We have an agenda.
It’s love.
We’ve all experienced moments where a disagreement happens, and you feel like either fighting or fleeing. On a hike with a friend, in your small group, cooking Thanksgiving dinner, during a church council meeting — these are moments where we may encounter differences, and may be unsure how to love the other person… or if we even should.
You don’t have to abandon your convictions in order to find peace and love for those with whom you disagree. There is a deep well of Christian tradition that provides wisdom. We draw from that well to help people today better understand one another by using conflict as a driver for connection and growth.
A little hope in your inbox.
Our newsletter is created with you in mind. Every newsletter delivers a simple prayer, a hopeful practice, and an encouragement. We’ll also keep you in the loop on new programs, events, and resources.
Have a question or a suggestion for the newsletter or about The Colossian Forum? Email us at info@colossianforum.org.Conflict isn’t going anywhere, and it can feel like there isn’t anything we can do about it.
In our broken world, we have developed a fear of differences. We think difference is a threat, so we go into fight or flight mode. We argue to win or we avoid differences altogether.
The truth is, when we learn how to receive differences with love instead of fear, conflict can actually be harnessed as a powerful force for transformation — for us, our relationships, and our communities.
There is a path forward that increases our love of God and our neighbor.
Our Mission:
We equip Christians to think, act, and lead more like Jesus in the midst of conflict in their families, communities, churches, and institutions.
Our Vision:
We yearn to see communities reliably transformed and unified through the self-giving love of Christ, in whom all things hold together.
Our Promise:
We promise to promote mindsets and habits where different perspectives can be heard, love can be fostered, and people can grow together.
Our work is multifaceted,
just like our logo.
When it comes to lasting change, having a visual anchor keeps us grounded.
Reflection
We embrace reflection so that we can create meaningful connections.
When people come together in an environment where they are encouraged to see the reflection of God in themselves and each other, they are drawn by the Holy Spirit of self-giving love into empathic and understanding connections. Our work lifts from a deep well of spiritual insights and biblical practices, inviting people into shared experiences that surface hope and a collective sense of purpose as the image of God is revealed in ourselves and our neighbors.
Possibility
We keep the door to possibility open, rooted in our faith-based framework.
We are unapologetically faith based, and follow the biblical principle of ‘Love God, Love Neighbor’ to guide all that we do. Grounded in the Spirit and coupled with a curious exploration and appreciation around all the wondrous ways that we are different, we can imagine things from new angles while valuing others’ uniqueness.
Growth
When we can make space for growth we can move from fear to hope.
Growth is most prevalent in trusting and loving environments where we can risk ourselves to be known and received. Fear of rejection gives way to hope even as we have honest conversations about our thoughts and feelings, and as we listen to others in ways that dispel misinformation and mistrust. Growth does not require a uniform perspective, only an ongoing
commitment to stay lovingly connected to God and one another.
What’s the story behind “The Colossian Forum” name?
We get asked this a lot. We love that our name sparks curiosity and generates conversation.
The “Colossian” part of our name is inspired by Colossians 1:17, which says, “In Christ, all things hold together.” Part of what makes conflict so hard is we feel like we’re the ones who have to hold everything together — and it’s just too much for humans to do.
But, we are capable of engaging in constructive conflict when Christ is the one holding all things together. We can lean on the fact that God is doing an often hidden, surprising, holding together of all that is, including us. So we step out in courage, able to risk relationships across deep differences — not because we are confident we will always get it right, but because even when we get it wrong, we can trust that Christ is holding all things together.
The “Forum” part of our name speaks to the convening work we do. We bring people together so they can experience deeper love of God and neighbor in unexpected people and places. Combined, our name reveals that the core of our work points to Christ who holds people together and invites people to find this to be true by gathering together across difference.
Our work continues to evolve and is rooted in listening to our community and their needs.
Modeling a better way.
We got our start by hosting forums for tens of Christians — that turned into thousands of Christians. The forums help audiences consider how our modern tendencies of addressing (or ignoring) conflict are not in line with the ways of Jesus. Despite these events being well-attended, we realized something was missing: practical applications for the audience.
Practicing together.
The model for conflict engagement used in our forums became the basis for our small group curriculum: The Colossian Way. Our first topic focused on a then hotbutton issue — creation and evolution — and soon after new topics were created to engage human sexuality, political tension, and gender roles. Groups of 8-14 Christians navigate these difficult conversations — and we witness the incredible results.
Equipping leaders.
As we continued to impact small groups, we heard from faith leaders that they were ill-equipped to engage interpersonal and organizational conflict across their communities. We looked to the teachings, resources, and practices housed inside of the small group curriculum and recontextualized them for leadership teams, leading to the development of our foundational training program, WayFinder.
How you can work with us.
We believe in meeting people where they are. That’s why we’ve developed offerings to meet individual, small group, and organizational needs.
Whether you want to listen to our podcast on your drive home, access free resources to help you facilitate challenging conversations, participate in a small group study, host a speaker at your event, or set up an organization-wide workshop, we have options.
