The Faith Coalition on Gun Violence in Columbia invites United Methodist churches to participate in the 2016 Gun Violence Sabbath Weekend Dec. 14-18.
The effort is supported by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a coalition of faith communities – including the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church – dedicated to reducing gun violence across the United States.
Other major partners in the coalition are the African Methodist Episcopal Church, American Baptist Churches of the South, the American Friends Service Committee, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the United Church of Christ and many others.
More than 500 places of worship in 46 states and the District of Columbia participated in last year’s Gun Violence Sabbath Weekend. This year, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence and the Washington National Cathedral are joining the Newtown Foundation and States United to Prevent Gun Violence in calling on all Americans across the nation to keep raising our voices for change by pledging to participate in December 2016.
Join places of worship across the nation, the Newtown Foundation and Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence to remember those who have lost their lives to gunfire, pray for those whose lives have been forever changed because of the loss of a loved one, and to educate one another on proven strategies to reduce gun violence.
What can your church do?
Suggested faith group actions in recognition of Emanuel, Newtown, Orlando and other gun violence tragedies.
Engagement Activity: Dinner with a missing guest
Hand out a paper plate with a prayer on it (perhaps written by your own clergyperson) to each congregant and ask them to place the plates at the dinner table on December 14th, the anniversary of the tragic shootings in Newtown, to represent one of the many who are no longer with us.
Sermon & Education
Deliver a Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath sermon, invite reporters to attend, and provide gun violence prevention information/activities to congregants.
Shoes We Can Never Fill
Provide the visual of empty shoes or clothes on a clothesline outside church and invite media to vigil.
Points of Light
Light thousands of tea-light candles depicting the number of people who have been lost to gun violence since Newtown, or light candles representing the number of local gun violence victims. (A helpful calculator showing how many gun deaths since Newtown is available here.)
Vigil & Vocals
Hold a vigil or church service with choir outside member of Congress’s office. While church choir is singing, have names of gun violence victims read. Intersperse lines of psalms with names of gun violence victims.
Fasting for Action
A communal fast – have a continuous 2,000-hour fast (12 weeks) during which people commit to fasting for one day outside elected officials’ office for gun violence victims.
Acts of Kindness
Perform a specific number of acts of kindness to honor the number lost to gun violence in your community since Newtown.
Want to know more?
- For more information about the 2016 National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend, click here.
- To pledge your congregation’s participation in the December 2016 National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend, click here.
- For ongoing information on gun violence prevention activities, click here.
