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Welcome to our blog site.  The principles, ideas, approaches and materials presented here are derived from what has been used and found helpful in the work of the Edgehill Theological College Reconciliation Programme.  Like most things in life there is probably nothing original here but hopefully this compilation will give you some fresh insights and alternative perspectives. We wanted to share some of what we have been learning because we think it’s good, transferable and relevant.  We are interested to know if any of this is useful to you in your context.  We want this site to be interesting, easy to use and challenging, so please let us know what you think.  We will be committed to adding to it and keeping it reasonably up to date. 

When we walk our way and encounter a man who comes towards us, walking his way, we know our way only and not his; for his comes to life for us only in the encounter. 

-Martin Buber, I and Thou

Reaching Out in Unity

The understanding that we are all children of God called to love and serve, gets to the heart of Christianity. In my view, this is most often the place of unity. It is remarkable in Ireland how responses to migration have led to ecumenism. In welcoming new residents, Christian churches in Waterford, Limerick, Lisburn, Dundalk, Galway, Newry, Killarney, Cork, Dublin, and Belfast and so on have come together, were drawn together through their compassion.

A Catholic nun, for instance, would be teaching English in a Church of Ireland hall to people who were seeking asylum or a Presbyterian, Methodist and Quaker would be organising a Friendship Club and providing advice to new residents. The point is that none of the cases I have encountered were individuals or churches trying to be ecumenical; rather, they simply united as they sought to address needs and were inspired by the Spirit to love and serve.

 

There is something about a ‘common cause’ or a ‘shared interest’ that brings people together. I believe that the more churches on the island of Ireland take up the call to welcome, the more unity we will see. I also observe that this in not only restricted to local church networks, but also it is reflected in inter-church relationships at higher leadership levels.

It is surprising (or maybe it is not) that the churches that have reached out and embraced newcomers have been re-vitalised, grown in numbers and been blessed. Churches who have learned to share their space, to face the challenges of inter-culturalism and to accept people warmly into their community are reaping the rewards of their love. They are also being challenged to confront serious social issues (e.g. racism and human trafficking) and to look at their way of doing things (e.g. welcome and worship).

Responding to these challenges brings life and hope. I think that it also leads people to look at how welcoming and helpful they are to those who have not migrated, to those people who are their neighbours who do not go to church and to those who go to other churches as well as to people of other faiths. Migration is a powerful catalyst with the potential to transform positively a local church and community as well as inter-church relations generally.

- Contributed by Dr. Scott Boldt, Reconciliation Officer at the Edegehill Reconciliation Programme, Belfast

Benvindu... Witamy...Welcome

Click here for a Welcome Poster for you to download and print. 


While a poster can't speak as loudly as a personal 'hello', it can serve as a first step in making people feel welcome into a new space.

Do you already have a welcome poster displayed in your church or other public area? Have you ever heard a story about someone who decided to enter the building because of the sign?

We'd like to hear your stories of when you, or someone you know, was made to feel welcome. 

Hospitality Around the Table

                                           Consider this…

A church was moving towards closure when they determined through prayer simply that they shall remain open. They had no other mission or plan except to continue to exist. Shortly thereafter, new faces began to show themselves in the church. The response of the congregation was one of warm welcome. Crucially, in my view, the minister modelled this hospitality by having new people to his home for dinner each Sunday.

Church on a Sunday may be a place for welcome, but the home and a dinner table are the places for community and relationship.

Being invited to dinner in someone’s home is a special gift. You are brought not just into the home but into their life and into their family. You can see things that they value, how they relate to their children and who the person is outside of the role in which you have first encountered them.

 Sharing a meal with the minister communicates acceptance. Moreover, the minister gets to know the guests - their stories, their gifts, their needs. Connections are formed so that subsequent meetings build on the relationship. Such a gesture encourages other people in the church to extend the same kind of hospitality. These actions build community, make people feel welcome and open up the church.

If you were to visit today the church that was close to closing its doors, you would be struck by its diversity, but this is not all. If you observe who greets you at the door, who is making the announcements or doing a reading and who is serving on the leadership team, it is clear that people are no longer guests but a real part of the church.

