Apply by June 30 to Host an International Peacemaker This Fall
Peacemakers available September 27-October 21, 2013
In an increasingly conflict-ridden and fragmented world, the God who grants peace and wholeness calls Christians to understand and address the root causes of violence and injustice so that we may share in mending the brokenness that exists in our world. Peacemaking is the human response to God’s gift of peace giving. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program invites leaders from our partner churches around the world to share their experiences as peacemakers in their own lands.
As these International Peacemakers share their healing stories, they help us to understand the peace and justice concerns of others around the world while giving us insights into those in our own communities. Moreover, they broaden our sense of God’s inclusive family and so better equip us to build a culture of peace and nonviolence for all God’s children.
This year we will welcome a distinguished group of 15 international peacemakers and 2 mission coworkers to share stories of their work for reconciliation, peace and justice in a variety of contexts. Learn more
Wild Goose Festival
Hot Springs, North Carolina
August 8-11, 2013
JOIN US AS WE ENGAGE IN JUSTICE, SPIRITUALITY, ART AND MUSIC
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Young Adult Volunteer Program and World Mission will be attending the Wild Goose Festival, August 8-11, 2013. This four day outdoor festival is a gathering that thrives on the intersection of justice, spirituality, art, and music. Come and join us!
Learn more about PCUSA participation in Wild Goose
Visit the Wild Goose Festival Website
April 28 - May 10, 2014
Applications are now available
This is a kairos moment for the church, a time of urgency and opportunity to hear and heed the call for peace coming from the Holy Land. In faithful and hope-filled response, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program’s Mosaic of Peace conference invites Presbyterians to experience this remarkable and troubled region, encounter its diverse people, explore its rich history and complex current situation, and engage with those who seek its peace.
As participants in the conference, individuals will be:
Inspired by the stories of Christian peacemakers in the Holy Land, walk in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace and encounter contemporary Palestinians and Israelis;
Equipped by engagement with Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders, experience contextual theology and study peacemaking practices within the framework of PCUSA policy;
Connected with global and local partners to take meaningful action for a just and lasting peace in the region. Learn more
Turning the Tables...Are you in?
A Compassion, Peace and Justice Big Tent Summit
JOIN US FOR THIS HANDS ON CONFERENCE
We are gathering a diverse community on fire for justice and Jesus! Join us August 1-3, 2013 at Turning the Tables: A Compassion, Peace and Justice Big Tent Summit, where we will explore the tables or structures that hold up systems of injustice and violence, and learn how to turn over those tables in our own local contexts (or even in the church).
This hands-on conference will provide: visits to local community gardens and environmental justice sites; community organizing training; creative worship service; interactive workshops; art and play; and skills to take back home.
Scholarships are available: Apply through registration and select "scholarship" when asked for payment. Scholarship deadline is June 15, 2013.
TRIGGER: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence
This new PC(USA) documentary is airing on NBC affiliates and is also available for screenings
Drawing upon conversations with lawmakers, emergency room chaplains and surgeons, survivors and victims' families, former ATF officials, police officers, community leaders and others, TRIGGER: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence, a one hour documentary produced with funds from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, shares the story of how gun violence impacts individuals and communities and examines the "ripple effect" that one shooting has on a survivor, a family, a community and a society. TRIGGER also addresses the critical issue of gun violence prevention (such as keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill) by moving the conversation away from the polarizing extremes that have long dominated the debate and lifting up the voice and experiences of those who seek common ground and a new way forward.
READ THE PC(USA) POLICY: “GUN VIOLENCE, GOSPEL VALUES.”
The Northern Ireland Travel Study Seminar
Reconciliation in the Celtic Context
25 travelers and 2 leaders have returned from Northern Ireland where they learned about conflict transformation and Celtic spirituality. The group met with historians, conflict mediators, and community leaders who have been instrumental and continue to be engaged in the ongoing work of peace and nonviolence in Northern Ireland. The group posted daily on our blog Swords into Plowshares. You can find the blogs there.
