Jolene Kinser
Having spent much of the time between 1997 and 2020 committed to working overseas in China, Jolene Kinser now lives in southern California. Jolene works as a global Chinese peacemaking ministry developer and educator and as a peacemaking specialist under the South Pacific District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Jolene is passionate about helping people resolve conflict, restore peace, and experience reconciliation both with God and others. Using biblically based principles, Jolene specializes in working with people who are Chinese or who live and work in a Chinese or multi-cultural context. Jolene’s education background includes a BA in Linguistics and Religious Studies from UC Davis (1997), an MA in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Seminary (2002), and a PhD in Intercultural Education from Biola University (2020). For more information, check out Jolene’s website: https://jolenekinser.com.
An Elephant in the Room: Face
In our conflict resolution conversations, conflict coaching, and mediation help, face is sometimes the elephant in the room—if never acknowledged and addressed, reconciliation is hindered. Let’s address the elephant in the room and develop a new God-centered orientation to face.
Opening the Door to Reconciliation
Those I interviewed in China… expressed repeatedly that holding tight to these unexamined views of themselves and their positions was a big hindrance in reconciling relationships. Yet, as their mindsets shifted, a door to potential reconciliation opened.
Heart vs Surface-level Reconciliation
Pursuing heart-level reconciliation can be hard, humbling work. A labor of love. Yet when our love is infused with God’s love—our source of strength to reconcile—we can persevere in the process.
Are You in Conflict?
As Christians in China study biblical peacemaking, many have had personal aha moments…they now see that conflict starts in the heart and that avoiding addressing the root heart issues in order to “avoid conflict,” only results in the heart conflict remaining.
Peacemaking in China
Beginnings
People shared their conflict stories, how they viewed face issues (saving, giving, and losing face), the hindering impact of face on reconciliation, and how God enabled them to set aside face to apologize and forgive…They have demonstrated that conflict resolution and relational restoration in face-saving cultures is possible!