- Contributed by Dr. Scott Boldt, Reconciliation Officer at the Edegehill Reconciliation Programme, Belfast

From Welcome to Acceptance

There is an important point in a host-guest relationship when the guest takes up residence. We do not have to welcome them anymore (we can swap the china cup and saucer for a mug) and, indeed, they probably are welcoming new people at this stage. They are no longer a stranger or visitor, but a familiar face and friend. In fact, they are not ‘they’ but ‘us’ – if we let them. The struggle is whether we allow them to be involved meaningfully in our church and community.

Do we see it as our church or as God’s church? Is the church our building or the people who are here today? Since the host holds the power, it is a choice. To say ‘yes’ will entail levels of uncertainty, change and ambiguity. To say ‘no’ is to dismiss Jesus. If the response is a ‘yes’, it is at this point that all kinds of things can open up and be revealed.

People will often begin to see that most of what happens in a church on a Sunday is cultural – the way people dress, the time we start, how we greet one another, the style of worship, how a collection is taken up, how long the service lasts, how or if people respond verbally to a sermon, what people do when it is finished.

Newcomers often ask the ‘stupid question’ – Why do you do that? Since culture is mostly our underlying values and ‘the way we do things around here’, most of our practices are habitual (traditional/customary), and we do them because that is what we do. It is only if these basic assumptions are questioned that we ourselves might engage with the question and wonder why we have to do ‘it’ that way.

Sometimes there are good reasons for doing it that way, sometimes there were good reasons, but they no longer apply, and sometimes there is no good reason at all and maybe we ought to stop doing that. More often than not nothing will be noticed, questioned, challenged or changed unless fresh eyes observe and raise the issue – How will we respond?

In one church, a decision was made to start taking up the offering collection in a new way. Instead of sending baskets back and forth down the pews, the congregation was asked to bring their offering up to the front. This change was made simply because a number of new people who had been coming to the church were accustomed to doing it that way. Both ways are equally valid activities for taking up a collection. The change was a way to honour and validate the ‘new crowd’ and to do something in a way that was customary to them.

Was changing the way the collection was taken an easy thing to do in the church? Why should we have to change when we have been doing it this way for years? What is wrong with using the baskets? How come they do not have to adapt to the way we do things? Why do I have to get up and walk to the front?

The main answer to these questions, I suppose, was that it does not matter how we take up the collection and we certainly can continue to do it the way we have here; however, if we change, it will affirm those who have become part of us and may make them feel more a part of the community. It may also help us to see that what is much more important than any of our habits, cultural values or particular identity is our shared Christian identity and values – we are, all of us, children of God called to love and serve.



- Contributed by Dr. Scott Boldt, Reconciliation Officer at the Edegehill Reconciliation Programme, Belfast

‘Riding the Wave’

Stephen McCartney

Stephen McCartney, student at Edgehill College, Belfast, reflects on his experience of a peace-building initiative in Tuzla, Bosnia.

In January, three of us from Edgehill College set out on an adventure to Bosnia. Scott Boldt, who works for the Reconciliation Programme that is based in Edgehill College, took Pauline Whan and me (Stephen) to the city of Tuzla in the North East of Bosnia.

 Bosnia is a beautiful country, which has been deeply affected by war and is now facing economic hardships without the help of the EU. The aim of our trip was to meet the local church in Tuzla and work alongside them as they do mission. The church in Tuzla has an ingenious outreach called ‘Wave’, which is an organic approach whereby the church reaches out in love and service to the community. This ‘Wave’ is invisible as the church asks for no return from those it serves, but it is powerful as many lives are impacted. ‘Wave’ is also moving, as similar projects are being set up in 18 other countries! (See http:wavecommunity.blogspot.co.uk/)

The church in Tuzla is small: about 20 Christians gather twice weekly in an upstairs apartment. Ti’s not an old church and it’s not a big church, but it is certainly a church on the move. All the activities that the Christians engage in are covered in prayer and the volunteers who come to help are welcomed with open arms. Bosnia is a predominantly Muslim country but people there are quite relaxed in their faith and open to hearing the good news of Jesus. The vision that this small church has for reaching people is vast and there’s such a need for hope in Bosnia.

