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The School of Mediation

September 12-14th 2024

Cost: $250
(Registration price includes meals)
Refunds, less 10%, are given if canceled by August 1; after August 1, refunds are not available.

Location: First Baptist Church Jacksonville, Florida 

Contact: counselingministry@fbcjax.com; 904-366-1237

Space is limited!

Register early and reserve your spot. Space is limited to the first 40 registrants.

We are sorry; registration closed on September 15.

ACBC Counselors and Counseling Ministry Directors, make plans to join us for The School of Mediation.

Why attend?
  • To learn not only about reconciliation, but how to lead a mediation; extended role-play sessions and practices are included
  • To see how rich the Bible and gospel are in relation to reconciliation (Ephesians 4:1-3)
  • To benefit from skilled mediators, Ernie Baker and Robert Jones, who will provide mentored supervision as well as give feedback during the sessions.
  • To add the tool of mediation to your “counseling tool belt”
  • To meet the requirements for the ACBC’s reconciliation specialization (excluding the exams)
  • To receive credit for all foundational training for ICC certification (the Institute for Christian Conciliation) and enter the mentored supervision phase (must be ACBC certified and recommended by the SOM instructors)
Required Pre-conference Reading:
  • Help I Am in a Conflict by Ernie Baker
  • Pursuing Peace by Robert Jones
  • The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness by John MacArthur
  • Peacemaking for Families by Ken Sande

Testimonies

The School of Mediation equipped me to complete the Reconciliation Specialization through ACBC (my original goal). But even more, it gave me a solid and logical framework for counseling people work through the process of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Adding mediation skills and practices to those principles helped equip me to serve others in situations that I previously may have seen as hopeless or too difficult. The hands-on role plays were the most helpful and realistic role plays I have ever been a part of. Dr. Baker and Dr. Jones not only know their material, they both have the heart of a genuine peacemaker.

I must admit, when I first considered attending the School of Mediation, though I was excited about it, I wondered how immediately applicable it would be. I was pleased and surprised that what we learned that weekend was not only something that would serve us greatly in the future but it was immediately applicable to 4 couples we were already working with. Working through confession, repentance and forgiveness with these people was so rewarding. We have witnessed couples seek and grant forgiveness that have held those things against each other for nearly two decades. Thanks for the wonderful tools!

Speakers

DR. ERNIE BAKER

Ernie has the privilege of serving as Interim Senior Adult Pastor and ACBC fellow for First Counseling, the counseling ministry of First Baptist of Jacksonville. 

He received his M.Div. from Capital Bible Seminary, and his D.Min. in Pastoral Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Baker has been in ministry since 1980. Twenty-five of these years were spent in pastoral ministry, which included training and equipping pastors and laymen in the skills of discipleship counseling and conciliation before serving as Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Master’s University and Seminary. 

He is a Certified Conciliator with The Institute for Christian Conciliation and teaches a number of conflict resolution courses along with doing conciliation. He is also a Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, a Council Board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and has the privilege of chairing the online BA in biblical counseling for The Master’s University, plus teaches in the undergrad and graduate programs. It has been his privilege to teach biblical counseling and conciliation in numerous foreign countries.

Ernie is the author of: Marry Wisely, Marry Well; a blueprint for personal preparation (Shepherd Press); Help! I’m in a Conflict (Shepherd Press); contributing author to Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling (Harvest House); Scripture and Counseling, God’s Word for Life in a Broken World (Zondervan); Men Counseling Men (Harvest House); Biblical Counseling and the Church, God’s Help Through God’s People (Zondervan); What Happened in the Garden, the Reality and Ramifications of the Fall (Kregel) and numerous journal and magazine articles. 

DR. ROBERT D. JONES

Bob currently serves as an Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.  Bob previously served for twelve years as a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, as well as the Pastor of Biblical Counseling at Open Door Church in Raleigh, NC. Prior to that he served for nineteen years as a lead pastor in a local church in WV.

