How can we show the love of Jesus to the world around us in a language they’ll understand? In this eight-part series, Ben Pierce combines illustrations from years of front-line ministry experience with practical biblical principles to show how Christians can reach the secular world.
Jesus In The Secular World by Ben Pierce
NOVEMBER 2020
Young Peacemakers by Dawn Snellenberger
THE LION'S ROAR
5
You don’t have to search too hard to see that there is a great deal of conflict in our world! From a charged political climate to differences of opinion about the best way to combat the coronavirus, people are at odds with one another. Even fellow believers find themselves in heated debates over a variety of issues. Jesus knew the tendency for conflict, even among His followers, and He prayed for them (us!) to have unity and love for one another (John 17:20-23). Given the present state of affairs, we MUST equip our children to handle conflict in a godly way if they are to model Christ to an outside world. “They will know we are Christians by our love,” right?
Purposeful conflict resolution does not “just happen.” Like any other activity, proficiency comes with repeated practice. Three years ago, CCS adopted a conflict resolution program for students in grades 3-5, called Young Peacemakers. Because conflict is present in every classroom, playground, and lunchroom experience to some extent, it seemed like a worthwhile exercise to give students practical tools to help them navigate these tricky waters. The expectation is that students will start to use common language regarding conflict and apply some strategies to not only take responsibility for their actions but also to help bring restoration to broken relationships. With repeated practice during these important years, the hope is that
students will continue to use these skills as they progress in their education and beyond to adulthood.
Every other Thursday, as the Director of Student Services, I teach a specific lesson to this group of students. After the lesson is presented, a rich discussion of the concepts and tools follows. There are always plenty of real-life situations that arise, so having the opportunity to discuss them in an open way is extremely beneficial. For many students, getting together for Young Peacemakers is a highlight of the week.
Recently, I was covering a lunch duty for one of the teachers when a disagreement arose and I tried to get to the bottom of the issue. One of the students was not taking responsibility for his actions, even though it was plain that this was the major reason for the conflict. Instead, he tried to shift the focus to someone else. That’s when another student said, “It sounds like you’re trying to play ‘The Blame Game,’” which is one of the avoidance techniques discussed in Young Peacemakers. By recognizing this, the student was able to own his part of the conflict, and a peaceful lunch period was able to resume.
Participation in Young Peacemakers is one of the ways CCS is accomplishing its mission “to engage and educate young people to know Christ and be equipped to impact the world for God’s Kingdom.”