Jolene Kinser

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.

Blog Entries

Reconciling a Church Split

Regrettably, if you have been a Christian for a while, you most likely have either heard of a church split or experienced one. While many church splits do not have a happy ending relationally, I know of at least one that does…

Blog Entries

Prayer First

Sometimes God keeps graciously nudging our hearts as we pray, gifting us discomfort or a lack of peace until we make things right. Thank God for this nudging so our hearts can be set free, and relationships set right.

Blog Entries

Working Our “Initiate Conversation” Muscle

As long as our motivation comes from a godly desire for peace and reconciliation, seeking clarity in relationships is worth the effort. Someone has to take the first step to initiate conversation. For those seeking to reflect God’s face in relationships, let’s be the ones doing the initiating.

Blog Entries

Transformative Relationships

Self-Control, Prayer, and Reflection

God calls us to exercise self-control and listen well. And while challenging to live out, relating to others in this way is not impossible! Many of those I interviewed in China… described this spiritual fruit growing in their lives and the difference it made relationally.

Blog Entries

Bearing With: Recognizing and Accepting Differences

We are all members of the body of Christ. And while there are appropriate times to leave a particular ministry or church to find another, when the reason for leaving is related to conflict triggered by differences, please pause, and first consider taking biblical peacemaking steps.

Blog Entries

Love In Action

Thankfully, God loves us with actions and in truth whether we are at odds with him or not. Investing in a relationship with someone we are at odds with, assuming it is not an abusive relationship, can reflect that same type of love and have significant impact.

Blog Entries

Gospel Power at Work in the Heart

Gaining a true view of ourselves from God is humbling and freeing and can spur us on to apologize for our contributions to conflict.

Blog Entries

The Benefits of Giving Face

Wu Chunhua described it in this way: “If you give a person face, that person will slowly relax and won’t be as confrontational and resistant in the relationship. The conflict will ease up. It won’t continue to get bigger.”

Blog Entries

When a Gift Is Not Enough

When it comes to receiving an apology, we often want to hear a verbal apology. Yet, how often do we personally avoid giving a verbal apology when we have messed up?

Blog Entries

Barriers to Apologizing, Part 2

Li Qiang said, “Chinese culture has moralized everything. Someone who makes a mistake is seen as flawed, deficient, and having shortcomings. A person who has not made mistakes is morally higher.”