Conflict can be good for you and your church

24.01.10 / Uncategorized / Author: admin
Tags: 19 Years, Alban Institute, Article Points, Best Friend, Conflict, Human Beings, Newsletter, Options, Pastors, Periods, Relationship, Stress, Uncertain Future

I subscribe to the Alban Institute’s newsletter, and was surprised to see an article there entitled “The Need for Stress and Conflict.” My first reaction was, “Gee, most pastors I know have plenty of stress and conflict in their lives and would gladly give it to anyone who thinks they *need* some.”

However, as I read and reflected on the article (which you can read here), I realized that both individuals and organizations do in fact need some degree of conflict in their lives – it’s impossible for us to grow otherwise.

Think about any relationship that is important to you – your relationship with a spouse, best friend, parent, or child, for instance. Has that relationship always been free of stress and conflict?

I’ve been happily married for almost 19 years now, and I can assure you that during that time there have been periods of stress and conflict. I don’t think it’s possible to have a healthy relationship without it, because different human beings are inevitably going to have different wants and different opinions about the best course of action at some point.

As the Alban article points out, sometimes bringing up an issue that others are avoiding stirs up conflict, but that conflict is a necessary part of considering various options and moving forward into an uncertain future.

When has conflict been a difficult but necessary part of your life or your congregation’s? How have you benefited from the experience?