A Culture of Peace

by John Kimball, CCCC Director of Church Development

In the CCCC, we want each of our local churches to develop and live out “a culture of peacemaking and reconciliation.” This peace is not just the absence of conflict. In fact, if a church is living out the gospel ministry correctly, she will always experience conflict because new people are being continuously reached, and they come into the fold with their “stuff.” The key is that the church knows what to do with that “stuff,” and the conflicts are resolved as they arise. The continuous conflict we face as a congregation is really just new conflict after new conflict bubbling up and being resolved in sequence. This is part of the mission of Christ’s church and is nothing to fear.

The actual problem churches face today is not the presence of conflict, but the presence of ongoing, unresolved conflict. The layering effect of unresolved conflict over a period of years (in some cases, generations) will eventually destroy any local congregation. It certainly destroys her Christian witness to her community. Congregations divide — with some folks giving up or giving in “just to keep the peace” while others vie for control so that they can “maintain the peace.” Both are deception. Neither is peace because there is no gospel reconciliation. And neither of these honors King Jesus.

So what does a congregation that is truly at peace look like? The following is a non-exhaustive list, but it does provide seven key traits such churches typically have in common:

1. Everyone (beginning with children) is consistently taught how to use biblical peacemaking in their own relationships and is expected to do so.
2. Personal peacemaking is demonstrated in the lives of all leaders, including the pastor.
3. People’s agendas are never allowed to take precedence over relationships.
4. Confession of wrongdoing is a normal part of life for people in the church family.
5. Forgiveness is fully understood and granted whenever it’s needed.
6. Accountability is both expected and requested within the church family.
7. The people of the congregation are known for their humility out in the community.

The community I now serve as a local pastor is filled with people who have walked away from the church. Some have been hurt. Others have been frustrated or angered. Many hate how the gospel has taken a back seat to “evangelical politics.” But one of the most common reasons people have left the Church is because of unresolved conflict. And what’s important to realize is that not all of these folks were actually parties to the conflicts they observed! Many just simply got sick of the fighting they saw in church after church.

So important is this culture of peace that the CCCC Church Development Team begins with biblical peacemaking training in every congregation before the church can enter the LifeFlow process with us. Every church can do better.

As you review the above list of traits, how does your own congregation measure up? For churches that are truly interested in becoming more like that list, the CCCC can come alongside and help. Would you like more information? Contact the CCCC Office at (651) 739-1474 today.