Wave Intensive Course

We helped teach English to over 100 people who came daily to the ‘Wave Intensive English Course’, which runs for two weeks. This was done in three small rooms where the church meets, rotating rooms in between classes. It was quite a task to get that many people into the small space that we had, while serving them tea and coffee and correcting homework! While we were there we had great times of fellowship – building friendships and sharing food together. The sense of community that we experienced in Bosnia was amazing. The people care for each other deeply. When you enter a home it’s mandatory to take off your shoes and greet everyone with a handshake or a hug. This welcome really breaks the ice and strengthens bonds between folks.

Scott, Sanija, Pauline and Stephen

We also had the opportunity to help with the church’s orphanage ministry. The need for mentors to act like big brothers and sisters to the children in the orphanage is huge. In the orphanage the children are given clean clothes, and warm beds to sleep in, but it’s impossible for the small number of staff there to care for all their emotional and physical needs. When the children are too old to remain in the orphanage many of them slip off the rails, drifting into crime or prostitution. The intervention and help that the ‘Wave’ volunteers are giving is really changing lives. The mentors work one-to-one with the children, helping them with their homework, talking through issues, building friendships. The time that the volunteers give is huge; they meet with the children twice a week, all coming together as a group beforehand for training and prayer.

The three of us took precious experiences away with us. Bosnia has certainly remained in our hearts. As we reflect on all that happened, we value the friendships that we made there and hope to see our new friends again soon. It is truly encouraging to see what God is doing among our European neighbours. 

Home

Welcome to our blog site.  The principles, ideas, approaches and materials presented here are derived from what has been used and found helpful in the work of the Edgehill Theological College Reconciliation Programme.  Like most things in life there is probably nothing original here but hopefully this compilation will give you some fresh insights and alternative perspectives. We wanted to share some of what we have been learning because we think it’s good, transferable and relevant.  We are interested to know if any of this is useful to you in your context.  We want this site to be interesting, easy to use and challenging, so please let us know what you think.  We will be committed to adding to it and keeping it reasonably up to date. 

When we walk our way and encounter a man who comes towards us, walking his way, we know our way only and not his; for his comes to life for us only in the encounter. 

-Martin Buber, I and Thou

What the Bible Says About the Stranger

"Religion continues to be a powerful persuader in our societies. This is increasingly recognised in our post-modern world. One of the tasks of believers is to look to their foundational texts and see how the urgent human and ethical questions of the day are reflected in them. In the case of the Christian churches, our classic text is the Bible, which, significantly for our theme, is itself multi-cultural, both Jewish and Christian, in origin. The very collection itself is “trans-national”, in a manner of speaking.

What does the Bible have to say about the way foreigners and refugees are treated?

What does the Bible have to say about cross-cultural and cross-community issues?

Given that the Bible is both a reflection of human experience (static fact) and a resource for profound change (dynamic ideal), we find in the Bible both the fact of discrimination and ethical ideals which challenge and eventually undermine any abuse of other human beings on the grounds of race, religion, gender and so forth. Thus we may find for today material in the Bible which helps us to recognise discrimination and arms us in the struggle against it...

For our Irish context, where discrimination on the basis of religion has not been unknown, it seems important to add that, while here we are dealing primarily with racism, immigration and asylum seeking and therefore, in the first instance, with foreigners who come to our shores, cross-community issues are not at all to be excluded. It is often the case that the near neighbour is a greater stranger than the (safely) distant foreigner."

does the Bible have to say about the way foreigners and refugees are treated? What does the Bible have to say about cross-cultural and cross-community issues? Given that the Bible is both a reflection of human experience (static fact) and a resource for profound change (dynamic ideal), we find in the Bible both the fact of discriminationideals which challenge and eventually undermine any abuse of other human."

Quoted on page 3 from the Prefeace of What the Bible says about the stranger by Kieran J O’Mahony OSA. The Irish Inter-Church Meeting, AICCMR (All-Ireland Churches' Consultative Meeting on Racism) Belfast, 2nd edition, 2009.

For a PDF copy of this resource, click here.

Hear My Voice

Hear My Voice 1 As Simple as ‘Hello’?

