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Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict
Conflict abounds in the church of Jesus Christ. Reconciliation within the body, however, will not happen with the right "method" or "set of principles". In Making Peace , readers are challenged to place their church and all of its dissension under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 5, 2021
Written by the founder and executive director of Metanoia Ministries (the NT Greek word for repentance), this eminently practical book focuses on the biblical approach to addressing church conflicts with an eye towards true, God-honoring reconciliation. After making the case for the root causes of conflict (cultural, structural, spiritual, and theological), the author offers a biblical approach to the theology of reconciliation. Identifying two basic and contrasting approaches - the “right handed” approach which emphasizes truth and mind, and the “left handed approach”, emphasizing love and method. Both of these have something to offer, but a balance should be practiced as in “speaking the truth in love” in Ephesians 4:15.
Four chapters that emphasize the critical function of leadership offer specific, non-biblical approaches to dealing with conflict, under the following titles:
Passive Responders - Why Peacekeeping is Not Peacemaking
Evasive Responders - Why You Can’t Run and Hide
Defensive Responders - Why Your Conflict is Not About You
Aggressive Responders - Leaving Vindication to God
These rich chapters include solid biblical guidance for challenging each style as well as providing real life examples of the damage to the body of Christ that can result. This section closes with a description of the counterfeit peace comes from each of these responses, particularly in relation to leadership.
The final section of the book focuses on the individual church becoming a redemptive community, with the following powerful chapters:
Living Under Lordship: A Call to Submission
Living into the Light: Why We Must Examine and Confront
Confession and Forgiveness: How We Must Respond
Discipline and Restitution: How We Are Re-formed
The epilogue provides seven calls to repentance (recover community, restore holiness, revive spiritual gifts, renew confession, reclaim scripture, reestablish witness, redefine leadership) as well as guidance on developing a “safe place group” to invoke reconciliation and growth.
An exceptional resource for addressing church conflict towards the final goal of reconciliation. The author closes this book with the following statement: “Reconciliation is not invention. It’s not conforming to a set of laws or methods. It is not working more, trying harder, or being better. Instead, it is the spiritual work of God, chipping away everything in you that is not Christ” (page 254).
Four chapters that emphasize the critical function of leadership offer specific, non-biblical approaches to dealing with conflict, under the following titles:
Passive Responders - Why Peacekeeping is Not Peacemaking
Evasive Responders - Why You Can’t Run and Hide
Defensive Responders - Why Your Conflict is Not About You
Aggressive Responders - Leaving Vindication to God
These rich chapters include solid biblical guidance for challenging each style as well as providing real life examples of the damage to the body of Christ that can result. This section closes with a description of the counterfeit peace comes from each of these responses, particularly in relation to leadership.
The final section of the book focuses on the individual church becoming a redemptive community, with the following powerful chapters:
Living Under Lordship: A Call to Submission
Living into the Light: Why We Must Examine and Confront
Confession and Forgiveness: How We Must Respond
Discipline and Restitution: How We Are Re-formed
The epilogue provides seven calls to repentance (recover community, restore holiness, revive spiritual gifts, renew confession, reclaim scripture, reestablish witness, redefine leadership) as well as guidance on developing a “safe place group” to invoke reconciliation and growth.
An exceptional resource for addressing church conflict towards the final goal of reconciliation. The author closes this book with the following statement: “Reconciliation is not invention. It’s not conforming to a set of laws or methods. It is not working more, trying harder, or being better. Instead, it is the spiritual work of God, chipping away everything in you that is not Christ” (page 254).
June 25, 2020
Read this for a class that I’m taking. It was ok. This was geared more toward egregious conflicts within the church. It didn’t offer any practical methods for the usual conflicts that arise between members. The author tries to come up with his own types of conflict styles. This book is very different from your traditional Organizational Behavior “conflict management” book and philosophy.
Yperen’s conflict styles are Passive, Evasive, Defensive, and Aggressive.
In my management graduate program I,instead, learned the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode —collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising.
Yperen’s conflict styles are Passive, Evasive, Defensive, and Aggressive.
In my management graduate program I,instead, learned the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode —collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising.
November 16, 2021
Admittedly, I have only read a couple of books on church conflict. In addition, I am not a pastor where I have a bank of experiences with which I can fully evaluate Van Yperen's analysis and suggestions. However, I thought this was a very thoughtful book which grounds its arguments in scripture. It neither sugar-coats Christian church life, nor paints a picture which destroys the beauty and glory of the bride of Christ. This simply accepts the reality of the church as being an amalgamation of a group of fallen human beings in varying levels of sanctification. A good mix of realism and hope.
Read
September 8, 2020Originally I gave this title 4 stars. I am revising my stars to zero.
The reason I am doing so is that since reading this title, several things about my faith journey and expression have changed and I no longer subscribe to evangelical ideologies.
The reason I am doing so is that since reading this title, several things about my faith journey and expression have changed and I no longer subscribe to evangelical ideologies.
July 2, 2021
This book made you really think - are you the person causing the conflict in the relationship (not just church)? It also makes you really look inside yourself - are you a true Christian or just going through the motions?
April 23, 2023
Amazing Book
Every church leader should read this book. He goes into all of the gritty details when dealing with church conflict and provides a theological and measured response. So good and so helpful!
Every church leader should read this book. He goes into all of the gritty details when dealing with church conflict and provides a theological and measured response. So good and so helpful!
June 17, 2017
Some very good insights into church conflict. This will be worth another read in a few years.
