Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict
"It takes practice and intention to communicate well in the midst of conflict."
Download Peaceful Practices Download Conversation Guides
Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families.
To help people to learn to work through divisive issues, MCC U.S. has produced a new adult Sunday school curriculum, Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict. It invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with each other.
Peaceful Practices is also available in Spanish, Prácticas pacíficas: Una guía para una comunicación.
“It takes practice and intention to communicate well in the midst of conflict,” says Jes Stoltzfus Buller, former MCC U.S. peace education coordinator and author of the curriculum. “If we can learn to embody healthy dialogue habitually in interpersonal interaction, it will ripple out and affect our communities and society.”
The curriculum is available in two ways:
- The PDF can be downloaded free of charge.
Print copies can be ordered for a suggested donation of $5.00 per copy.
Groups that are going through a dedicated study of the curriculum will receive complimentary Peaceful Practices bookmarks for each participant and a Peaceful Practices thermos for the facilitator.
For more information, to request bookmarks/thermos or to invite Nathan Toews, MCC U.S. peace education coordinator, to meet with your congregation, email nathantoews@mcc.org or call (888) 563-4676. Learn more about MCC's peacebuilding education program.
The curriculum is divided into nine sessions:
Session 1: Making peace a practice
Session 2: Curiosity—Be curious, inviting diversity of ideas and opinions
Session 3: Discovery—Focus on what matters
Session 4: Engagement—Invite the best in yourself and others
Session 5: Dialogue—Listen together for insights and deeper questions
Session 6: Empathy—Seek to understand rather than persuade
Session 7: Authenticity—Speak from the heart
Session 8: Dignity—Consider power dynamics
Session 9: Transformation—Welcome creativity
Each session contains a peaceful practice, biblical reflection, conflict transformation tool, at-home reflection questions, group activity, closing blessing and resources to go deeper. The curriculum is designed for group study so that participants are able to practice dialogue skills with each other. Those guiding others through the curriculum will find tips for how to facilitate the lessons virtually or in-person. No additional training is needed for facilitators.
Resources for Peaceful Practices curriculum
Peaceful Practices conversation guides
Use these follow-up resources to help congregations dialogue on sensitive topics
#BlackLivesMatter - Can we have a conversation?
Critical Race Theory - How should race education be taught in schools?
Immigration: A theological question? - part 1
Immigration: A broken system? - part 2
The U.S. in international conflict - Korean peninsula