Left: One of the large Celtic crosses dating from the 10th c. still standing at the ancient Monastic community of Monasterbuice
Below: Our group in the garden of Clonard Monastery following a conversation on Catholic and Protestant peace and reconciliation efforts.
An Invitation to Peace Discernment
Join the conversation taking place across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
It has been 32 years since Peacemaking: The Believers' Calling changed the thinking of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on matters of peace and war. With it, we launched the witness of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the opportunity for Presbyterians to actively engage in peace at all levels of the church through the Peacemaking Offering. Now in an age of terrorism, escalating violence, and populist democratic uprisings, the PC(USA) is engaging in a process, authorized by the 219th General Assembly (2010) to update our thinking and revitalize the witness of the church. Each Presbyterian is invited into a season of peace discernment, to consider our call to be peacemakers in this day and age, and to consider in new and relevant ways the nonviolent witness of Jesus Christ.
Facilitator Orientation Guide
If you missed the 2 webinars that were offered to acquaint facilitator’s with the Peace Discernment Process and to walk them through the free downloaded Facilitator’s Guide, you can still access the Powerpoint presentation that was used in the webinar. Watch for it to be posted here in the coming days. If you have questions about the material, please contact the webinar leader Roger Scott Powers.
Learn more
2013 Philippines Travel Study Seminar
Travel Study Seminar participants are concluding a 10-day journey in the Philippines engaging in conversations on Human Trafficking modern day slavery and environmental devastation. Check out their posts on our Facebook page.
Front row: Cobbie Palm, Cecilia Moran, Doreen Owens, Jordan Whitt, Shadra Shoffner
Back row: Dr. John Wallace, MaryAnn Eschbach, Paul Heins, Ann Johnson, Nancy Eng MacNeill, Becca Lawson
Get Biblical Witness to Peacemaking 2012-2013
Use this daily index of scriptures related to peacemaking themes throughout the year
The new 2012-2013 version of the popular Biblical Witness to Peacemaking is now available. This list of daily scripture readings related to peacemaking themes can be used in church newsletters, weekly worship bulletins, church websites, or anywhere else to encourage Presbyterians to engage in scriptural study and reflection related to peacemaking. It is available in both a PDF and Word version.
Blessed are the peacemakers …
The General Assembly’s adoption of Peacemaking: The Believers’ Calling, which called for an emphasis on peacemaking, paved the way for this offering, which seeks to promote the Peace of Christ across the PC(USA). Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize a large portion of this offering to sustain their local peacemaking ministries.
For more information and resources on the Peacemaking Offering
Celebrate a Season of Peace
A Season of Peace is a 4-week pilgrimage designed to deepen the pursuit of peace in congregations, small groups, families, and for individuals. Through daily peace reflections, family activities, Bible studies, youth activities, an exciting intergenerational Peace Fair, and other on-line resources, A Season of Peace will engage your imagination and offer opportunities for you to live more fully into your calling as a peacemaker. It is for the curious and the jaded; the beginner and the experienced peace seeker. Spend a new season with Jesus, the peacemaker, and see if this might become your way of being authentically Christian in the world.
Download the latest issue of PeaceNotes
View an electronic version of the newsletter of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.
Spring issue, Volume 105
Quick takes
Explore the theology and practice of nonviolence
Join the Philippines Mission Network
Learn about the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program on Swords into Plowshares and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program’s Facebook page
Comments
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Oh, I almost forgot: the 50% remaining goes to the Peacemaking Program and funds all of the resources and programs you see on this section of the PCUSA website.
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Ross, Peacemaking Offering is split 25-25-50. Whatever each congregation collects, 25% goes to the congregation to be allocated by committee/session vote. Similarly, 25% of the offering per cong goes to MGBs to be allocated by appropriate Pby/Synod committees. Hope that helps!
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The link to the Facebook page is broken. It simply says: "Not Found" at the top of an otherwise blank page.
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Is there a concise, yet focused, answer to the basic question: "What is the Peacemaking Offering money used for?" other than "ministries of peacemaking"?
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Big tent was awesome! The peace making conference really taught me a lot. Can't wait till next year! See you at Ghost Ranch!