October 7, 2017
A good read about dealing with church conflict
The author gives good examples and discusses how to deal with church conflict. A must read for those involved in the church.
The author gives good examples and discusses how to deal with church conflict. A must read for those involved in the church.
March 4, 2019
Good book and insight on church conflict and the ways in which most churches attempt to deal with it and a bible based process for dealing with the conflict.
September 18, 2024
I'm gonna be thinking about this one for a while.
October 16, 2024
Had to reach for pastor class lol. Decent book about conflict in the church!
September 18, 2025
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ!
I learned SO many reasons repeated issues often occur in the church & how to reconcile and redeem relationships with believers!
I learned SO many reasons repeated issues often occur in the church & how to reconcile and redeem relationships with believers!
September 10, 2026
Read this book for MSOM. As far as a textbook goes it was okay. I did like the real world examples of the conflict types.
March 18, 2011
Making Peace started out a bit on the boring side and finished much better. I was not in total agreement with the author's assessment of the basic causes of church conflict - particularly "commercialism". It would have been good if he had spent more time discussing cultural differences in the church since I think culture causes alot of conflict. For example issues over women's role in leadership, music, dress-code, behavior, attention-span, committment, ministry expectations can all be related to cultural differences.
The second section of the book were more interesting. I liked the description of the 4 leadership styles, but the tone was mostly negative. The author did a good job explaing the styles (passive, evasive, defensive, and agressive. However, the conclusion is that all those styles are negative. Is there a positive style? I am not sure.
Section three tried to wrap things up by discussing peace, reconciliation, and redemption. Some of the practical tips were good, such as how to carry out church member discipline. But I was not really getting the positive application that the first two sections left me looking for.
All-in-all, I recomend the book for Pastors and Church leaders who would like to learn what an experienced conflict authority handles problems in the church. But If you are looking for a book that offers a complete package, including both the good and the bad, you might be disappointed.
The second section of the book were more interesting. I liked the description of the 4 leadership styles, but the tone was mostly negative. The author did a good job explaing the styles (passive, evasive, defensive, and agressive. However, the conclusion is that all those styles are negative. Is there a positive style? I am not sure.
Section three tried to wrap things up by discussing peace, reconciliation, and redemption. Some of the practical tips were good, such as how to carry out church member discipline. But I was not really getting the positive application that the first two sections left me looking for.
All-in-all, I recomend the book for Pastors and Church leaders who would like to learn what an experienced conflict authority handles problems in the church. But If you are looking for a book that offers a complete package, including both the good and the bad, you might be disappointed.
March 10, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it takes a different approach to managing conflict in local congregations. It takes a more "peacemaking" or redemptive approach to managing conflict, about to reconcile those in conflict and restore their relationships. It differs from the majority of books in the field in that it does focus more on the personal side of conflict, how our own brokenness leads to conflict and how our goal should be to restore broken relationships.
One helpful element to this book is the dysfunctional personalities that the author develops as a paradigm for understanding how people react to conflict. The author, while not a located minister nor someone that I think has ever really served in local congregations, has a wealth of consulting experience that really undergirds his thoughts.
On a note of critique, I found myself wishing there were practical, action steps for guiding the reader through the reconciliation process. There are several "calls" to action, yet they are mostly abstract principles that, while important, provide little "on-the-ground" response work from those who are directly involved in the conflict and/or reconciliation process.
Overall, however, I am pleased with this book and feel confident in it as a textbook selection.
One helpful element to this book is the dysfunctional personalities that the author develops as a paradigm for understanding how people react to conflict. The author, while not a located minister nor someone that I think has ever really served in local congregations, has a wealth of consulting experience that really undergirds his thoughts.
On a note of critique, I found myself wishing there were practical, action steps for guiding the reader through the reconciliation process. There are several "calls" to action, yet they are mostly abstract principles that, while important, provide little "on-the-ground" response work from those who are directly involved in the conflict and/or reconciliation process.
Overall, however, I am pleased with this book and feel confident in it as a textbook selection.
October 28, 2019
Some very good ideas fogged in a less than clear writing style.
Want to Read
September 11, 2007So far, the book is great. I'm also in the middle of a difficult church assessment - lots of conflict (I was given this book to read by the head of the team helping this church).
It was SO refreshing to see someone else say a number of things about the Church that I have been saying, thinking, blogging, writing.
- my favorite so far is The 3 Sources: Spirit in me, Spirit in Scripture, Spirit in Community. Without all 3, conflict-to-critical starts to seem like a must. With all 3, conflict resolution is not only possible but helpful.
(3 chapters so far: 10 Sept 2007)
It was SO refreshing to see someone else say a number of things about the Church that I have been saying, thinking, blogging, writing.
- my favorite so far is The 3 Sources: Spirit in me, Spirit in Scripture, Spirit in Community. Without all 3, conflict-to-critical starts to seem like a must. With all 3, conflict resolution is not only possible but helpful.
(3 chapters so far: 10 Sept 2007)
March 29, 2011
This book was recommended to me by the doctoral committee at Northern Seminary. Jim Van Yperen clearly articulates the calling of the church as a redemptive community. I appreciate his insight and stellar theology of the church. May we learn to live out this sort of community in our churches.
January 17, 2012
Excellent! A must read for Southside. Distinctive because he takes a systemic view of conflict.
April 18, 2014
Somewhat helpful but lacks a systemic approach to why people respond the way they do in the first place.
March 3, 2015
For class
Very good read, full of interesting stories and how to biblically keep the peace. . . . . . .
Very good read, full of interesting stories and how to biblically keep the peace. . . . . . .
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews