Title: Lutherans Train to "Live Faithfully in a Violent World" 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 news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog