What exactly is Christian Dispute Resolution?

What is it you do?

When Christians look for help with conflict situations, they tend to look to either counselors or lawyers. Christian conflict resolution is an alternative (it can also be a supplement) to these approaches. The principle things I do involve conflict coaching and/or mediation. Conflict coaching is talking with individuals about the ways they’re addressing the conflict. Mediation is talking together with all parties as we seek a resolution to a conflict.

What are the advantages of mediation?

Mediation is private and addresses real issues between the people involved. Litigation is most often public and frequently ends up being decided based on peripheral issues. 
 
Parties determine the results of mediation themselves, rather than have the results dictated by a court.

Mediation is most often less time-consuming and less expensive than litigation. 

Mediation can help parties work out solutions using Biblical principles rather than the legal principles that would be applied in a court of law.

The best resolutions achieved through conflict coaching and mediation address both the original conflict situation and any underlying issues.

I’ve used conflict coaching and mediation to help resolve conflict in many different situations, including

  • employment and workplace
  • landlord-tenant 
  • building construction
  • homeowner-contractor
  • neighborhood
  • commercial
  • church
  • family
  • marriage
  • personal