September 2008
Equipping for Peacemaking E-Newsletter
Welcome to the September 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 Peace and International Day of Peace Vigil - September 21, 2008
According to the
website, "the International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies. The idea was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between World Council of Churches General Secretary Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (
press release), and coincides with the UN International Day of Peace. The Day of Prayer is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence. Congregations are invited to pray for peace - possibly using the same prayers - on September 21 or the Sunday preceding it."
This year's theme is
Witnessing to God's Peace and the focus is on the Pacific.
CLICK HERE to access a downloadable bulletin for use in this year's observance.
What can you do in your congregation?
+ Encourage your congregation to participate by organizing a
prayer vigil on Sunday, September 21. CLICK HERE for prayer
resources.
+ CLICK HERE to view a list of events in your city and coordinate
with them, if possible. Peace is about talking and working together.
+ Send an article about the activities in which your congregation
participated to Jean Morehouse, ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking
Program Coordinator. (Digital photographs are welcome, too!)
Visit the Decade to Overcome Violence website for more information, to submit prayers for peace, to access additional resources for the International Day of Prayer for Peace and to register your commitment for participation in the International Peace Vigil.
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Pinwheels for Peace
Looking for a creative way to participate in the International Day of Prayer for Peace? Visit the
Pinwheels for Peace website for information about the project, directions for making pinwheels, to register your congregation or organization as a project site or for more information and resources.
CLICK HERE to read about Pinwheels for Peace and other activities that took place last year at
Leif Ericson Day School, an ELCA affiliated school, Brooklyn, NY, in celebration of the International Day of Prayer for Peace. And be sure to read an article about Pinwheels for Peace in the "youngchurch" column found in "
The Lutheran."
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Walk for Peace 2008The Peace Alliance has announced that Walk for Peace 2008 is scheduled for September 20. Walkathons will be held throughout the U.S. to raise awareness and funds in support of the development of a U.S. Department of Peace. Visit the website for more information.
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Peacemaker Ministries' 2008 Peacemaker Conference: The Power of a Peacemaking Church
Peacemaker Ministries' 2008 Peacemaker Conference,
The Power of Peacemaking Church, will be held September 25-27, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. This conference is designed to encourage, inspire and equip all who face threatening conflicts with gospel-centered, Christ-empowered hope, confidence and skill.
The conference will offer keynote speakers, worship, workshops, discussion, prayer and mutual learning. There are also a number of pre-conference training events, including Conflict Coaching Training, Reconciling Church Conflict, Reconciling Marital Conflict, Teaching Peacemaking Cross-Culturally, Conflict Coaching & Mediation Training and a Certification Program.
CLICK HERE for more information about the conference.
For more information about Peacemaker Ministries, CLICK HERE.
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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.
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Kirkridge Training Events and Workshops
Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA, is offering the following training events and workshops:
"Creating a Culture of Peace"
October 2-5: Basic Training
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. Contact Janet Chisholm at Kirkridge for 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.
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NCC Conference: Mindful Living: Healthy People, Healthy Churches, Healthy Planet
From the
National Council of Churches of Christ Eco-Justice Programs website:
"Join this ecumenical gathering of denominational staff, clergy, seminarians, lay leaders, church educators, eco-justice coordinators, and Christians to educate yourself on the unfolding world of toxins found in everyday items in our homes, our churches, and even our bodies."
The event will be held October 9-11, 2008 in Alexandria, MN.
CLICK HERE for more information about the event and to access a registration form. Scholarships are available for qualified participants.
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Borderland Reflections
Joyce Ellwanger, an Equipping for Peacemaking-II participant and a member of the Equip4Peace Network, recently returned from a
Christian Peacemaker Team Borderlands delegation which visited the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona. She was part of a delegation that had the opportunity to "get a first-hand look and feel of the border and its players."
CLICK HERE to read Joyce's reflections about her Christian Peacemaker Team experience: Tales of the Arizona Desert--An Introduction; A Migrant Memorial at Southside Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Arizona; In a Tucson Federal Immigration Court; Desert Experience; and People of Faith and Immigration Reform.
If you would like more information about Christian Peacemaker Teams or about Joyce's borderland experience, please contact her at joyce.ellwanger@gmail.com.
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"'Prisoner' No More: Rwandan Refugee Works for Healing"
From the July 2008 issue of "
The Lutheran:"
"I am here to announce that I have forgiven the people who murdered my mother and father. I pray God will forgive them. I know their names."
Binyenzi "Ben" Schadrac uttered these words in a trembling voice last summer as he stood over an open grave in Rwanda. Friends were depositing the bones of his parents and 16 other family members who had been recovered among remains of the 100-day genocide in 1994 that left an estimated 1 million dead.
Then he turned to the man next to him and heard him confess murdering his cousin. Schadrac embraced the man. These words and actions, captured on videotape, were part of Schadrac's talk to the adult Sunday school class at Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Haines City, Fla., where he and his family are members. They escaped the genocide and were resettled by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in nearby Winter Haven.
(The remainder of the article is available only to subscribers. CLICK HERE to become a subscriber, or activate your free membership if you are already a subscriber.)
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Equip4Peace Network Participates in WELCA Gathering
Jean Morehouse, Program Coordinator for the
ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking Network, and The Rev. Ronald Duty, member of the Interunit Task Force for the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence, staffed a display booth at "Come to the Waters," the seventh triennial gathering of the Women of the ELCA held July 10-13, 2008 in Salt Lake City, UT.
Gathering participants were able to take resources, submit prayers of peace and enroll in the Equip4Peace Network. Approximately 170 prayers were submitted.
CLICK HERE to read the prayers.
Many thanks to those of you who stopped by to visit and WELCOME to the new members of the Equip4Peace Network!
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Nonviolent Peaceforce
Visit the Nonviolent Peaceforce website for information about this "nonpartisan, unarmed peacekeeping force composed of trained civilians from around the world." According to the website, Nonviolent Peaceforce members, "in partnership with local groups, apply proven nonviolent strategies to protect human rights, deter violence, and help create space for local peacemakers to carry out their work."
"Rumors of Peace," the organization's newsletter, is published three times yearly.
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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.
SEPTEMBER PEACE QUOTE:
"It is possible to live in peace."
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
From Peace Quotes,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
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Go in peace and serve the Lord!