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Individuals, small groups,and congregations are invited to join the National Registry of Peace Churches. More...
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| Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies
as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in God’s work to save the world. |
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THE PEACE CHURCH REGISTRY
Action Steps for Congregations After Signing On
ECAPC suggests three choices of next steps in peacemaking for churches which sign the Peace Church Registry.
We assume that churches are at different places on the peacemaking path in terms of their history, education and commitments regarding peacemaking. Three stages of the path are outlined below, and we advise each church to decide which category best describes itself.
1. Historic Peace Church A congregation which has a long history of peace church identity, such as Mennonites, Brethren and Friends (Quakers).
2. Peace Church A church which has just made a corporate decision for the first time to identify publicly as a peace church .
3. Potential Peace Church A congregation beginning a study process to discern if it will sign the registry.
The following information is provided to answer this question:
“So, we have signed the peace church registry. What should we do now?”
ECAPC recommends attention to three central aspects of church life: worship, education mad mission. These are presented as a place to start. Churches are, of course, encouraged to plan their own peacemaking path, based on their history, resources and setting in the community.
We urge you to report your experiences by occasionally sending brief email reports to
Every Church A Peace Church for posting on your church’s online registration page. Send to diane.fordjones@gmail.com
I. Historic Peace Church
a. Worship
Examine the wording of your church’s rituals and sacraments and revise if necessary to make Jesus’ peacemaking way central, as it was in his life and at the Last Supper
1. Baptism- Here is an online article to stimulate discussion on the meaning of baptism as an initiation into the nonviolent way of Jesus.
http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?1259
2. Lord’s Supper/Eucharist Is the wording or your church’s communion service a true
remembrance of and sharing in the cup of nonviolent love which Jesus gave to his disciples? http://centerforchristiannonviolence.org/downloads/NV_Eucharist_PastoralApproach_01d.pdf
3. Preaching: Make peacemaking as central in the church’s preaching as it is in the literature of the New Testament. For sermon preparation, use commentary on the lectionary texts, and helpful articles on biblical interpretation, violence and religion from the web.
Resource: http://www.PreachingPeace.org
See that your pastor has a copy of the recent major study of peace in the New Testament, COVENANT OF PEACE: THE MISSING PEACE IN NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY AND ETHICS by Willard M. Swartley (Eerdmans, 2006).
Arrange for the pastor to lead a series of discussions of themes from this book with his or her leadership team and church council or elders.
4. Stewardship: Support the development of peace churches by making a significant annual donation to Every Church A Peace Church through your church budget.
b. Education
1. Distribute this article to every member and offer a congregational discussion process,
“Blessed Are the Meek: The Roots of Christian Nonviolence” by Thomas Merton
http://www.ecapc.org/articles/MertonT_BlessedMeek.asp
2. Teach Conscientious Objection to War -- for youth and adults
A Change of Heart -- Conscientious Objection and the Life of Compassion http://www.karunabooks.net/library/a_change_of_heart.pdf
"Thermostat" - A curriculum with DVD for high school youth on war, peace and Christian conscience http://www.mcc.org/thermostat
Veterans Speak Out http://mcc.org/co/
Youth and Worship Resources, and more http://peace.mennolink.org/
Quaker Resources http://www.quaker.org/#6a
Church of the Brethren http://www.brethren.org/oepa/
3. Challenge Military Recruiting Assumptions
“The Courage to Question” by Dennis Rivers
Online resource, coming at http://www.karunabooks.net/dennis_rivers.htm.
c. Witness/Outreach
1. Send delegates to an ECAPC regional conference for training
See schedule and content information on ECAPC website www.ecapc.org
2. Assign a study group to review “Fifty Reasons To Sign Declare Your Church A Peace Church,” and determine which should become goals or projects of the church. http://www.ecapc.org/reasons.asp
2. Peace Church
a. Worship
1. Preaching: Make peacemaking as central in the church’s preaching as it is in the literature of the New Testament. For sermon preparation, use commentary on the lectionary texts, and helpful articles on biblical interpretation, violence and religion from the web.
Resource: www.PreachingPeace.org
See that your pastor has a copy of the recent major study of peace in the New Testament, COVENANT OF PEACE: THE MISSING PEACE IN NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY AND ETHICS by Willard M. Swartley (Eerdmans, 2006).
Arrange for the pastor to lead a series of discussions of themes from this book with his or her leadership team and church council or elders.
2. Stewardship: Support the development of peace churches by making a significant annual donation to Every Church A Peace Church through your church budget.
b. Education
1. Use the ECAPC resource “Jesus Makes Every Church A Peace Church”
http://www.ecapc.org/jesusmakes.asp
Assign an existing education commission, or create a group, to plan ways to deepen biblical and theological peace understandingsin the church, and to discern action steps for the congregation using the above ECAPC resource.
2.
c. Witness/Outreach
Identify ways to involve the congregation in service and dialogue with community needs, groups and churches. Assign a study group to review “Fifty Reasons To Declare Your Church A Peace Church,” and determine which should become goals or projects of the church. http://www.ecapc.org/reasons.asp
3. Potential Peace Church
a. Worship
1. Preaching
Incorporate peacemaking themes and discipleship practices into sermons regularly
Resource: www.preachingpeace.org (See Peace Church--”Worship” above.)
2. Stewardship: Devote funds to purchase of peace education materials -- print,
DVD, and learning experiences for church members, such as attending conferences
and courses on peacemaking.
b. Education
1. Assign a “Study Group” to review “Fifty Reasons To Declare Your Church A Peace Church,” and determine which your church already practices (which would indicate readiness to sign the registry) and determine which should become goals or projects of the church. http://www.ecapc.org/reasons.asp
This Study Group should work in cooperation with the Mission Group mentioned below.
2. Create a congregational “Peacemaker Group”
“How to Start a Church-Based Peacemaker Group” http://www.ecapc.org/articles/article-4906.htm
3. Offer Christian Education courses/Sunday School Classes on Jesus and Peacemaking
Online materials can be used See http://www.ecapc.org/partner.asp for a
short but intense study of Jesus on love and justice combined, and
links to a rich treasury of other online resources for education.
Or purchase from ECAPC the book BIBLICAL PACIFISM, by Dale W. Brown,
From the Foreword: “The rejection of war is ot an optional ethical issue. Rather,
it is the clearest indication of the church’s calling to be a community free from
nationalist and other forms of domination.”
. Send delegates to an ECAPC regional conference for training
See schedule and content information on ECAPC website www.ecapc.org
c. Witness/Outreach
Assign a “Mission Group” to review “Fifty Reasons To Declare Your Church A Peace Church,” http://www.ecapc.org/reasons.asp to help the congregation to notice what kind of peacemaking actions it is already engaged in, and to initiate one or two new peacemaking projects.
This Mission Group should work in cooperation with the Study Group mentioned above.
Please send comments and suggestions on these steps to diane.fordjones@gmail.com
Every Church A Peace Church, PO Box 240, Akron, PA 17501 www.ecapc.org
June, 2007
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