About 4.5 million students attend the 21,000 elementary and secondary private religious schools in the United States, representing approximately eleven percent of our nation's children. With such a significant portion of the population represented, it is no wonder that Christian educators take so seriously their task to teach students from a biblical worldview—helping them grow in wisdom, knowledge, and maturity, and helping them learn to think critically and biblically about the world around them. These children are the future leaders of our nation, businesses, and churches, and therefore, such an investment in them is crucial.
Despite the Bible-centered foundation laid in Christian schools, conflicts still occur. The board members, administrators, teachers, parents, and students too easily find themselves in heated, destructive conflict. That these conflicts exist is not a big surprise—as sinners, conflict is inevitable.
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"Christian schools have a unique opportunity to respond to conflict in a way that is markedly different."
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But Christians associated with Christian schools have a unique opportunity to respond to conflict in a way that is markedly different. Instead of being filled with rancor, infighting, and even lawsuits, Christian schools should be an example and training ground for how to prevent and resolve conflict in a biblical way. Our very witness for Christ depends on it. As Jesus says in John 17, the world will know that Christ has been sent by the Father when Christians live in unity. What an opportunity to learn and model the very foundation of both Christian education and peacemaking—biblical principles.
The biblical principles of peacemaking do not vary. God's Word is sufficient, and the commands and promises contained in Scripture apply to all conflicts, whether on the playground or in the courtroom. Therefore, if you have not done so already, we invite you to read the Basic Principles and Heart of Conflict articles for summaries of what the Bible says about conflict and how to respond to it. Reading these articles is a good starting place for anyone—teachers, administrators, and students alike.
Helping Students to be Peacemakers
There is no doubt that children can be effective peacemakers, but they have to be taught. The dynamic and life-transforming Young Peacemaker materials are ideal for training students in the basics of biblical peacemaking. The Young Peacemaker curriculum helps children understand conflict from a biblical perspective and experience change at the deepest levels of their hearts. They will learn about confession, forgiveness, respectful appeals, and many other related topics at a level they can both understand and apply. (The Young Peacemaker curriculum is aimed at grades 3-8, but the concepts can easily be taught to younger students as well.)
For older students, we recommend reading The Peacemaker. The truths drawn from Scripture contained in The Peacemaker apply universally—whether to teens or adults. Therefore, high school students should be able to read, discuss, and apply these biblical principles with their classmates and teachers. Also, a series of teachings or Bible studies on biblical peacemaking would likely be appropriate for chapel or Bible class. In these cases, The Peacemaker Seminar (video or audio versions) or the Biblical Peacemaking Bible study would be helpful supporting resources.
The following true story vividly illustrates the power of God that works in the lives of young people to make them true peacemakers:
The Stolen Candy – Lying... blaming... these responses come all too easily to children who are caught in a misdeed. This story demonstrates a different response from a second grader who had learned an important lesson from The Young Peacemaker.
For other additional true stories about young people as peacemakers, click here.
As they learn the concepts of biblical peacemaking at school, students are then equipped to be ambassadors of reconciliation in their own homes. Encourage students to share and apply what they have learned with their parents and siblings. In this way, biblical peacemaking can reach far beyond the walls of the school—into homes and families, and eventually, into communities.
Peacemaking for Teachers and Administrators
While teachers and administrators at Christian schools can teach biblical peacemaking to their students, they also have an outstanding opportunity to demonstrate it themselves. Students watch with great interest as conflicts arise involving staff, board members, parents, and the administration. Again, Christians involved in those conflicts should not respond as the world would respond. They should instead follow the example and admonition of Christ, even in the midst of difficult conflicts. The article A Time to Confront and the true story Confrontation in the Teacher's Lounge demonstrate how biblical peacemaking plays itself out in the lives of two Christian teachers in conflict. You might also be interested in other Articles and True Stories that address how to handle conflict in a biblically faithful manner.
Even as interpersonal conflicts are solved using biblical principles, there is still a strong temptation for Christians to resolve contract or employment disputes through lawsuits and legal action. But 1 Corinthians 6 says explicitly that this is not to be the case for Christians. There are much better ways to handle such conflicts.
To this end, Peacemaker Ministries has worked closely with the Association of Christian Schools International to develop biblical conflict resolution helps and tools, including recommended mediation/arbitration contract clauses:
(Please consult with your attorney before implementing any changes to your policies or contracts.)
Peacemaker Ministries also can provide customized in-service training on biblical conflict resolution for Christian Schools. If you have questions or want to discuss these possibilities further, please contact the Peacemaker Ministries office.
May God bless you as you seek to be a peacemaker in your Christian school. The opportunities and rewards are surely great!
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