“Over the next three years our Diocesan theme will be ‘Being Together’. We will encourage each other to explore how we can be together in ways that acknowledge difference and disagreement, yet strengthen respect, communication and, ultimately, love. Each of the three years will have a subtheme that approaches ‘Being Together’ from a different angle.”

The subtheme for 2020 is ‘Practising Peacemaking’

The following is a curated collection of suggested tools, resources and activities for parishes, schools and ministries to use. The collection will be expanded over time. If you would like to recommend additional items for this collection, please email pmc@anglicanchurchsq.org.au.

2020: Practising Peacemaking

Practising Peacemaking will focus on acknowledging difference and responding to conflict in ways that are congruent with the values of the Gospel.

Tools

Peace First – Peace Making Tools

While Peacemaking is an everyday activity – how you welcome new people at school, how you deal with conflict among your friends, and the daily decisions you make about how to react to frustrations and disappointments – it is also applying these commitments to tackle bigger problems you see in the world. In fact it isn’t enough to put peace first in your daily life; being a peacemaker means working with others to put these ideas to work toward bigger challenges. These are called Peacemaking projects.

Initiating and implementing peacemaking projects: peacemaking tools

Pace Bene Australia

It is the combination of three elements that constitutes a community of practice. And it is by developing these three elements in parallel that one cultivates such a community…

How to run a community of practice: video and guide

Articles and Resources

Nonviolent communication (NVC)

“NVC is about connecting with ourselves and others from the heart. It’s about seeing the humanity in all of us. It’s about recognizing our commonalities and differences and finding ways to make life wonderful for all of us”

Learn NVC

Nonviolent communication resources

Training/education and mediation/adjudication

(“promoting peace and reconciliation in relationships through Biblical principles and the power of Christ”)

PeaceWise: Christian solutions to conflict

‘Dialogue and grace’

anglican focus reflection (with helpful list of resources) written by Jen Basham, Justice Unit Coordinator.

A Spirituality of Peacemaking: Putting Biblical Principles into Action

by Elfrida Calvocoressi. 2015. Published by Grove Spirituality. Booklet available in the Roscoe Library. Booklet “describes the specific spirituality of peacemaking as experienced by Christian International Peace Service (CHIPS) over the last fifty years.

‘Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats’

Useful summary may be used by churches to help navigate problem solving and encouraging the idea that the lenses (or hats) we wear shape how we approach things.

The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict

by Ken Sande. 2003. This Book is published by Baker Books. “Ken Sande describes powerful biblical principles you can use to resolve everything from simple personal offences to family and marital conflicts, church divisions, business and employment disputes, and complicated lawsuits. Includes practical illustrations and detailed application questions.”

Activities for Adults

Welcome Dinner Project

The Welcome Dinner Project is about “connecting newly arrived people with established Australians over dinner conversation in the comfort of their own home [or church]”

Tangram poem

Arrange the lines of this poem (or another about peacemaking) in any order that creates meaning for you. In a spirit of collaboration, pass your version on to a friend and ask them to do the same:

On the seven board of cunning
You can arrange the pieces
With geographic diplomacy
To make different shapes
If your mind is agile
The continents move so
When the people are at peace
(Poem by Glenn Cassidy)

Activities for Children

Quilt of peace

Ask the children to work with each other to create a quilt of peace. Give each student a 24cm x 24 cm square of fabric (allowing 1cm along each side for the seam) and ask them to draw or write about a situation that concerns them, such as a personal quarrel or a conflict currently happening in the world. Then ask each student to temporarily swap fabric pieces with another child, as well as give each student an additional fresh unmarked fabric square. Ask the students to draw or write about a suggested way of peace being made in their partner’s conflict situation. Finally, have your students work collaboratively as a group to glue or sew the peacemaking and conflict squares into a large quilt.

Five boats of peace

(based on Mark 4.35-41, ‘Jesus Stills a Storm’)

Before the session, draw the outlines of five boats on a piece of butcher’s paper. Write the header ‘Five Boats of PEACE’. Ask the children to discuss ways that they can help create peace in their lives. Write the ideas for finding peace on the boats, such as reading the Bible, forgiveness, saying ‘sorry’, being thankful, asking for help and praying.

Educational Games