August 17 - October 19, 2026
Mondays, 3:00-4:30pm Central Europe & Central Africa Time
Explore faith, peace, justice, and discipleship in community.
Many Christians today find themselves reexamining aspects of the faith they inherited. Questions about violence, justice, the Bible, salvation, hell, the cross, evangelism, and the mission of God can feel deeply disorienting — sometimes liberating, sometimes painful, and oftentimes emotionally and spiritually costly. For many people, these questions touch on their identity, relationships, belonging, and understanding of God itself.
“Reimagining Faith: A Journey Toward Shalom” is a 10-session online small group designed to help participants process these questions in community and explore Christian faith through the lens of shalom — God’s vision for holistic and just peace.
In this guided journey of reflection and theological exploration rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus, participants will engage Scripture, diverse Christian perspectives, and peace-oriented theology while learning alongside others who are also asking honest questions.
We welcome everyone to the group regardless of financial means. However, if you’re able, we encourage you to give a donation to Peace Catalyst to help cover the time and effort it takes to put on this event. Your donation will also help us offer more free events in the future and bring peacebuilding tools and trainings to under-resourced communities. Depending on your ability, we suggest a donation of $20, $50, or $75 for this 10-week group. You’ll have the opportunity to donate after you register.
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This group is for Christians who:
Want to explore peacebuilding, justice, and reconciliation as central to Christian discipleship
Feel tension between inherited beliefs and the way of Jesus
Are navigating doubt, faith shifts, reconstruction, or spiritual transition
Want a healthier, less polarized way to engage difficult theological questions
Long for thoughtful, grace-filled conversation rather than certainty-driven debate
Are looking for ways to connect theology with everyday life, justice, and peacemaking
Participants from a wide range of Christian traditions and backgrounds are welcome.
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Our ten sessions will include the following discussions:
Meet & Greet: An introductory session to hear about participants’ faith journeys
Missio Dei: What Is God doing, and what is our role?
Reimagining Faith: What do we keep and what do we rethink?
The Bible: What is it and what do we do with it?
Divine Violence: What about God’s dark side?
Salvation: What are we saved from and for?
Cross & Atonement: Why did Jesus have to die?
God’s Judgment: How do we deal with hell and revelation?
Witness: What about non-Christians?
Wrapping Up: Final reflections and next steps
The curriculum introduces a broad range of Christian voices and perspectives rather than pushing a single “correct” answer. The goal is deeper faithfulness, humility, discernment, and discipleship oriented toward holistic and just peace.
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We believe God’s mission is not merely individual salvation but the healing of all relationships — between God, humanity, and creation — through the restoration of shalom.
This small group seeks to cultivate what we call a “shalom spirituality”:
inward transformation and healing
reconciliation across difference
justice and restoration
love of neighbor and enemy
courageous and humble discipleship
peacebuilding as a way of life
We also recognize that people are at different places in their faith journeys. Some participants may be making small adjustments to inherited beliefs. Others may be reimagining or reconstructing significant parts of their theology.
All participants are encouraged to engage with curiosity, humility, and grace.
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Format: Online small group
Length: 1 session per week for 10 weeks
Session Length: Approximately 90 minutes
Group Size: Approximately 8–18 participants
Facilitators: Peace Catalyst team members and trained facilitators
Preparation: Participants engage short readings, videos, podcasts, or articles before each session
Sessions include:
reflection and prayer
discussion in circle or breakout groups
guided theological exploration
practical application and spiritual reflection
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Many faith spaces approach difficult theological questions with fear, defensiveness, or pressure toward conformity.
This group aims to create something different:
a posture of listening and engaging diversity rather than debating
curiosity instead of certainty-driven defensiveness
peacebuilding rather than polarization
theological humility instead of rigidity
space for complexity, ambiguity, and growth
We believe wrestling with faith is an important part of faithful discipleship.
Important Note
This small group is not designed to tell participants what they must believe. Some materials and perspectives may challenge aspects of participants’ inherited theology or assumptions. Participants are invited to engage thoughtfully and discern prayerfully within community. The goal is not theological uniformity, but deeper engagement with Jesus, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and the pursuit of shalom.
MEET YOUR FACILITATORS
Bryan Carey
Bryan is a peacebuilding consultant, conflict transformation trainer, and Director of International Peacebuilding for Peace Catalyst International. Bryan and his family have lived in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina since 2017, where they have been learning alongside and supporting the work of Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox peacebuilders. Bryan also hosts workshops, conducts trainings, and teaches about peace-oriented theology, peacebuilding practices, and how Christian groups can get involved in community peacebuilding. He regularly organizes learning experiences for international and regional Balkan participants that cultivate understanding and empathy for the narratives of other groups, ultimately with the aim to deepen relational connections that allow for collaborative work. As part of his work with Peace Catalyst, he also helps coordinate the Christian Peacebuilding Network, an ethnically, geographically, and organizationally diverse community of Christian peacebuilding practitioners looking to contribute to the growing Christian peacebuilding movement.
Mercy Aiken
Mercy is a cross cultural advocate, bridge-builder, storyteller, author, activist, and pilgrimage leader with years of experience living in the Middle East, particularly Palestine and Israel. She is passionate about the flourishing of eastern Christians, Muslims and Jews. Her peacebuildIng is centered in (but not limited to) the Holy Land. She organizes and leads unique pilgrimages to the Holy Land designed to build empathy, understanding, and a more embodied expression of our faith, especially as it comes to peacebuilding. Mercy is convinced that the more we can learn about each other, the more we will be led with curiosity and empathy rather than fear and suspicion. In her capacity with Peace Catalyst International, Mercy engages with Christians and others to help them learn more about the challenges that Christians and others face in the Holy Land and across the Middle East, and to encourage them to become active peacebuilders in their communities and with regard to Palestine/Israel.
Have more questions? Contact us!
Bryan Carey: bryan.carey@peacecatalyst.org Mercy Aiken: mercy.aiken@peacecatalyst.org