Hear My Voice 2 Overcoming language barriers

Hear My Voice 3 A teenager’s Story

Hear My Voice 4 Finding Direction

Hear My Voice 5 Children’s Stories

Hospitality in Action

There are many groups and organisations that work towards building peace. Each initiative is slightly different, focusing on and emphasising different things. The following organisations approach their mission of reconciliation and peace-building with an underlying principle of hospitality. For more information, click on the names below.

 The Corrymeela Community

For over forty years, The Corrymeela Community has been at the forefront of learning and practicingreconciliation. The document “Learning in Corrymeela” outlines some of the significant learning that has taken place, including a vision focused on openness and hospitality. For Corrymeela, hospitality and reconciliation go hand-in-hand. The importance of relationships formed out of meeting and encountering, creating a ‘safe space’ and building community are among the points of wisdom that have been learned over Corrymeela’s decades of work in reconciliation. For more information, visit Corrymeela’s website.



WAVE

A peace-building initiative in the Balkans, WAVE brings people from a variety of backgroundstogether who would otherwise not meet. Using English language classes and by providing opportunities for people to volunteer together, WAVE invites people to come together to learn and serve others. By extending hospitality to the local community and by providing opportunities for building community, WAVE has made a significant contribution towards peace-building in the city of Tuzla, Bosnia, as well as in seven different countries.

Hospitality & Immigration

While extending hospitality as an individual or even as a church can seem complex at times, the issues surrounding hospitality on a national level are all the more difficult and nuanced as we face questions of legality and ‘rights’. Often the debate surrounding immigration starts from a position of defence: how can I counter the argument put forth that ‘our’ society is threatened by an influx of people from another country? It can be helpful to know statistics and the latest research to assist in developing counter-arguments to challenge unhelpful stereotypes and myths, but is that really the best place to begin?

As a Christian, it seems as if there is another place we might begin the conversation on immigration and the complexity of issues surrounding it. What would happen if our starting point was the Bible? What might we find in the text that could help us explore this issue further?

These questions, among others, are explored in the publication “Immigration and the Bible” published by Mennonite Mission Network (USA). While it’s written from the perspective of a North American, the Biblical commentary and challenges are universal in scope and have something to offer us all, especially the reminders that all people are created in the image of God, migration is a part of the Biblical story, the Old Testament laws helped the vulnerable in concrete ways and that the epistles called the church to have an hospitable spirit towards the ‘outsider.’

Watch the clip from A Beautiful Mind.  While class is happening construction workers outside make too much noise to keep the windows open, but the room is very warm. Watch how the girl seeks to solve the problem.



Of course conflict is rarely this easy.  Stating clearly and directly what the core issues are, rather than framing it as two competing positions can help bring clarity to the conflict.


What kind of situations will collaboration be successful?


What are the limitations of trying collaborate in conflict?


Should we always try to collaborate in conflicts?

EMBRACE

EMBRACE is a group of Christians working together to promote a positive response to people seeking asylum, refugees, migrant workers and minority ethnic people in Northern Ireland.

Check out the EMBRACE website for up-to-date information on migration in Northern Ireland and the issues surrounding it.

Watch this clip from The Three Amigos.  As they journey through the desert two of them are without water while the third has it in abundance.  



In this part of the clip the two without water simply watch as the third drinks and wastes the rest of the water. 


What do you think they are feeling?  


By not saying anything does it mean a conflict doesn't exist? 


Will the conflict simply go away or might it emerge later?


When do you think avoiding conflict is good?


When do you think avoiding conflict can be harmful?

Lenses of Conflict Transformation

Conflict Transformation as envisioned by John Paul Lederach is to view conflict as normal and continuous and an opportunity for transformative and constructive change. In order to do this, he suggests, we must learn to view conflict through three different lenses.


Lens 1: We need to look at conflict and see the immediate situation. What are the immediate problems and expressions of the conflict? What is happening now?


Lens 2: We need to look at conflict and see the underlying patterns and context. What is the nature and history of the relationships involved? Over time, how has the conflict been expressed or changed?


Lens 3: Finally, we need to be able to look at conflict and see a framework that connects lens 1 and lens 2. How can we address the immediate situation and problems while at the same time address the deeper underlying issues?





The goal of Conflict Transformation is to end something destructive and to create something we mutually desire.


