At the center of Christian peace is not a philosophy or a practice, it is a person – the God-man Jesus Christ: “For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14a NIV). It is this peace in which everything was created and humanity was called to live. It is this peace, grounded in the person and nature of Jesus, that Christ followers are to reflect into the chaos of the world around them as the imago Dei.
Christ’s church, being the presence of God’s Kingdom on earth, is charged with making and reflecting his peace in the world. Because his Spirit inhabits his people, we as the body of Christ are to take up Christ’s mission to restore peace with God, as well as with others, with ourselves, and with creation. This is reflected in the person and nature of Christ in three ways:
- Christ’s power to restore peace between an individual and God.
- Christ’s desire to establish peace within the community of believers.
- Christ’s call for the Church to extend his peace to the world as we engage individuals outside the family of faith and engage with creation that groans in anticipation of redemption.
Christ commissions his church to be his presence of peace in a world of discord. Triennial 2024 will be all about living into the peace we have in Christ and exploring how we represent Christ’s peace.
Save the date for the next Triennial, taking place in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 11–14, 2024. This is the once-every-three-years gathering of the NAB family from across Canada and United States, as well as far-flung mission fields around the globe. It will be the place to be July 2024.
To keep abreast of the latest Triennial news, such as announcements regarding speakers, registration, delegate information, and more, sign up for the weekly NAB Update email.