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Conflict Lessons learnt the hard way, and still learning

As a Pastor conflict and people management is probably the key skill you need in developing and transitioning a church from traditional to purpose driven, outward focused and open/charismatic in worship style.

One or two lessons I have learnt, and am still on the journey of learning are these.

1. Be aware of conflict before it happens
2. You don't have to win the fight, getting what you want is far more important
3. Face and deal with conflict as it happens, not a week later, by then it has festered into something far larger and uglier
4. Be friends when you can with people, even if they disagree with you, they will find it hard to lynch you

5 comments:

  backyardmissionary

5:11 pm

And 5 - no church member is beyond capital punishment

:)

  Anonymous

7:33 pm

hey mark

i am also learning . .

also, just wondering - are you related to merv edwards and the other baptist edwards in perth?

  Mark Edwards

8:07 pm

Hi Andrew,
The other one I heard from Jennifer Turner was,
every pastor gets to shoot one parishoner per year :)

Andrew Jones,

Merve was my dad,
John Edwards is my uncle....

mmmmmm, that probably covers it?

cheers

  Anonymous

4:11 pm

ahhhhh . . . i thought so.

"was" - Did your dad pass away? He as a great inspiration for evangelism in the Baptist churches.

  Mark Edwards

4:18 pm

Dad passed away over 12 months ago to a fast acting cancer (Melonoma) throughout his body.

His funeral was inspirational as North Beach Baptist was packed with what seemed like about 300-400 people who dad had personally led to the Lord.

My dad had his issues, but God, he was passionate and driven.
At the end of the day, the fruit was there for all to see. If I might be indulged, critics come and go, but God cares about fruit. Dad was not a critic, but a doer, and he copped more than his fair share of critidism, some of it warranted, but most of it because he was focused on the prize.

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