Watch the video clip above and view it using the three lenses of Conflict Transformation. What is the immediate conflict situation? What might the underlying relationship and issues look like? In what context is the current episode of conflict being played out? How can we address the current conflict situation, but also look at the deeper overall context in which the conflict is taking place?
Source: Lederach, John Paul.  The Little Book of Conflict Transformation.  Intercourse, Pennsylvania:  Good Books, 2003. 


Next: Bound Together or Divided through Conflict?


Further Reading:
Essay by John Paul Lederach on Conflict Transformation

Conflict in the Bible

Conflict in the Bible
a compilation of scripture

Galatians 2:11
  ¹¹ When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

Genesis 27:34-35 
     ⁴ When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, Bless me— me too, my father!
    ³⁵ But he said, Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.

John 8: 42-43
   ⁴² Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.    ⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.


Genesis 32: 24-26 
²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
    ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
    ²⁶ Then the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak. But Jacob replied, I will not let you go unless you bless me.

1 Samuel 17:28
²⁸ When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.


John 8:48-49
  ⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?
    ⁴⁹ I am not possessed by a demon, said Jesus, but I honour my Father and you dishonour me.

   

Mark 9:33-34
 ³³ They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, What were you arguing about on the road?    ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.


Judges 8:1
¹ Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian? And they criticised him sharply.

Ruth 1:20-21
²⁰ Don't call me Naomi, she told them. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
    ²¹ I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.


Mark 8:11-13
¹¹ The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.
    ¹² He sighed deeply and said, Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.
    ¹³ Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.


James 4:1-2
 ¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?    ² You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.


Romans 12:20
²⁰ On the contrary:
   If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Matthew 3:7
⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Exodus 18:17-18
¹⁷ Moses' father-in-law replied, What you are doing is not good.
    ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

Acts 8:20
²⁰ Peter answered: May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
    ²¹ You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.


Genesis 37:19-20
¹⁹ Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other.
    ²⁰ Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams.


Genesis 20:9-10
⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.
    ¹⁰ And Abimelech asked Abraham, What was your reason for doing this?


Matthew 21:12
¹² Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves.


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Scenario 5

A minister has recently been appointed to a new church. The first few months were great and she was very popular among the congregation. Recently an article she wrote many years ago has been circulating among members of the congregation by someone who found it on the internet. Many in the church found that the article did not reflect core aspects of their theology. Even though she never brought up the issue in question, many felt they could no longer trust her. Instead of talking with her and asking for an explanation of her position, they began circulating a petition for her removal. The church became divided between those who were for her staying and those who wanted to see her go.

Questions: How should the minister respond? Outline what you would do in this situation?


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Scenario 4

Over the past fifteen years there has been a gradual influx of migrants into the community who have started attending the church. The church has always been welcoming and hospitable to the newcomers. Over time certain traditions and customs have slowly changed, and some done away with, reflecting the changing demographics of the church.

Many of the lifelong members of the parish have started growing bitter about the changes. They feel like this is “their church” and that they should have more power and influence. They still want the church to be welcoming to new people, but feel that newcomers should adapt to “their way” of doing church instead of the church adapting to newcomers.

Questions: How could have the issues been addressed so that people did not grow bitter? Can a church be truly welcoming and not change?


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Scenario 3

A new church has recently been planted and has started to meet regularly. There is an appointed pastor of the church and a small group of people who meet regularly to plan worship and to make necessary decisions. As the church has grown, many have started to feel like the small group of people has too much power in the church and doesn’t reflect the variety of perspectives of the growing congregation.

Although largely unspoken, behind the scenes there have been several personal confrontations about the power of the small group. There is an increasing sense of division in the church that has not been formally addressed or talked about.

Questions: Was it better for people to confront the issue behind the scenes rather than have an open conversation? If so, why? How can members focus on core issues rather than personalities?


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Scenario 2

There has been a long standing conflict in the church over the style of music and worship used in a Sunday service. The congregation is divided over preferring more traditional music and hymns and those who like contemporary music. An effort has been made to incorporate both styles of music into the service, but has been met with dissatisfaction from both sides. A decision has been made to begin offering two morning services representing each style of worship.

Many are happy with this decision, while others from both sides feel like this just encourages division and is a precursor to the church splitting up.

Questions: Is there an alternative to compromise in this scenario? If so, what is it? Does the preference for different music styles mean that the church is not united?


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