ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 31, 2007
Lutherans Train to "Live Faithfully in a Violent World"
07-177-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Peace and justice-minded Lutherans
working to end violence will gather Nov. 16-17 for "Living
Faithfully in a Violent World: Congregations and Community
Working Together to End Violence," a training event hosted
by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and
ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod.
"School shootings, police brutality, domestic violence
and child abuse continue to characterize our violent society.
No community is immune," said Loretta Horton, director for
poverty ministries networking, ELCA Church in Society.
Horton said a primary goal of the training event is to
keep congregations and communities working together to end
violence. "We want to provide an opportunity for Lutherans
to discuss strategies for violence prevention and intervention,
and to continue a long-term process of working against violence
in the ELCA," she said. "We will engage in Bible study,
spiritual and theological reflection on what the Bible says
about how we, sisters and brothers, relate to one another and
break down barriers that contribute to a culture of violence."
A team of experts in violence prevention and conflict
resolution will facilitate workshops that will provide
practical how-to information on anti-violence programs and
ministry development, said Horton. Workshop topics will
range from raising nonviolent children to mobilizing
congregations, from family support as a prevention strategy
to media and violence.
"Historical analysis on the culture of violence will be
an important part of the training," said Horton. "The analysis
will illustrate the progression of violence that has perpetuated
in North America over the past 700 years. We need to have an
understanding of violence from yesterday to today if we want to
develop programs and strategies that promote peace, justice and
nonviolence," she said.
The Rev. Patrick Keen, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, New
Orleans, and Dr. Lori Hill, psychotherapist and mental health
and violence prevention specialist, will serve as keynote
presenters.
The training will take place at the Lutheran School of
Theology at Chicago, one of eight seminaries of the ELCA.
The 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly committed the church to
join with other denominations and organizations in designating
2001-2010 as the "Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence."
Horton said 2000 was a time to prepare for the decade and raise
awareness of peace efforts and model nonviolence "to our children,
family and neighbors." The Living Faithfully in a Violent World
training is the third in a series of skill-building workshops.
The first training took place in San Antonio, Texas, in 2000, and
the second in Washington, D.C., in 2002.
- - -
Information about "Living Faithfully in a Violent World"
is at http://www.ELCA.org/nonviolence/living_faithfully_event.html
on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
