Scenario 4 — Church volunteer conflict

Situation (full narrative)

Rachel helps coordinate volunteers at her church, and most of the time she enjoys the role. But lately things have felt tense with another volunteer leader named Karen.

It started with a few small things — scheduling changes, emails that felt a little sharp, and a couple of meetings where Rachel walked away feeling like Karen had quietly undermined something she proposed.

Rachel cannot point to one big moment where something clearly went wrong. It is more a collection of little interactions that leave her wondering if Karen is frustrated with her or if she has done something wrong without realizing it.

Last Sunday the tension showed up again during a planning meeting. Karen corrected one of Rachel’s updates in front of everyone. The correction itself was minor, but Rachel felt embarrassed and has been replaying the moment in her head ever since.

Now Rachel is unsure how to approach the situation. Part of her wants to just ignore it and hope it settles down. Another part of her keeps wondering if there is something she needs to address directly.

Training exercise

• Write the situation in one sentence without character judgments.
• Separate observable events from assumptions about motives.
• Identify whether the conflict appears to come from misunderstanding, offense, or unresolved tension.
• Note which parts of the story are emotional interpretation rather than confirmed facts.
• Choose one Authority card that places God above the conflict.
• Choose one Identity card so the intercessor remains steady and unbiased.
• Choose one Situation card that best names the relational condition.
• State the prayer focus in one clear sentence.