October 2008
Equipping for Peacemaking E-Newsletter
Welcome to the October 2008 Equipping for Peacemaking Network E-Newsletter. Our hope is to help bring attention to resources that relate to the work of the ELCA Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence (2001-2010). Included in this monthly e-newsletter are events and resources that can be used at the small group, congregational and individual level. Thank you for being part of the network! Forward this to your friends and encourage them to sign up for the network as well.
CLICK HERE to find additional resources and enroll in the E4P network.
In this E-Newsletter you will find information about:
International Day of Prayer for Peaceat the Lutheran Center
On Friday, September 19, approximately 100 staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gathered for prayer in the church's front courtyard in Chicago. Organized by the ELCA Task Force for a Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, staff prayed for lasting peace in the world as part of the United Nations' "International Day of Prayer for Peace."
The Rev. Wyvetta Bullock, Assistant to the Presiding Bishop and Executive for Administration, led the prayer service. Prayers were lifted up for people affected by war, terrorism, genocide and other forms of human violence as well as those affected by the violence of nature, disease, domestic violence and other forms of personal assault.
The activities were coordinated by the ELCA Task Force for a Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. For more information about the work of the Task Force and the International Day of Prayer for Peace, visit the ELCA Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence website.
table of contents
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has designated the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During this time, individuals and organizations are encouraged to sponsor and participate in activities designed to remember victims of domestic violence, celebrate survivors and raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence.
Visit the Domestic Violence Awareness Month website for more information and resources. Click on the "Campaigns" tab for event descriptions and program planning ideas for the following activities: Empty-Place Table, Purple Ribbon, Silent Witness, and Clothesline.
Or visit the Family Violence Prevention Fund website for additional links and shop at the online store for program resources, posters, gift cards and more.
table of contents
Lazarus is Still Waiting at the Gate
"Without justice, there can be no peace." (Martin Luther King, Jr.). Come and explore the connection between poverty, wealth, race and class at Lazarus is Still Waiting at the Gate: An ELCA Conference on Poverty and Wealth, November 21-23 in Atlanta, GA. The keynote speaker is Meizhu Liu, co-author of The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide. Other speakers include Bishop Julian Gordy and The Rev. Michael Russell, Charlotte Williams, and The Rev. David Billings, authors of Lazarus at the Gate: Writings and Reflections on Poverty and Wealth.
Registration fee for the event is $250. CLICK HERE for a registration form.
For more information, contact Loretta Horton, ELCA Director for Poverty Ministries Networking at 800.638.3522, ext. 2404.
table of contents
Kirkridge Training Events and Workshops
Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA, is offering the following training events and workshops:
"Creating a Culture of Peace"
December 3-7: Training of Trainers
Strengthen your spirit and skills for peace and justice work through these interactive, experiential training events that help you plan concrete actions and peacemaking projects. NOTE: Creating a Culture of Peace Basic Training is a prerequisite for this training. Contact Janet Chisholm at Kirkridge for more information, registration and fee information.
"Journey to Wholeness"
These weekend workshops for veterans are programs that offer veterans a safe haven for empowerment, camaraderie, mutual support and community building.
Healing of Memories - Oct. 24-26
Gain insight into and empathy for yourself and others; share stories and confront issues on your path to forgiveness and reconciliation. Father Michael Lapsley, South African resister and violence healer will be the leader. This workshop is exclusively for military veterans. Registration fee is $50.
War: Trauma or Transformation - Dec. 12-14
Combat veterans, address the effects of war on yourself, your relationships and your spirit. The program will be led by Tracey Allison, Clinical Psychologist, who works with veterans.
Visit the Kirkridge website for information on registration and fees.
table of contents
Preaching Peace Events
Preaching Peace began in 2002, as a free website dedicated to bringing a holistic peace message. It currently serves 10,000 visitors a month. Inspired by the mimetic theory of Rene Girard and the Christian peace heritage, Preaching Peace offers commentary on the gospel lectionary texts from a peace perspective, a blog where pastors work out the implications of preaching peace, essays and sermons related to the mimetic theory and peacemaking, and a listing of numerous conferences and seminars bringing the best scholarship to churches around the country. The Preaching Peace team is available for weekend retreats, clergy ashrams and gatherings, and youth retreats.
Events
Oct. 11, Lancaster, PA: Transforming Our Minds: Discipleship & The Human Brain. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
Nov. 15, Columbus, OH: The Nonviolent Atonement Seminar.
June 2-4, 2009, Philadelphia, PA: Book of Peace, Book of Power: Rediscovering the Authority of the Bible, featuring Tony Campolo and Walter Wink.
For more information visit the Preaching Peace website.
table of contents
Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on Peace
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Church of the Brethren and Mennonite Church USA are planning Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on Peace which will be held January 13-17, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA. The mission statement for the ecumenical conference is "to strengthen our witness and work for peace in the world by inspiring hope, raising voices, taking action." Visit the conference website for more information.
table of contents
Christian Peace Witness for Iraq
Plan now to join Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, April 29-30, 2009 in Washington, DC. Gather with others for witness and worship on Wednesday evening and action and advocacy on Thursday.
Visit the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq website for more information.
table of contents
New Book Added to peaceCENTER's "Handy Books About Peace"
Detour to Death Row, written by David Atwood and recently released by CreateSpace, has been added to "Handy Books About Peace," the e-book store of the peaceCenter in San Antonio, TX. The book "is the story of David Atwood - a retired oil company engineer, committed Christian, student of nonviolence and tireless activist - and his 15-year effort to abolish the death penalty in Texas."
See the ";Handy Books About Peace" website for more information.
table of contents
UNESCO Report Released
The report of the Director-General of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on the "International decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the Word, 2001-2010" has been issued. The report presents an overview of the activities carried out by UNESCO and other UN entities to promote and implement the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and contains recommendations for future action. CLICK HERE to read the full report.
UNESCO and the Kingdom of Bahrain co-organized a meeting, ";Youth@the Crossroads: A Future Without Violent Radicalization," which was held in Manama, Bahrain in June. More than 100 representatives of community-based and national programs from all regions of the world gathered to discuss and analyze "best practices" of approaches used to counter violent radicalization among youth. CLICK HERE to read "The Manama Findings," the outcome of the gathering which sets out practical approaches that can be replicated.
table of contents
World Council of Churches "Bits and Pieces"
CLICK HERE to read "Bits and Pieces," the International Ecumenical Peace Newsletter from the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence website. The newsletter includes links to information about Expert Consultations which occurred in May and June, Living Letters visits to Kenya, Sudan, Germany and Indonesia, a Bible study and more.
CLICK HERE to read Christian Discipleship in a Broken World, a statement adoped by participants in the ecumenical institute, "Religions: Instruments of Peace or Causes of Conflict?" held in Bossey, Switzerland in May.
table of contents
A Christmas Gift Idea
Paula Ford, a member of the ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking network, is now offering a handmade peace bracelet online. The beaded bracelet has a small cross charm with a heart in the center (representing love in the center of faith) and a charm with a peace symbol on one side and the word "peace" on the other. Profits from the sale of these bracelets will be donated to Lutheran Peace Fellowship.
table of contents
Peace Notes and Quotes
If you have a favorite quote or want to share a brief thought about peacemaking, please send your contribution to Jean Morehouse, Equipping for Peacemaking Program Coordinator.
OCTOBER PEACE QUOTE:
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."
Ps. 34:14
NRSV, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville
table of contents