November 6, 2025
Planting the Seeds of Peace in Marriage
Peace isn’t just a seed. It’s a strategy. It’s strength. It’s Spirit. And peace, just might be the generational tree where your legacy rests.
Articles for tag: Peacemaking
November 1, 2023
Fighting for Relationships: Striving for Unity in Politically Divisive Times
By Ben Cachiaras Shortly before his recent unexpected passing, my friend, Christian Standard editor Mike Mack, asked me via email: “How can we love one another in a culture where there is so much sharp disagreement? . . . Would you write something on the challenge of fighting for relationships?” Before his untimely death, the burden on Mike’s heart—and likely many of our hearts—was to see Christ followers navigate the nasty culture wars, the lack of civility, and the political polarization to live out faith in God-honoring ways. “How do we disagree without hating?” he asked. Indeed, some people now
June 2, 2016
Moving from the Method of Meeting to the Mess of Meeting
By Susan Lawrence Encouragement for anyone who sometimes finds church a troubling place. If we insist on avoiding the messiness, we may miss the greatest blessing. Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming. If we decide to go on sinning after we have learned the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:24-26*). Encouraging each
December 16, 2015
Meditating on Peace: December 16
By Becky Ahlberg Wednesday, December 16 Read Ephesians 2:14-22. Jesus is our peace. It was one of his purposes in coming. He was the only one who could destroy “the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (v. 14). He knew our nature and how easily we fall into conflict. He knew we would need help. He knew he couldn”t build the church he wanted without bringing people together and making them see each other as family, not enemies. He knew the walls would have to come down. Are there walls in your life that need to come down? Making peace
May 13, 2015
Tables of Grace
By Jim Tune God has a thing for tables, and many of us can understand why. The Scriptures are full of stories of people meeting around tables and of relationships being formed and strengthened in that space. We resonate with these experiences. In my own life, the best moments with family have taken place around the kitchen table, visiting or enjoying a meal. The table is a place where we can be fully present with one another and develop deeper community. The psalmist connected God with the table in a familiar passage: “You prepare a table before me in the
November 19, 2014
Swords, Plowshares, and Evangelicals
By Jim Tune The Sermon on the Mount has been speaking to me in fresh ways lately. In the tradition of Alexander Campbell, I am trying to read these passages without viewing them through any particular Evangelical, sociopolitical, or theological lens. You can imagine how difficult this is to do. My biases rise up in protest””especially when I read what Jesus taught about peacemaking and loving enemies. Please don”t send me any hermeneutical treatments of the subject. I”ve read them all. But in times of honest reflection, I find myself pushing back when it comes to all the Evangelical escape
April 2, 2013
Embracing Conflict, Spreading the Gospel
By Mark A. Taylor As much as we might like to avoid the subject of conflict at church, the fact is we can”t. In fact, if your church is not experiencing conflict now, it”s safe to say it probably has. Or it will. Our best strategy is not to pretend conflict doesn”t exist or to assume all conflict is wrong. Instead, we”ll do well to anticipate conflict and find godly ways to handle it. The first step may be to embrace the potential of conflict. It”s OK to disagree with each other. Too many Christians harbor the notion that unity
July 6, 2008
A New Movement and the Choices We Must Make
By Greg Taylor There”s a new Restoration Movement on fire and spreading in the United States and the world. For those of us who have passionately believed in Restoration principles of wearing Christ”s name alone, who see Scripture as our only rule of faith and practice, and who are imperfectly living out a dream of being the church Jesus wanted, we have a decision to make. We can continue with the little pickup stickball game outside the World Series stadium, or we can realize the larger Christian world is singing our song and playing our game in the arena. A
September 10, 2006
Preparing for Conflict and Sustaining Peace
Church peace is not the absence of trouble. This article equips leaders to prepare for disputes with humility, Matthew 18 wisdom, and practical steps that model reconciliation for the sake of the gospel.
September 10, 2006
Books for Christians Who Want to Be Peacemakers
A curated list of practical books for resolving personal conflict and navigating church conflict. These recommendations highlight biblical peacemaking, effective dialogue in high-stakes moments, and leadership tools for healthier congregations.
