Dear San Diego Peacemakers,
You're invited to join us for a Peace Walk on Sunday, June 28, 4:45-6pm, from the Town and Country Convention Center to Friars Road, and by the entrances to Fashion Valley!
For the first time ever, the Church of the Brethren--- a Peace Church--- is having our denomination-wide Annual Conference in San Diego. As we do each year, we will have a Peace Witness event as a part of our Conference. We warmly invite you to join us! Please see details below, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Also, there will be a number of Peace-related workshops, speakers, and other events that you would likely enjoy. That info is also below. We hope you can be with us to witness for peace and to explore how to best be instruments of God's Peace!
Shalom, and Blessings to you---
Linda K. Williams :-)
619-583-8454
cell: 619-985-3189
Decade to Overcome Violence Coordinator, SD 1st Church of the Brethren
Sunday, June 28 PEACE WITNESS We will gather on the steps outside the West Entrance to the Convention Center (on Fashion Valley Road)
between 4:45 and 5:00 pm and walk from there. We will plan to be back to the convention center by 6:00 pm, although people who want to return earlier will be free to do that.
== We will have a
simple witness of carrying signs and walking from the conference center north to the shopping area nearby, remaining on the sidewalk, but not blocking it. We will stand along the street near the shopping center, with signs, and may choose to sing, drum, dance, wave at passing cars, or remain quiet. (Let the Spirit move.)
==
Signs will be positive messages. They can speak of building peace or of ending violence. They can speak in faith language or not. The focus can be global or domestic/local. The sturdy On Earth Peace yard signs will be available at the On Earth Peace booth, or you can come to the On Earth Peace booth on Sunday afternoon between Noon and 4:00 pm to make your own sign.
== We may
pass out flyers, perhaps related to the San Diego Church of the Brethren. We could also give peace-message bumper stickers to interested passers-by.
== It would be great to wear a T-shirt with a peace message as part of this witness. The blue shirt with "When Jesus said 'love your enemies', I think he probably meant don't kill them" will be available at the Brethren Press bookstore, if you don't have one yet.
Here are some things you can do to help.
== Start spreading the word to those who would be interested.
== If you have a good peace banner that you can bring, please do.
== If you are a musician and want to bring drum or guitar or other instrument, you are welcome. We will be outdoors without amplification, however.
== Contact Linda Williams with any questions and/or to ask her what you could do to help. cell: 619-985-3189,
lindawms@sdcoe.net ******************************************************************************
ADDITIONAL PEACE-RELATED OPPORTUNITIES
AT THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO
TOWN & COUNTRY CONVENTION CENTER, JUNE 26-30
(please see below for registration and parking info)
Saturday Afternoon, June 27
12:30 – 1:30pm
Insight Session
* Middle East Peacemaking Location: Pacific Salon 3
Focus: Hear firsthand reports from conversations with Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers and experiences in Palestine this year.
Presenter: Rick Polhamus, peacemaker, teacher and other members of the January delegation to the Middle East
Agency: On Earth Peace— Agency Representative: Bob Gross
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday Evening, June 27
9:00-10:00pm
Insight Sessions (These run concurrently.)
* What Christians Need to Know About Racism Location: Pacific Salon 3
Focus: Love Thy Neighbor. We have struggled with this commandment ever since Jesus gave it to us. This panel will discuss how the Bible's teachings about love can be applied in our modern, multi-cultural, and multi-racial society. We will also share faith-based tools that we can use as Christians to identify and respond to the racism in our communities.
Presenter(s): This panel discussion includes speakers of various ethnicities who are members of the Church of the Brethren sharing their experiences and how they interpret Scriptural teachings
* Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Our Nonviolent Commander-in-Chief Location: Windsor
Focus: Following Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is challenging from within our various theological and sociological perspectives as well as when we work across these spectrums. How do we encourage both respect for conscientious differences and dynamic power in togetherness as we all seek to obey our nonviolent commander-in-chief? Join us as we address this challenging question by prayerfully studying the scriptures together.
Presenter(s): Roger Eberly, Pastor; Leslie Frye, Program Coordinator, On Earth Peace Ministry of Reconciliation and Mike Wolfsen, PSWD Shalom Team; Moderated by Bob Gross, Executive Director, On Earth Peace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday Morning, June 28 7:00-8:30am
On Earth Peace Breakfast (Meal: $14, or come sit along the wall to enjoy the speaker) Pacific Salon 1 & 2
Speaker: On Earth Peace staff and board members
Title:
The new has come! A new vision for On Earth Peace
Sunday, June 28 PEACE ACTION We will gather on the steps outside the West Entrance to the Convention Center (on Fashion Valley Road)
between 4:45 and 5:00 pm and walk from there. We will plan to be back to the convention center by 6:00 pm, although people who want to return earlier will be free to do that.
== We will have a
simple witness of carrying signs and walking from the conference center north to the shopping area nearby, remaining on the sidewalk, but not blocking it. We will stand along the street near the shopping center, with signs, and may choose to sing, drum, dance, wave at passing cars, or remain quiet. (Let the Spirit move.)
