If you’ve followed my blog series, Peacemaking in China, you may remember my anticipation for the release of my book. Now, in February 2025, Changing Normal: Break Through Barriers to Pursuing Peace in Relationships has been in print (in English) for a year. But today, I am especially grateful to share that the book is now available in both simplified and traditional Chinese! Changing Normal has become 《和好如初：打破人际关系中的僵局》, currently available as an e-book, with paperback editions expected in late summer 2025.
This milestone is deeply personal for me. The stories in Changing Normal were shared with me by Chinese Christians, and from the beginning, I envisioned making this resource available in English, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese. I felt an urgency to bring it to all three languages as soon as possible.
Why?
A young pastor captured the heart of this urgency in a message to me:
Your work has been so timely…. It is greatly needed to further the conversation in the Chinese heritage church and resolve our generational sins and conflicts.
Another reader of the English edition asked whether the book was available in Chinese, saying:
This could be a valuable resource for Chinese churches with first-generation congregations to work through and talk about. Also, for immigrant parents and their children.
These words affirmed what I had hoped from the beginning—that this book would be a bridge for multigenerational Chinese families and Chinese heritage church communities to engage in honest conversations about conflict, reconciliation, and healing.
One Year Later: Stories of Impact
In just a year, Changing Normal has sparked deep reflection and transformation in readers from diverse backgrounds—second- and third-generation Chinese, including Australian Chinese, Taiwanese Americans, Chinese Malaysians, and Chinese Americans, as well as non-Chinese individuals who found its message profoundly relevant.
Here’s what some have shared with me:
Changing Normal has been life-changing for me. I better understand myself and how I handle conflicts. It has also helped me process past team dynamics on the mission field.
Your book was groundbreaking for me.
It took me a while to start the book because I didn’t think I had conflicts in my life. But in the first few chapters, you defined conflict and common misconceptions about it. That changed my perspective.
Your research on “Chinese Face” was a masterpiece.
One reader described how the book helped them reframe cultural identity through a biblical lens:
Instead of denying my cultural understanding of “face”, I now found a space to link it to my faith. I can be proud of my heritage without seeing it as a hindrance to growing in my faith.
Others have shared how the book has influenced their relationships:
Reading Changing Normal has inspired me to actively contribute to building a community where sin, grievances, and complaints are not ignored. I want to be someone who chooses to forgive, overlooks offenses, and speaks words that build others up.
One reader even told me:
I bought a second copy to lend to friends.
Reactions from First-Generation Chinese Readers
During a recent trip to Asia, I met readers who had accessed the draft manuscript of 《和好如初》. Their response was deeply moving. Many expressed appreciation for seeing stories that resonated with their lived experiences—conflicts within families, church dynamics, and struggles with forgiveness.
One young woman told me she had a breakthrough in forgiving a family member after reading and applying the book’s principles. Moments like these remind me of why I wrote Changing Normal in the first place.
Beyond the Chinese Church: Broader Reflections
Surprisingly, the book has also resonated with non-Chinese readers who found its principles universally applicable:
I loved your book. It’s thorough and unashamed of the gospel. I bought five more copies for church libraries and for my own family.
Your work has helped me reconcile with my mom. I’m working through layers of mistrust.
I read this book before conciliating with a Chinese church. Your insights were invaluable for understanding cultural dynamics in conflict resolution.
A professional counselor who read Changing Normal wrote:
This book is an extremely helpful resource for reframing conflict and moving toward reconciliation. And how refreshing that the examples come from a Chinese context rather than the majority culture of the US!
What’s Next? Expanding the Reach
Now that the book is available in all three languages, my next goal is to expand access beyond print. I’m working on developing supplementary resources, including:
- Online webinars and in-person workshops
- YouTube content featuring peacemaking insights
- A mini-course for individuals and small groups
Each of these will provide practical, biblically grounded and culturally sensitive tools to foster honest conversations and relational healing in families, churches, and mission teams.
Someone recently asked me, “Will there be a book on peacemaking from an Indonesian perspective?”
That question reminded me of the broader vision: to see biblically based, culturally situated peacemaking resources developed for the global Church. I pray that God will equip others to take up this work.
Book Links
Paperback versions of 《和好如初》 will be available in late summer 2025.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you read Changing Normal in English or Chinese, I hope it sparks transformation in your life and relationships. If this book has impacted you, I’d love to hear your story!
Image credit: Yuri Figueiredo via Unsplash
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 …View Full Bio
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