This workshop helps participants understand the values and concerns of those who differ from them politically, and it teaches essential skills for communicating across differences and finding common ground.

In this polarized time, we lack basic understanding of why people on the other political side hold their beliefs. We don’t see them as they see themselves–their core values and central concerns–but instead as we choose to see them. We are tempted to regard our  own side as principled and the other side as self-interested. And when we try to communicate across this gap, we often lack the skills for listening carefully, looking for common ground, and sharing our perspectives in ways that connect rather than create more misunderstanding.  We can learn to disagree better in polarized times, which means accurately seeing where we differ and where we share common ground.

The Depolarizing Ourselves Introductory Workshop is designed to help you lessen the effects of polarization when you encounter them in your political conversations. Note that by “polarization”, we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. We are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of our own politics as if they were enemies.

In this session we will examine multiple sources of polarization and describe how polarization has affected the country and our faith community.  We will work to identify particularly significant aspects of these issues that face individuals and the church. The session will also provide an overview of how we can overcome polarization and see each other as members of a common community who share a common future.  While the topics are framed around political polarization, the session emphasizes building a culture of civility and respect, or as we emphasize here – living and loving like Jesus.