Learning Lab · 6 sessions
Have better conversations—even when things get hard.
We all know how to communicate when things are easy. It's harder when we're frustrated, hurt, defensive, or afraid of being misunderstood.
Communicate for a Change is a six-session live learning lab where you'll learn and practice simple skills for listening well, responding with empathy, and staying connected in real-life conversations.
September 8–October 13 · Tuesdays · 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Live online · Small group · $0
Free thanks to our donors.
Good communication is harder when the conversation actually matters.
Maybe you…
- become defensive before you realize it
- get stuck in the same patterns with a loved one
- try to fix things when someone just needs to be heard
- avoid difficult conversations because you're not sure how they'll go
- walk away wishing you had responded differently
These patterns are human. And they can change with practice. Communicate for a Change gives you a place to grow, learn new approaches, and practice.
The learning method
You won't spend six weeks just listening to someone teach.
We believe people learn best by doing. Each week you'll learn one practical relational skill, try it with others in breakout groups, and debrief with the facilitators. Then between sessions you'll practice it in real life, reflect on what happened, and come back for the next skill.
- 1
Learn
Discover practical skills and new perspectives.
- 2
Practice
Practice the skill in a safe, supportive environment.
- 3
Try it in real life
Use what you're learning in your everyday conversations.
- 4
Self-coach
Notice what happened, what you learned, and what made a difference.
- 5
Practice again
Keep practicing and building confidence.
Great Communication Tool
I would recommend this course for anyone and everyone whether you use it in business or everyday life it will be beneficial to you and to those around you.
by Maeva
Meet your learning lab team
Experienced guidance. A welcoming place to practice.
Communicate for a Change brings together decades of relational experience with a supportive, highly interactive learning environment. You'll learn practical skills, practice them with others, and experience a format simple enough to use again in the relationships and communities that matter to you.
Dr. Gary Sweeten
Creator & Teacher
Dr. Gary Sweeten created the Communicate for a Change material and teaches the brief 15-minute video lesson you'll watch before each session.
An international trainer with more than 50 years of experience, Gary has dedicated his career to helping people develop practical skills for healthier relationships and more meaningful connections.
Greg Mathews, MA, LPC
Learning Lab Facilitator
Greg Mathews guides the practice portion of each Learning Lab session through recorded video, helping participants move from understanding a relational skill to actually putting it into practice.
A Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Arts degree, Greg brings professional expertise and a practical, encouraging approach to each session.
And there's a reason Greg's facilitation is on video: Communicate for a Change is designed to be easy to share. If you later want to bring the experience to your small group, staff team, community group, or church, you don't have to become an expert facilitator — the same teaching and facilitation videos can guide your group.
Your Learning Lab Hosts
While Gary and Greg guide the content and practice, Shelli and John help make the live Learning Lab a welcoming place to connect, reflect, and learn from one another.
Shelli Doolin
Learning Lab Host
Shelli creates a warm, welcoming environment and helps foster the kind of space where participants can feel comfortable trying new skills, learning together, and getting the most from each session.
John Hitchens
Group Debrief Facilitator
John guides the group debrief conversations following breakout sessions, helping participants broaden their learning by hearing what others noticed, experienced, and discovered as they practiced.
What you'll learn
Sometimes the way we try to help can get in the way.
Most of us want to listen well, respond with care, and connect with the people around us. But even with the best intentions, some of our most natural responses can unintentionally shut down a conversation, create distance, or make it harder for someone to feel heard. Communicate for a Change helps you notice those patterns—and gives you practical new approaches to try instead.
Weeks 1–2
Notice what's happening
Before learning new skills, you'll begin by becoming more aware of how you naturally respond in conversations.
You'll explore common approaches that often seem helpful in the moment—but can sometimes have the opposite effect. You'll learn to recognize these patterns in yourself and begin noticing what helps conversations open up rather than shut down.
The goal isn't to judge how you communicate. It's to notice it.
Weeks 3–6
Try a different approach
With greater awareness, you'll begin practicing four relational skills we call GREW.
G
Genuine
Learn a different way to be honest and authentic while helping conversations stay open and connected.
R
Respectful
Practice communicating respect—even when you disagree, see things differently, or need to say something difficult.
E
Empathetic
Move beyond simply listening to what someone says and learn approaches that help people experience being truly heard.
W
Warm
Discover how warmth, acceptance, and presence create the kind of relational environment where meaningful conversation becomes possible.
Small changes can make a meaningful difference.
Taken together, these skills give you a different way to approach everyday conversations—especially the ones that aren't easy. You'll practice ways to listen more carefully, respond more intentionally, bridge differences, and stay connected with people who see the world like you do—and people who don't.
Exceptional content to acquire exciting skills
This book and accompanying course has value to enable healthy and purposeful communication. Any time I practice it, I find that the individual with whom I am talking feels valued and willing to open up more easily where needed. I am more confident in relationships with people I have just met or those I have known for a long time.
by Nancy
For the conversations that matter most
Every relationship has moments when communication gets hard.
Maybe you're navigating one of those moments right now. Or maybe things are going well—but you want a deeper connection with the people who matter to you. Because sooner or later, we all find ourselves in conversations where emotions run high, perspectives collide, or someone we care about sees the world very differently than we do.
What do you do in those moments?
How do you stay connected when you disagree? Listen when you feel misunderstood? Be honest without shutting someone down? Respond with care when your instinct is to defend, fix, avoid, or convince?
Communicate for a Change gives you practical new ways to navigate those moments—and a place to practice them before you need them most. Whether it's with your spouse, your kids, your parents, your coworkers, your friends, or someone whose perspective is very different from your own, these are skills you can carry into the relationships that matter most.
You don't have to have relationships figured out. You just have to be willing to notice, practice, and try something new.
The Game Changer in Human Connection Skills
Communicate for a Change Program by Dr. Gary Sweeten blends biblical principles and psychological research to teach practical skills for building genuine, caring relationships. It helps people express empathy and respect in ways that make others feel truly valued without trying to fix their problems empowering everyone from parents to leaders to create meaningful connections. As an Executive Coach, I recommend this program.
by Philip
Ready to try a different way?
You don't have to wait until a conversation goes wrong to learn a better way to navigate it. Join us for the next Communicate for a Change Learning Lab and begin practicing skills you can use in the relationships that matter most.
September 8–October 13 · Tuesdays · 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Live online · Small group · $0
Free thanks to our donors.
A few things you may be wondering
Ready to jump in?
Make the commitment to six sessions of learning, practicing, and growing—and you may begin to notice positive changes in yourself and in the relationships that matter most.
Partway through a recent Learning Lab, one dad shared that one of his adult children had said to him:
“I don't know what's different Dad, but we've had some of the best conversations recently.”
He knew what was different. You can too.
Communicate for a Change
September 8–October 13 · Tuesdays · 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Live online · Small group · $0
Upcoming cohorts
Join a live cohort
Each cohort is a small, guided group that meets live for six weeks. Sign up below and you'll be taken to the Relational Peace learning platform to complete registration.
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