Christ’s invitation to live as peacemakers calls the church to embody the ministry of reconciliation that brings about God’s Shalom vision. MCC Peace Education provides resources and speakers to address a Biblically-rooted peace theology and encourage social justice projects as a response to Jesus’ call to be peacemakers.  Browse our peacebuilding focus areas below to learn more about our programs and see how you can be involved in creating God’s shalom!

    Learn more about the new adult Sunday school curriculum, Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict.

    Conflict transformation training

    We are called to be ministers of reconciliation, as Paul reminds us in 2 Cor 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…”  In response to this call, MCC offers resources for healthy dialogue training and conflict transformation.  Through workshops, speaking engagements, Sunday School materials and other resources, we provide tools that help us integrate our response to conflict and difference with our discipleship.   

    MCC Photo/Brenda Burkholder

    Peace education for young people

    We believe that it’s important to invest in young people, and to begin teaching peacebuilding at a young age. We offer curriculum, seminars, conferences and peace camps to children, youth and young adults. 

    One of the ways we promote peacebuilding with young people is through Peace Camps. Children, teenagers and young adults learn to recognize conflict and use nonviolent approaches in their schools. Through stories and role plays, they learn about respect, self-esteem, different perspectives and creative ideas for responding to conflict and injustice. 

    A group of people smiling giving peace signs MCC photo/Christy Kauffman

    Gun violence prevention

    Churches all around the country are seeing violence and guns affect their communities, be it through the news, mass shootings, suicide, neighborhood violence or other ways.  As a people of God, we need to grapple with what a faithful response to this reality is. 

    The following are some ways MCC works to reduce violence and offer tools for others to partner in this important work:

    MCC photo/RAW Tools

    Working against Militarism

    MCC’s work reflects our belief that true security is built through friendship, mutuality, diplomacy, economic development and equitable sharing of global resources – not through military power.  Peace Education offers resources on how our faith leads us to build peace rather than join society’s reliance on violence and our nation’s pursuit of war and militarism.  In addition to working for peace and nonviolence in countries around the world, MCC:

    • Advocates for reducing U.S. military expenditures and spending more on life-giving programs
    • Helps Christians explore what it means to be peacemakers in a dominant military power
    • Offers stories, curriculum and other resources for congregations wanting to engage with military veterans, conscientious objection and other aspects of militarism
    • Provides resources and stories on Christians who witness for peace by redirecting their war tax dollars

     

     

     

     

    Related U.S. programs

    Ben's story
    C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest
    Conscientious objection
    East Coast

    In the East Coast, peacebuilding is woven into all of our programs. Carrying out a ministry of action rooted in the New Testament and Anabaptism, we work with constituent churches and conferences on education and advocacy. Focus areas include:

    • Anabaptist identity
    • Bridging theological, cultural and ethnic divides
    • Peace and justice education
    • Mediation and counseling
    • Trauma awareness and resilience practices
    • Anti-oppression application
    • Gun violence prevention
    • Mass incarceration, restorative justice and state criminal justice reform
    • Immigration
    West Coast

    West Coast MCC’s Border Peacebuilding initiative contributes to the development of safer, more secure communities on both sides of the US/Mexico border by reducing violence and healing trauma. Our focus is providing capacity building opportunities to community-based organizations, churches, educational institutions and other grass-roots community groups. The capacity building activities are designed to connect these groups to resources and evidence-based practices.

    WCMCC facilitates learning processes that enable local groups to become the trainers and content experts in their contexts.  Through engaging local groups in dialogue-based training, knowledge, skills and capacity to pass on what they have learned to others allow them to become resources in their communities.

    In order to build peace within the Nogales, Arizona and Mexico regions, WCMCC and MCC Mexico are joining with:

     

    Related West Coast programs

    Reedley Peace Building Initiative
    Young Adult