Presbyterian Peace Fellowship - Take Positive Action to Prevent Gun Violence

Gun Violence Prevention News for Congregations Aug. 2023 With news of more gun violence and pain, we ask ourselves: How can congregations take positive steps to prevent gun violence? Who will be with us? Read on. ‌ Photo: Trained volunteers at Antioch Church in Bend, Oregon at their first Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender Day on Aug. 5. In 2 hours, the congregation hosted 32 guests who brought 72 unwanted firearms be dismantled and transformed into garden tools and art. One gun was brought by a family whose loved one had used this gun to end their life. Many came from widows who wanted to safely dispose of their late husbands' guns without returning them to the gun market. In addition to support the church received from the group Global Immersion, a team from Antioch Church participated in the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship's Action Circles for Guns to Gardens last spring. See below! So far, Action Circle participants include 280 members of 133 congregations, 9 nonprofit groups, 3 presbyteries and 10 denominations in 33 states and Washington DC. Your church can do this!  Baltimore Event Takes in 356 Guns Also a "graduate" of the Action Circles, First and Franklin Presbyterian Church in Baltimore partnered with Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church and the Archdiocese of Baltimore to offer Guns to Gardens on Aug. 5 as part of a Resource Fair with health care, gun safety and other resources. They took in 356 unwanted firearms . Other partners included St. Joseph's Monastery Parish, Catholic Charites, the City of Baltimore Police Dept. and the Center of Hope. Photo: Archdiocese of Baltimore "We all believe that every gun we take back is one less gun that can harm someone." Judy Dadds, member of First and Franklin Presbyterian Church and a Peace Fellowship "Action Circle" participant, Baltimore, MD Photo: Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church ‌ Next Guns to Gardens Action Circles Start Soon! Thursdays Sept. 7 - Oct. 5 One Hour on Zoom with 2 time options Join with other church members across the nation to learn all the steps needed for your own Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender event. Explore how your church can take direct action to prevent gun suicides, family gun violence, unintentional shootings, mass shootings related to gun theft and other gun violence. Space is limited. Sign up now! Registration ends Wed. Sept. 6 for this cycle. Learn more about Guns to Gardens HERE. Register HERE for daytime Cohort Thursdays Sept. 7- Oct 5 Noon ET, 11 am CT, 10 am MT, 9 am PT Register HERE for evening Cohort Thursdays Sept. 7- Oct. 5 7:30 pm ET, 6:30 pm CT, 5:30 pm MT, 4:30 pm PT Who makes the Action Circles Happen? The Peace Fellowship gives thanks for those who volunteer to lead Guns to Gardens Action Circles. The Sept.7-Oct 5 Circles will be led by: • Emily Bruno, an attorney and member of First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee, FL. Emily helped shape gun safety legislation that passed in Florida after the Parkland High School shooting. • Cheryl Fleetwood, photo, right, a co-founder of Guns to Gardens Metro Denver and a member of Central Presbyterian Church, Cheryl brings the gift of encouragement to churches as they take first steps on Guns to Gardens. • Rev. Rosalind Hughes, of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Euclid, OH, is an Episcopal priest and a blacksmith. She forges gun parts into garden tools as a regular part of her congregation's life. • Rita Niblack, photo, left, a professional educator and member of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Denver, Rita brings skills in training, listening and in antiracism work. • Rev. Jan Orr-Harter, a retired Presbyterian pastor in Texas, Jan serves as moderator of the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. • Rev. Rachel Sutphin, a pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA, brings sensitivity to the need for healing from gun violence and a focus on families and youth. Each of these leaders began as Action Circle participants and each now works to help build the Guns to Gardens movement. Like most Americans, each one lives in a location that has experienced gun violence. For them, Guns to Gardens offers a positive step that churches can offer in the face of a gun violence crisis. And each of them feels the presence of Christ as they accompany others in learning about Guns to Gardens. See Rita Niblack on CBS News HERE. Learn more and register HERE. And who coordinates it all? Rev. Deanna Hollas, Coordinator of the Peace Fellowship's Gun Violence Prevention Ministry, celebrates 5 years of service, including being the first minister of Gun Violence Prevention in the United States. She leads our work to help grow the Guns to Gardens movement among people of faith. Photo: Judson Watkins Help us celebrate Deanna's 5th anniversary at PPF with a special gift to the Gun Violence Prevention Ministry of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.  Thank You from the members of the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. More giving details below. Give Here!! ‌ Take positive action by supporting the work to prevent gun violence. Please support the Gun Violence Prevention Ministry of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship with your church, presbytery or personal giving. Gifts are tax-deductible. Give HERE now. Or Mail checks, payable Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, marked "Gun Violence Prevention" to: Presbyterian Peace Fellowship 17 Cricketown Rd. Stony Point, NY 10980 Thank you! Learn more at presbypeacefellowship.org/gun-violence Rev. Deanna Hollas, Gun Violence Prevention Coordinator deanna@presbypeacefellowship.org Rev. Jan Orr-Harter, Enews Editor janoh4@aol.com News! Share new article in Presbyterian Outlook by Rev. Deanna Hollas, From Despair to Hope: Mobilizing Your Church to End Gun Violence HERE.