==
Signs will be positive messages. They can speak of building peace or of ending violence. They can speak in faith language or not. The focus can be global or domestic/local. The sturdy On Earth Peace yard signs will be available at the On Earth Peace booth, or you can come to the On Earth Peace booth on Sunday afternoon between Noon and 4:00 pm to make your own sign.
== We may
pass out flyers, perhaps related to the San Diego Church of the Brethren. We could also give peace-message bumper stickers to interested passers-by.
== It would be great to wear a T-shirt with a peace message as part of this witness. The blue shirt with "When Jesus said 'love your enemies', I think he probably meant don't kill them" will be available at the Brethren Press bookstore, if you don't have one yet.
Here are some things you can do to help.
== Start spreading the word to those who would be interested.
== If you have a good peace banner that you can bring, please do.
== If you are a musician and want to bring drum or guitar or other instrument, you are welcome. We will be outdoors without amplification, however.
== Contact Linda Williams and ask her what you could do to help. cell: 619-985-3189,
lindawms@sdcoe.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday Afternoon, June 29
noon-1:30pm
Brethren Volunteer Service Luncheon Location: Garden Salon 2
(Meal: $18, or come sit along the wall to enjoy the speaker)
Speaker: John and Margaret Jones, Camp Directors
Title: A Ministry of Christian Hospitality, Creating Peaceful Space
Monday Afternoon, June 29
12:30-1:30pm
Insight Sessions (These run concurrently.)
* Ministry of What? Location: Le Chanticleer
Focus: So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation…
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17a,18, NRSV). Sometimes it seems easier to be reconciled to the Lord of all Creation than it is to be reconciled to each other, and yet God has given us the ministry of reconciliation! Get a taste of how the Ministry of Reconciliation (MoR) of On Earth Peace can help equip you and your congregation. If you are associated with a faith community whose members sometimes find it challenging to resolve their differences, this insight session is for you.
Presenter(s): Persons active in Ministry of Reconciliation
* What's Beyond the Peace Vigil? Location: Brittany
Focus: Sometimes peace and community ministry seems flattened into holding a vigil for one issue or another. What is beyond the peace vigil? How can Christians live into God's vision of healing for the nations? This session will offer inspiration and ideas from congregations involved in creative forms of nonviolence.
Presenter: Michael Colvin, On Earth Peace, and congregational participants from "You Can't Stop the River" and International Day of Prayer for Peace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday Evening, June 29 (These run concurrently.)
9:00-10:00pm
* Global Cooperation: Faithfulness, Fantasy, or New Frontier? Location: Pacific Salon 4
Focus: Explore current conditions that make global cooperation possible and prayer powerful. Experience activities that help us listen to and learn from each other. Learn how Everylight, Inc. is working to collaboratively build a system of encouragement in our world and how you can build one in your congregation. Handouts available.
Presenter: Rev. Reba Herder, Founder and Director of Everylight, Inc., a ministry of global cooperation
* Agape-Satyagraha: Skills Training for Youth Location: Crescent
Focus: Combining Jesus' example of love for community and Gandhi's truth force for social change, Agape-Satyagraha is an initiative of Brethren Community Ministries (BCM) to teach anger management and conflict resolution skills to junior and senior high youth. Providing training to 118 youth, this dynamic program has been a part of BCM's core ministries since 2003. Come learn more about this program and its exciting new partnership with On Earth Peace and explore how you might begin an Agape-Satyagraha program in your own congregation or community.
Presenter(s): Gerald Rhoades, Director, Brethren Community Ministries; Marie Rhoades, Program Coordinator for Peace Education, On Earth Peace
* Working for Peace in Iraq Location: Garden Salon 2
Focus: Christian Peacemaker Team members will share their experiences working for peace in Iraq. Hear firsthand reports and stories from people who have been on the ground in Iraq.
Presenter(s): Members of Christian Peacemaker Teams who have served in Iraq
* The Welcome Home Project: Responding to the Needs of Returning Military Location: Garden Salon 1
Focus: Thousands of military and National Guard troops are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many need a hand to fully re-enter civilian life, as they re-enter their families, secure employment, face ongoing trauma and injury, and seek spiritual and emotional healing. Christians need to understand how the battle experience continues to affect those coming back from war. Come hear why & how
church people can help these women and men make it all the way home and bridge back into society.
Presenters: Members of On Earth Peace's Welcome Home Project
******************************
Onsite Registration for Annual Conference
Adults Ages 12_21 Under age 12: Free registration
Conference
$100
Conference
$43
Sat and Sun
$42
Sat and Sun
$20
Sunday only
$15
Sunday only
$8
Daily
$30
Daily
$12
- All are welcome to attend daily worship services, free of charge (no registration needed).
- PARKING: $3/ hour, or max. $12/day for registered Conference attendees; $16 max/day for non-registered visitors
