The Courage to Repair: Restorative Practices for Community Healing
In a church, differing views about changing familiar worship traditions can leave members feeling unheard or disconnected. Within a family, siblings may stop speaking after a dispute over caring for an aging parent. In a community, differing reactions to the 2026 midterm election results could make conversations between neighbors more difficult and leave them feeling less connected. Even amid disagreement, careful listening and mutual respect can open the door to renewed connection.
Restorative Justice is an alternative approach not only to criminal justice but to the judgmentalness toward others that each of us can carry around like bricks in our souls. This webinar will offer information-sharing, storytelling, and recommendations that might help. It’s aimed at individuals, neighbors, families, congregations, and ministries that want to consider a different approach to reclaiming greater wholeness in a fragmented world.
This free virtual event will be held on Wednesday, December 2nd, from 7:30pm–9:00pm ET/6:30pm-8:00pm CT.
Speakers
Stacey Bartholomew brings a grassroots, community-centered approach to restorative justice. First introduced to the practice in graduate school, she began applying it within her own family before extending her work to people experiencing homelessness and, more recently, her congregation. She founded a nonprofit to share restorative justice practices in her community while also providing housing for people experiencing homelessness. Based in Albany, Oregon, Stacey now leads training to establish a restorative justice team in her congregation and works caring for seniors. Her commitment to “stirring up good trouble” reflects a lifelong desire to keep restoring justice.
Rev. Nora Jacob’s restorative justice work spans correctional institutions, schools, and family settings. A pastor, advocate, and restorative justice leader based in Los Angeles County, California, she serves as the NBA’s Restorative Justice Consultant. Through the nonprofit Restoration & Resilience Alliance, Nora and her team lead restoratively based education classes for people incarcerated for major crimes at California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino, California. Her experience also includes working with justice-involved and justice-impacted youth in Los Angeles County and facilitating dozens of Restorative Conferences in schools and family settings.