Jan. 13 Guns 2 Gardens Zoom Action Circle Starts

Gun Violence Prevention News for Congregations Jan. 2022 Are You Giving Up on Gun Violence? Photo, New York Times: First gun violence death of the new year: 4 am Jan. 1, 2022, Kenosha, Wis. With the new year, record gun sales are leading to record gun violence. The PCUSA has called for sensible gun regulation for over 50 years. Yet there has been no significant federal action to prevent gun violence in over a generation. As the church, is it time to give up? In the name of Jesus Christ: NO! But we must try new approaches. That's why the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites your congregation to join the Guns2Gardens Campaign. Our goal is to create a network of churches who provide a safe way for their members and neighbors to rid homes and communities of unwanted guns ----and turn them into garden tools. How to get started? On Thurs. Jan. 13 join us on a Zoom call to explore this new program at 12:30 PM EST. Register HERE and see details below. DETAILS: Guns2Gardens Zoom Action Circle: Thursdays Jan 13, Jan. 27 and Feb. 10 12:30 pm EST for one hour. Participating in the Action Circle gives you detailed information and our past learnings so that you can discern if your congregation is called in this direction. Topics covered: Educating your session and congregation on the many reasons that people need a way to safely dispose of unwanted guns without putting them back into the gun market.... How to organize and publicize a safe surrender event.... How to use a chop saw to safely dismantle guns, according to the rules of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).... Or how to find someone in your community who already uses a chop saw.... How to provide pastoral care to persons for whom the unwanted gun has significant memories, whether good or bad memories.... Theological reflection on the presence of God in the healing and prophetic aspects of Guns2Gardens. See reflections from Rev. Deanna Hollas on a Guns2Gardens event at a Houston church: HERE Suggested Resource: Beating Guns - Hope for People Who are Weary of Violence by Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin Published by Brazos Press and Available HERE Shane Claiborne, president of Red Letter Christians, and Michael Martin, pastor turned blacksmith and founder of RAWtools, offer their faith perspective on God's plan to turn tools and hearts of destruction into tools and hearts of life. From Beating Guns: "How much did the prophets Micah (4:3) and Isaiah know about blacksmithing when they called their audiences to transform the metal tools of death into tools of life, to beat swords into plows?.... Surely they knew heat is required. Fire refines; it burns away impurities. Our deepest growth often comes as we rise from crisis or trauma or a heated moment in our lives. The prophets knew that with a little holy fire metal can be reshaped---and so can people.... The prophets of old were not fortune- tellers...trying to predict the future. They were trying to change the present..... That takes faith." Ready to Explore G2G for your church? Click HERE to learn more. Events National Gun Violence Survivors Week Feb. 1-7 Info HERE about "The Moments that Survive" project to provide support and amplify the resilience of gun violence survivors and families. Looking for a Date for your Guns 2 Gardens Event? Consider... Feb. 14 Parkland, FL High School Shooting 4th Anniversary Feb. 20 Universal Day of Prayer for Students March 2 Ash Wednesday or April 14 Maundy Thursday April - Injury Prevention Month May 6 Mothers' Day June - National Safety Month and Gun Violence Awareness Days PLUS.... National Day of Guns2Gardens Safe Surrender Events. Date to be announced soon! Start planning and training now! Gun Violence Prevention Ministry Presbyterian Peace Fellowship gvp@presbypeacefellowship.org Rev. Deanna Hollas, Coordinator deanna@presbypeacefellowship.org 214-702-2265 | presbypeacefellowship.org Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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