On October 26, 2024, St. Stephen’s hosted a community forum on Waging Peace, in partnership with LEAM-NJ and the NJ Synod Prison Ministry. This event featured local leaders, activists, and community members who shared insights and strategies for fostering a culture of peace. Participants engaged in meaningful discussions, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and collaboration among various communities and reinforcing the idea that lasting change begins with community engagement and support. Overall, the event served as a catalyst for ongoing conversations and initiatives aimed at waging peace in the community.
The "Waging Peace: A Community Forum" featured a diverse lineup of speakers who shared their expertise on various aspects of peacebuilding and community resilience. Here’s a recap of each session:
The Rev. Giselle Coutinho, Laura Nicholas-Sanchez & Jose Sanchez addressed the critical issue of domestic violence, highlighting its prevalence and impact on families and communities. The speakers emphasized the importance of awareness, prevention, and support systems for survivors. They shared resources available in the community and discussed strategies for creating safe environments and fostering healing.
The Rev. Sara Lilja spoke about the power of interfaith collaboration in advocating for social justice and peace. In this session, participants broke out into smaller groups to come up with a plan to address categories such as education, the environment, housing and more. These workshops provided practical tools for conflict resolution and community building, encouraging attendees to take action in their own neighborhoods.
Andrea Gerrard shared her experiences working on peace initiatives in Bosnia with the NJ Synod. She detailed the history of war and violence, the long-term impacts of conflict and the processes of reconciliation. These service trips aimed to bring healing, hope and peace to the children, communities and country of Bosnia, by providing children in orphanages with games, art, music, fun and love.
The Rev. Erich Kussman & The Rev. Ramon Callazo discussed the NJ Synod's prison ministry, which aims to support incarcerated individuals and their families. He highlighted the importance of rehabilitation and the role of faith communities in advocating for justice reform. His talk emphasized the need for compassion and understanding in addressing the complexities of the prison system.
We ended the day with a prayer service, adapted from “For the Healing of the Nations,” from Holden Prayer Around the Cross. This contemplative service imagined a world made whole by God’s grace, and included time for extended personal prayer. During the extended prayer time, participants were invited to place a heart-shaped sticker on the world map, light a candle, or receive a personal prayer from one of our volunteers. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Michael Wyatt, our Music Director, and the St. Stephen’s choir for their beautiful and moving performances that enriched this service.
Overall, the forum facilitated crucial conversations around peace and justice, empowering attendees to engage actively in their communities. Thank you to our speakers, partners and all of the participants who were open to engaging in our discussions and putting in the work to turn their faith into action for peace.
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