The Healthy Congregation Team (HCT) saw a need for the FUUSB to be able to facilitate conflict resolution.

Restorative Circles is a community self-care process that can help us re-establish relationships between ourselves, according to the FUUSB covenant, after other methods have not brought a satisfying resolution. It is a safe, structured, inclusive, and transparent gathering supported by trained facilitators.

In a Restorative Circle, we seek to restore broken or strained covenantal relationships between members of FUUSB. The Circle relies on a facilitated reflective dialogue process that enables each participant to express their experience(s) and to be heard and acknowledged. Everyone in the circle participates in reflective listening and responds to questions designed specifically to resolve conflict.

Over the years the HCT has funded several FUUSB members to receive the training necessary to facilitate the RC process. The team meets once a month to practice and hone our skills. We welcome your interest in the process and our team. If you would like to explore initiating a restorative circle or explore joining the team please contact: [email protected].

 

About the Restorative Circle Process

If someone in our Society becomes involved (directly or as a witness) in a conflict that is unable to be resolved, then they can request a Restorative Circle process (see diagram below) to help restore the relationship(s).

The person requesting the Circle may choose who else they would like to participate in order to resolve the conflict. In addition, each participant may also request another/others they feel are needed in the Circle. Depending on the scope of the conflict, a Restorative Circle can have just a few or many participants.

Before everyone is together in the same room, a facilitator will conduct a Pre-Circle by speaking one-on-one to each person involved to understand their perspective and ask for their willingness to participate. This allows the facilitator to become multi-partial (the ability to understand each person’s perspective).

The Circle gathers at an agreed time with those who are participating. The Circle relies on a facilitated reflective dialogue process that enables each participant to express their experience(s) and to be heard and acknowledged (see diagram below). Through this process, understanding is reached and an Action Plan is agreed upon.

A Post-Circle occurs at a later date to review the Action Plan and discuss if there needs to be further action taken, or if the results are satisfactory to all participants.

Below are simple diagrams of the Reflective Dialogue and Restorative Circle processes. If you would like to explore initiating a Restorative Circle (anybody can) or explore joining the team, please contact Healthy Congregation Team,

We will contact you by telephone for a brief conversation to ensure that a Restorative Circle is the best tool for the situation and, if so, to schedule an in-person meeting. At that meeting a team member will describe the process and answer any questions. At the end of that meeting you may then decide to proceed or not.

Thank you. We look forward to being of service.