The Peacemaking Church: 8 Biblical Keys to Resolve Conflict and Preserve Unity

by Curtis Heffelfinger

Publisher:

Baker

, 2018

Overview

Practical tools for the proactive pursuit of unity in your church.

When human beings are involved in any endeavor, conflict is inevitable. But the best fight is the one a church never has to have because its members have been intentionally cultivating practices that lead to peace and preserve unity. Whether dealing with conflict right now or hoping to prevent it later, you will find that the proactive approach to peacemaking outlined in this book will equip you with the knowledge and practices you need to instill in your church leadership and membership.

Key Features

• Helps us see ourselves as peacemakers in the right light
• Contains practical examples and insights
• Connects peacemaking practices to the right doctrine

Contents

• Foreword by Ken Sande
• Introduction: Feeling the Pains That Spoil Unity in Jesus’s Church—the Orlando Grace Story
• Our Best and Nothing Less

Part One: Embracing the Priorities That Preserve Unity in Jesus’s Church

• Seeing Ourselves as Peacemakers in the Right Light
• Shaping Our Approach as Peacemakers with the Right Touch
• Basing Our Thinking as Peacemakers on the Right Doctrine

Part Two: Avoiding the Pitfalls That Threaten Unity in Jesus’s Church

• Murdering: Staying out of “Prison”—the How of Settling Disputes
• Litigating: Staying in the Church—the Where of Settling Disputes
• Judging: Staying off the Throne—the Why of Settling Disputes

Part Three: Mastering the Practices That Foster Unity in Jesus’s Church

• Intercepting Relational Disasters before They Ever Occur
• Honoring Spiritual Leaders for Their Exceptional Work
• Epilogue: Savoring the Pleasures That Accompany Unity

Endorsements

Curt is adept at identifying and applying Scripture in winsome and practical ways to the many types of tensions and conflicts that plague human relationships, especially in the church.

—Ken Sande, founder of Peacemaker Ministries and Relational Wisdom 360

Exactly what Christians need to stop fighting one another and instead turn their attention toward fighting to protect the peace and purity of the church. If you are exhausted from the devastation of church conflict, you will be refreshed. If you are discouraged, you will find hope.

—Tara Barthel, attorney, mediator, and author/coauthor of Redeeming Church Conflicts, Peacemaking Women, and Living the Gospel in Relationships

Don’t miss this beautifully woven, transparent, amazing, and providential journey of grace! You and your church will be better prepared for the uncertain future we all face in a world and culture that seek anything but unity.

—David V. Edling, coauthor of Redeeming Church Conflicts

Product Details

• Title: The Peacemaking Church: 8 Biblical Keys to Resolve Conflict and Preserve Unity
• Author: Curtis Heffelfinger
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 176
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• ISBNs: 9781493420988, 1493420984
• Resource ID: LLS:PCMKNG8PRSRVNTY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:11:33Z

About Curtis Heffelfinger

Curtis Heffelfinger has served in pastoral ministry for more than thirty years. He has written for Tabletalk magazine and served on the steering committee for the Orlando chapter of the Gospel Coalition. He and his wife, Jan, are the parents of six children and have nine grandchildren.