the workshop is Reverend Dr. Al Fuertes, an internationally known pastor and peacemaker active in the Philippines and other countries. Currently Dr. Fuertes is a professor at George Mason University in the field of conflict analysis, resolution and transformation. You will enjoy his depth of knowledge, wisdom and gentle good humor as he actively engages you in the art of healing and reconciliation.
How do we explain the connection between conflict and trauma? What is trauma and how does trauma affect individuals and communities? What helps people survive the trauma? What does healing mean? What does reconciliation require so that divided communities will live together again? How does this affect our outreach?
These are some of the basic questions this workshop will address.
This workshop is designed to help participants develop an appreciation of human resilience and to acquire insight into coping mechanisms and a deeper understanding of conflict, trauma and healing.
Participants will consider the difficulties people face in responding to deep personal and communal loss, pain, tragedy and suffering. The settings of protracted conflict such as communal strife, congregational tensions, organizational divides, as well as domestic violence, natural disasters and war are the contexts for these struggles that we will examine in stories or case studies.
*This workshop is the second in a series, following one in March 2011; however, each workshop is a “stand-alone,” and presents different ideas. Participation in the earlier workshop is not required for this one.
Sponsored by: Wellspring United Church of Christ
St. John’s Episcopal Church
RSVP by Sept 10, 2011 to Alice Foltz (703-830-4194) or afoltzva@verizon.net
Or Administrative Assist., St. Johns: 703-803-7500 or SJECCentreville@aol.com