What are the implications for a church that decides to take seriously its calling to be a peaceful community? How does this impact its worship, its relationships, the way it equips its members for life and work, the way it responds to global issues?

Alan and Eleanor Kreider wrote a series of articles for Anabaptism Today (you can find all three in the Anabaptism Today archives), in which they explored these issues. The response was so enthusiastic that these articles were revised and turned into a booklet published by the Anabaptist Network, entitled Becoming a Peace Church. Alan and Eleanor are currently working on a further revision, which will incorporate resources and perspectives from around the world.

The ‘Becoming a Peace Church’ course builds on this booklet, offering extensive additional material and questions for reflection.

There are five short sessions and a large appendix that contains the following sections:

• Early Church Fathers on Peace
• Stories of 'God Making Peace'
• Excerpt from Walter Wink's Engaging the Powers
• Why Did Dirk Willems Turn Back? by Joseph Liechty
• 'Peacemaking Imagination' Stories
• 'Peacemaking Worship' Resources
• The Just War criteria
• 'Action for Peace' Stories

Becoming a Peace Church: The Study Guide (58pp, 249KB)
The study guide on the New Ground booklet, Becoming a Peace Church by Alan & Eleanor Kreider