ABOUT
Our Mission
Dialog Works' mission is to enlarge the capacity of church leaders to establish and nurture sustainable ministries.
Our Core Values
Even though we don’t know where we are going, we know have a companion for the journey.
Realistic
Hope
Hope means we do not walk path alone. Even when we aren’t sure where we are going, we have a companion for the journey. Because we have hope, we have a future. The hope is grounded in the reality of God’s promise to be with us as we travel an unfamiliar road. Dialog Works is a voice assuring our partners of that future.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
We believe our partners possess the wisdom needed to do the work of transformation, and our promise is the help them.
Trusting Relationships
Forming a helping relationship is central to the work we do with congregations and church leaders. Dialog Works builds and nurtures trust in the relationships it establishes with its ministry partners. We believe our partners possess the wisdom needed to do the work of transformation, and our promise is the help them discover and discern their future.
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:13–14)
We work together to cultivate spaces where possibilities can emerge.
Creative Collaboration
“Where two walk, the distance is halved,” and “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” These adages catch the essence of collaboration, which recognizes the gifts we all bring to the work of sustainability and facilitation. Collaboration becomes creative as we cultivate the space where possibilities emerge together.
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. (Romans 12:5–6)
Both within our organization and in our work with congregations, we tell the truth with love.
When things aren’t going well, our human tendency is to deny the reality. Honesty means facing our situation as it truly is. Dialog Works brings compassion to the honesty, telling the truth with mercy. Compassion means to “suffer with,” and so Dialog Works is honest with our partners, not outside of them.
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)
Compassionate Honesty
Dialog Works doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. We know it is important to realize and be aware of our limits and to believe we have something, but not everything, to offer our partners. Our focus is on asking good questions. We are serious about what we do, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we find great joy in this holy and humble undertaking.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)
Joyful
Humility
We are aware of our limitations.
When things aren’t going well, our human tendency is to deny the reality. Honesty means facing our situation as it truly is. Dialog Works brings compassion to the honesty, telling the truth with mercy. Compassion means to “suffer with,” and so Dialog Works is honest with our partners, not outside of them.
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)
Caring
Respect
We respect everyone’s voice.
Our History
In 2015, after a 20-year career as a parish pastor, the Rev. Peter Soli began providing services to congregations, pastors, and parish leaders as the sole proprietor and consultant working under the name Dialog Works. His work was with small, mostly rural congregations facing declining membership, associated financial difficulties, and resulting interpersonal problems.
The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated sustainability challenges and has exploded the number of congregations nearing a tipping point. Soli and others determined there is a need for a larger organization to assist these congregations through the challenging times ahead. Dialog Works the nonprofit organization was born.
Our ministry is to help congregations and leaders address the sustainability issues they face. Our goal is to strengthen and increase congregational capacity to resolve differences, collaborate, and create constructive change.