Listen:
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” Psalm 141:3
Reflect:
Our hearts are full, we are glad! Thank you prayer team for lifting us in prayer as we launched our first facilitator training this past week. The magnitude of this work is God sized and the attendees were reminded that God takes surrendered, ordinary people and allows them to do extraordinary things in participating with His kingdom work. As we humbly offer Him what is in our hearts and hands to give, He is faithful to multiply it according to His plans and purposes!
One such purpose we fill called to include within our training curriculum is “Conflict Transformation” (CT). Leaders trained in this expertise, Audrey Jose and Stephanie Edsall will be providing additional future training for all our LSM participants, prayer team, and associates. We believe that the absence of conflict does not equal Godliness, but rather the ways in which Christ followers handle conflict by inviting Jesus into its midst is what God intends for His people.
During February, Tuesday Together will focus on an important part of conflict transformation called: * “active listening” beginning with our family structures. The devotionals will be centered around testimonies of applying active listening within family life.
Those attending the facilitator training were given the experience of active listening and other techniques for handling conflict in a God honoring way to prepare them for incorporating CT into all aspects of the schools they will lead.
The final day of training included simultaneous praise and prayer in every language represented. The women shared communion and each received a certificate of completion.
We thank God for travel mercies on Sunday inspite of very snowy weather and freezing temperatures! Please continue to pray for safe travels home for those leaders departing on Tuesday and Wednesday following a time of debriefing, and for protection for each woman and all that God spoke to them for their future involvement.
God bless you friends and may your hearts be made glad for having heard of His work made possible through God’s grace and your prayer and generous stewardship.
To God be the Glory,
—Submitted by Terri La Brie
*Active listening: “People are sometimes verbally aggressive because they grow increasingly frustrated that they’re not being heard. Active listening lowers the tension because at last they feel heard. Do not use active listening to try to debate, argue, correct, or defend yourself. Use it to hear the other person. And offer an apology if that seems appropriate. Apologies empower both sides. The goal of using active listening in conflict is to lower the tension.” (Lifesprings Conflict Transformation Manual)
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