[OSList] OS and conflict

[Hege Steinsland]

Daer OS list.

I`m going in to a process in the Church of Norway. I`we done some pre-work to look at the situation, using the medicine wheel. The 17 th of june we will have a pre-work for 5 hours to plan the OS meeting, where, when, theme, who to invite and so on.

Now I´we been aware of a conflict situation, that have made some people draw back from being active in the church. This is still going on, and it involves the leader that hired me.      I´ve been told from here earlier that she is having a conflict, but we haven't talked formally about it according to this OS - planning.
Yesterday someone else, that I told about this OS  process was really inspired, and wanted to join in - but then said it might be difficult because of this conflict situation.

This is the church in five municipalities that have merges to one organization, one and a half year ago. Now they experience some «noise» in the organization. Not everyone are happy, information does not flow good enough and there is an issue about responsibility.

I know that there have been conflicts in other of these churches as well a few years ago. There might still be wounds that are not healed because both of them ended kind of dramatically. I did some work with them earlier, and than some of this came up, so I have a feeling its still there.

In the church of Norway we have one democratic leaderstructure parallel with the pastorale structure, so there are both a priest with responsibility for the pastorale work, a lay leader with responsibility for employment, economy, buildings and so on, quite involved with the total work in the church. There are also board of selected people with a certain responsibility, so the leaderstructure is quite complicated. I´we been preparing this job with the group of three leaders, the priest in charge, the lay leader, and the selected leader.

I´m going to use the circle of sorrow in the pre work. There might come up that there are conflicts, sorrow and anger. But it might be quite different things, from different areas. 

I ask myself questions like
How much and how should I focus on this in the pre- work. What should I not do here?
How do I know if we should plan the OS meeting, or if there are other things to do first?
And if there are things to do first - what tools will be useful and suitable?

I´m asking for advices, tools, things to be aware of in this situation up front, and during the work. I think this is very important, and I find it difficult and challenging.

Grateful for some help.

All the best from
Hege in a sunny Norway