"'I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.
Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.’”
(Isaiah 48:17-18)
Christian Conciliation
Respected Problem-Solvers | Experienced, Affordable & Available | No Cancellation Fees
Respected Problem-Solvers
Experienced, Affordable & Available
No Cancellation Fees
What Is Christian Conciliation?
Christian conciliation is a process for reconciling people and resolving disputes out of court in a biblical manner. The process is conciliatory rather than adversarial in nature–that is, it encourages honest communication and reasonable cooperation rather than unnecessary contention and advocacy. Christian conciliation may involve three steps.
Initially, one or both parties may receive individual counseling/coaching on how to resolve a dispute personally and privately using biblical principles. If private efforts are unsuccessful, the parties may submit their dispute for mediation, a process in which one or more mediators meet with them to promote constructive dialogue and encourage a voluntary settlement of their differences. Finally, if mediation is unsuccessful, the parties may proceed to arbitration, which means that one or more arbitrators will hear their case and render a legally binding decision.
What Types of Disputes Can Be Resolved Through Christian Conciliation?
Christian conciliation has been used to settle a wide variety of disputes, including contract, employment, family, personal injury, church, landlord/tenant, real estate, creditor/debtor, and professional conflicts.
How Does Christian Conciliation Differ From Other Types of Mediation?
Christian conciliation is more values-oriented than most other types of mediation. While all mediators will work to help the parties come to a voluntary settlement, many mediators will be reluctant to go beyond this, especially if doing so would require that they evaluate others’ attitudes and behavior from a moral perspective.
In contrast, Christian conciliators make it a point to draw out the underlying reasons for a dispute, sometimes referred to as “matters of the heart.” Believing that God has established timeless moral principles that he has recorded in Scripture and written in our hearts, Christian conciliators will draw the parties’ attention to attitudes, motives, or actions that appear to be inconsistent with those standards. This will be especially true with parties who profess to be Christians; anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ will be encouraged to obey his commands and behave in a manner that will honor him.
What Are the Benefits of Christian Conciliation?
Christian conciliation promotes traditional values, preserves relationships, encourages beneficial change, avoids negative publicity, provides a positive witness, and is relatively inexpensive. In addition, when compared to litigation, Christian conciliation is less constrained by rigid procedures, thus often allowing more creative remedies and faster results.
Another benefit is that Christian conciliators have more flexibility than do civil judges when it comes to hearing testimony or reviewing evidence. Thus, if a dispute involves defects in the construction of a building or the repair of an automobile, a conciliator may personally inspect the building or drive the car. As a result of this flexibility, parties often feel that the facts and issues in the case are given a more personal review than would occur in a court of law.
Christian conciliation is especially beneficial for people who sincerely want to do what is right and are open to learning where they may have been wrong. Conciliators can help them to identify improper attitudes or unwise practices, to understand more fully the effects of their decisions and policies, and to make improvements in their lives and businesses that will help them to avoid unnecessary conflict in the future.
The above information is quoted from
Introduction to Christian Conciliation written by Ken Sande and adopted by the Association of Christian Conciliation Services in 1990, with the understanding that it would be available to “any Christian conciliation ministry, church or other organization or person who wishes to help parties resolve conflicts through Christian conciliation.” It is used with the author’s express permission. For more information regarding Christian Conciliation go to
https://rw360.org/introduction-christian-concilialition/
What Are The Fees For a Christian Conciliation?
Christian conciliations are generally conducted by our two conciliators, Stephen E. Garner and Steve Schneider, as a team. The fees for Christian conciliation vary depending on the number of parties and non-parties participating in the conciliation process, the presenting issues and nature of the conflict, the conciliators involved in providing services, whether Zoom meetings are utilized in the process, the location of the conciliation services, and the length of time services are provided. Conflict coaching, mediation, and arbitration in the Christian conciliation process are generally charged by the hour at the conciliators’ applicable rate, and invoices are to be paid within 30 days of billing. A detailed estimate setting forth the hourly rate of each conciliator is provided to the parties for their review and approval after a free one-hour consultation. Peace Like A River Mediation Services, LLC is committed to providing high-quality services regardless of the parties’ ability to pay and will explore reduced costs and alternative payment options with the parties. A refundable retainer is required prior to the scheduling of Christian conciliation services.
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Peace Like A River Mediation Services, LLC
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