Last week, First Baptist Grand Cayman had the privilege of hosting Ken Sande and Annette Friesen of Peacemaker Ministries for an introductory Peacemaker Conference. We had three nights of general teaching followed by half-day Saturday workshops for women and for leaders and men. It was a wonderful time in the Lord. And as a way of commending the ministry and perhaps a conference to other pastors and churches, I thought I’d share a few reflections from our experience.
1. Excitement and prayer. To prepare for the conference, a couple sisters in the congregation took the lead in organizing a prayer calendar and teams for prayer. I was greatly encouraged to see so many saints give themselves to the tough work of faithful prayer. During the month or so leading to the conference, the prayer team solicited prayer requests. Those requests stimulated more prayer, more excitement, and a greater awareness of the pastoral needs among us. The more people prayed, the more we put our hope in God and shared one another’s burdens. The prayer team has continued and we continue to see blessings from their labors.
2. Teaching and preparation. Also leading up to the conference, we combined our adult Sunday school classes for a church-wide study of The Peacemaking Church. That 8-week study whet a lot of appetites and contributed to the general excitement and anticipation of the church family. I think the Lord made our hearts ready to put into practice peacemaking principles.
3. A gracious model. One of the things that most impacted our church was Ken Sande’s model of humility and transparency. I think we were all challenged by his tenderness and graciousness as we heard him share from his own life, struggles, pains, and hopes. So many people have commented on how he would be brought to tears as he meditated on the gospel or watch a powerful video clip or shared for the umpteenth time an anecdote on peacemaking. We were moved to see a man so moved by what he believes in and has committed his life to. That example of humility and tenderness made the peacemaking principles all the more attractive and encouraging.
4. Cooperation among churches. Cayman Island churches enjoy a long and good history of cooperating in various ways. When we decided to host the conference we knew we could ask support in getting the word out and invite other churches to attend with us. Many of the pastors helped in those ways, one even using a plug for the conference as an application in one of his sermons. We were encouraged to have the fellowship with so many from different congregations. And I’m excited to think about how this might contribute in some small way to even more fellowship, like-mindedness, and cooperation with other pastors and churches.
5. Vision. The Cayman Islands is a small, close-knit community. That means that conflict in the community has a disproportionate impact on the people of the islands. What could be a “drop in the sea” for larger communities can have a flooding effect in Cayman. We were challenged to think of this as a great opportunity. Given our size, it’s conceivable that with God’s help peacemaking can be a culture-shaping, country-wide way of life. Many of us were gripped with the idea of establishing peacemaking teams in various congregations and offices as a service to the church and the community. A thousand peacemakers in a country of 50,000 people could have a formative and lasting impact on our lives and culture.
6. Fruit. The most noticeable thing for me is the evident change already at work in my people and me. People are putting the principles into practice. People are taking major risks to seek and make peace. We’re seeing 4-year old grievances resolved. We’re seeing broken relationships mended. We’re seeing everyday acts of peacemaking take place. We’re seeing the gospel go forth with fresh power and application. It’s happening in the church. It’s happening in the workplace. It’s happening in hospitals and in correctional settings. The work has been viral to this point. There really are too many stories to recount. Part of what sparked this, humanly speaking, was Ken’s visit. We’d completed the 8-week study with some benefit. But Ken’s visit and the conference seems to have ignited much more application. There was perhaps something about the in-person interaction and experiencing the spirit of the teaching that made the notion of peacemaking more do-able and accessible. The folks have had their hearts impacted and that’s been translated into real peacemaking fruit. Of course, the Real Explanation is God the Holy Spirit at work through the gospel application. To Him belongs all the glory. And we’re praising God for the fruit He is producing.
7. More excitement and fruit. We’re also looking forward to having follow-up training in coaching and mediation. A lot of people want to grow even more in this area, and I’m thrilled about that. Hopefully, we’ll have some people pursue training at Peacemaker’s national conference in Orlando in September. But we’re also hoping to have a team come down and work with a group of folks here on the island. Lord willing, that’ll be the next step toward this vision of seeing the island transformed by the gospel of peace.
8. Friendship. I feel like a genuine friendship and partnership has taken place between FBC and the Peacemaker family. I’m glad for that.
9. Working with the Saints. Our conference simply would not have happened without the conference planning committee and a host of other volunteers who took the reigns on various parts of the conference. One gift the Lord gave to me as a pastor was the opportunity to work closely with brothers and sisters I might otherwise not have been able to labor with so closely. Our church is a family, and we love one another. It was a treat for me to see that up-close in this practical way and to have the honor of working shoulder-to-shoulder with the saints. In truth, these folks did all the work and I got to learn from them and enjoy a fabulous time in the word and prayer before, during, and after the conference!
So, think about hosting a conference or using the video study in small groups and/or Sunday school. The fruit of the gospel will be sweet and plentiful.
