People come to communities of faith seeking not just divinity, but the affirmation of humanity through relationship. And herein lies the difficulty. Close relationships are easily thrown off balance in community. Conflict can be an opportunity for greater intimacy, but all too often it drives us apart. This workshop will take seriously the Quaker tenant that we are all ministers. Family Systems Theory will help us to understand relational dynamics in our Quaker communities. In his book, Generation to Generation, Friedman writes to help clergy deal with healthy and unhealthy patterns of human connection in faith communities. Just as families have patterns of relating that lead to health or harm, so too do communities of faith have recognizable patterns. Using our collective experience, we will seek pastoral interventions to alleviate discord. We will reflect upon how our habits of relating help or hinder dynamics of friendship in Quaker community. Please RSVP (admin@quakersdc.org or 202-483-3310) so we can get an accurate count for lunch and so that we can send optional background reading. 9:45am to 2:30pm.