Bob graduated from The King’s College (B.A.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div.), Westminster Theological Seminary (D.Min., Pastoral Counseling), and the University of South Africa (D.Theol., Systematic Theology). He is a certified counselor and fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; a certified Christian conciliator with the Institute for Christian Conciliation; an annual visiting professor at Faith Bible Seminary; and a founding Council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

Bob has written three books (Uprooting AngerPursuing Peace; and Anger: Calming Your Heart); ten booklets (Angry at God?ForgivenessBad MemoriesRestoring Your Broken MarriageSingle ParentingFreedom from Resentment, When Trouble Shows Up, Why Worry?, Prodigal Children, and Contentment; and over a dozen articles and book chapters on counseling and pastoral ministry. Bob and Lauren, his wife of thirty-six years, have two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. They are active members at Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, where he counsels and provides counseling training and consultation.

Schedule

Thursday, September 22

  • 8:00-9:00 AM:
    Registration & Light Breakfast
  • 9:00-9:15 AM:
    Welcome
  • PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS (SESSIONS 1-3)
  • 9:15-10:05 AM:
    Session 1

    A Biblical X-Ray into Relationship Dynamics – Part 1

  • 10:05-10:15 AM:
    Break
  • 10:15-11:05 AM:
    Session 2

    A Biblical X-Ray into Relationship Dynamics – Part 2

  • 11:05-11:45 AM:
    Practice Session 1

    Identifying Heart Themes and a Plan for Change

  • 11:45-12:45 PM:
    Lunch
  • 12:45-1:30 PM:
    Session 3

    Understanding the Process – The Slippery Slope

  • 1:30-1:40 PM:
    Break
  • PART TWO: CONFLICT COACHING (SESSIONS 4-10)
  • 1:40-2:30 PM:
    Session 4

    The 4 G’s of Conflict Resolution – Part 1

  • 2:30-2:40 PM:
    Break
  • 2:40-3:30 PM:
    Session 5

    The 4 G’s of Conflict Resolution – Part 2

  • 3:30-3:40 PM:
    Break
  • 3:40-4:30 PM:
    Session 6

    Leading People to Please God

  • 4:30-4:40 PM:
    Break
  • 4:40-5:30 PM:
    Session 7

    Leading People to Repent on the Heart Level

  • 5:30-6:30 PM:
    Dinner
  • 6:30-7:00 PM:
    Practice Session 2

    Listening Skills and Hearing Concerns

  • 7:00-7:50 PM:
    Session 8

    Leading People to Repent on the Behavioral Level

Friday, September 23

  • 8:00-9:00 AM:
    Light Breakfast
  • 9:00-9:50 AM:
    Session 9

    Leading People to Love by Forgiving

  • 9:50-10:00 AM:
    Break
  • 10:00-10:10 AM:
    Role Play Instructions
  • 10:10-11:00 AM:
    Session 10

    Leading People to Love by Confronting

  • 11:00-11:10 AM:
    Break
  • PART THREE: THE MEDIATION PROCESS (SESSIONS 11-13)
  • 11:10-12:00 PM:
    Session 11

    Forms, Legalities, Premediation, and Description of the Process

  • 12:00-1:00 PM:
    Lunch
  • 1:00-1:50 PM:
    Session 12

    Mediation (GRACEE) – Part 1

  • 1:50-2:00 PM:
    Break
  • 2:00-2:50 PM:
    Session 13

    Mediation (GRACEE) – Part 2

  • 2:50-3:30 PM:
    Practice Session 3

    Turning issues into strategic questions to be answered and introduction to IPI (Issues, Positions, and Interests)

  • 3:30-4:20 PM:
    Question and Answer and Information

    Question and Answer and Information for Pursuing Specialization for ACBC or Certification with the ICC

  • 4:20-6:15 PM:
    Dinner
  • PART FOUR: ADDITIONAL TOPICS (SESSIONS 14-15)
  • 6:15-7:05 PM:
    Session 14

    Dealing with Those Who Won’t Reconcile

  • 7:05-7:15 PM:
    Break
  • 7:15-8:05 PM:
    Session 15

    Preparing for and Handling Church Conflict

Saturday, September 24

  • 8:00-9:00 AM:
    Light Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM-11:30 AM:
    Mediation Role Play 1

    “Frank and Evelyn”

  • 11:30-12:00 PM:
    Role Play Debrief
  • 12:00-1:00 PM:
    Lunch
  • 1:00-3:30 PM:
    Mediation Role Play 2

    “The Teammate Conflict”

  • 3:30-4:00 PM:
    Debrief