Trinity Peacemakers

ESSAY CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!

trinitypeacemakers — Thu, 02 May 2019 21:48:23 +0000

The Peacemaking Committee of Trinity Presbytery announces an essay contest for high school students residing within Trinity Presbytery who are members of a church within Trinity Presbytery or who are active in a Trinity Presbytery ministry. Graduating seniors are eligible to participate. Five cash awards of $100 each will be awarded. To be considered, essays must be submitted to the Committee by midnight on July 5, 2022. The criteria for entering the essay contest are:

Schreibender Knabe by Albert Anker, c. 1908

Student must be a member of a member church of Trinity Presbytery OR active in a Trinity Presbytery ministry.

All essays must be the student’s original creation.

The student must be willing to meet with the Peacemaking Committee in an informal meeting to articulate and discuss their ideas with the committee.

The student must be willing for their certificate and cash prize to be presented to them at their home congregation or ministry

The student must be willing for their essay to be published and / or disseminated by Trinity Presbytery (on website, etc.), with credit for authorship given to the student but without payment of additional fees.

ESSAY QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED:

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is known now as a peacemaker, but in his own time his activities were not necessarily viewed by everyone as peaceable. Utilizing scripture, King’s letters and writings, and your own argument, discuss the use of nonviolent direct action by those engaged in peacemaking along with its potential application with regard to any contemporary social issue that concerns you. Include discussion of something you could envision yourself doing in the future to engage in peacemaking.

The essay should be between 1500 and 3000 words in length, printed in 12 point font, double spaced, and on 8 ½” x 11” paper. A cover letter and the essay submission should be addressed to Peacemaking Committee, Trinity Presbytery, 554 Davega Dr, Lexington, SC 29073. Alternately, the essay may be submitted to: TrinityPeacemakers@gmail.com

The cover letter accompanying the essay should state that it is an entry for the Peacemaking Essay Contest. The cover letter, which will be opened by an administrative staff person and not a grading evaluator, should include the student’s name, address, email address, phone number, and their affiliated Trinity Presbytery church or ministry. The student’s personal information should NOT be included on the face of the essay itself. (For purposes of ensuring anonymity and objectivity in the grading process, identifying information will be removed prior to forwarding essays to the team of evaluators.)

Essays will be graded according to the following grading rubric:

GRADING RUBRIC 2019 PEACEMAKING ESSAY CONTEST (up to 105 points possible)
RELEVANCE (10 possible points)	A current event or first hand, personal experience is used to illustrate relevance of essay topic or to illustrate the points made	POINTS POSSIBLE 0 1 2 3 4 5
RELEVANCE (10 possible points)	The essay moves beyond theoretical ideas to discuss the ways in which our commitment to peacemaking influences (or ought to inform) our personal actions and community activities	0 1 2 3 4 5
INTEGRITY (15 possible points)	Facts or current events are stated neutrally and without emotive language	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Facts cited in support of argument are well researched and accurate, with footnotes to primary sources	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Biblical passages are used with integrity, including accurate translation and appropriate, contextual use of scripture.	0 1 2 3 4 5
INSIGHTFULNESS (25 possible points)	Uses Biblical passages and concepts to support the ideas expressed	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Biblical passages are explained well	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Contains innovative and creative ideas, or facilitates a greater understanding of peacemaking	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Uses secondary sources and / or has thoughtful analysis or application	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Brownie points for analysis and discussion of the concept of peacemaking that includes Hebrew or Greek meanings of language used and its historical context.	0 1 2 3 4 5
GOOD MECHANICS (35 possible points)	Essay has an engaging introduction	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Essay has excellent grammar, punctuation, and spelling	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Essay is coherent and well organized	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Body of essay is articulate and clear	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Sections of essay flow easily with good transitions between paragraphs	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Concepts are clearly explained	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Essay is overall an easy and pleasant reading experience	0 1 2 3 4 5
PERSUASIVE (20 possible points)	Author’s use of induction, deduction, or analysis leads to a coherent theory and logical or reasonable application of their idea to the real world	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Concluding paragraph is clear and leads to a call to action or specific idea concerning peace	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Call to action is strong and persuasive	0 1 2 3 4 5
	Essay is inspiring to the reader	0 1 2 3 4 5
ADDITIONAL EVALUATOR COMMENTS

The timeline for the essay contest is as follows:

Announcement of Contest: May 21, 2022

Deadline for submissions: July 5, 2022

Winners announced: July 20, 2019

Meet with Committee: TBA

Certificate and Cash Prize Awarded at Recipient’s Home Church or Ministry: TBA

For Times When We Disagree

xanskinner — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:43:00 +0000

There comes a time in the life of every family, church, or organization, when we disagree with one another. When we do, it is important to remember that no matter how much we disagree, the manner in which we respond to one another is an important measure of (and reflection of) our ability to see Christ in the Other.

In 1992, the General Assembly of the PCUSA adopted the following guidelines to guide Presbyerians in times of disagreement. Feel free to copy and share:

Seeking to be Faithful Together:

Guidelines for Presbyterians During Times of Disagreement

In a spirit of trust and love, we promise we will…

Give them a hearing…

listen before we answer

John 7:51 and

Proverbs 18:13

1. Treat each other respectfully so as to build trust, believing that we all desire to be faithful to Jesus the Christ;

_ we will keep our conversations and communications open for candid snd forthright exchange,

_ we will not ask questions or make statements in a way which will intimidate or judge others.

2. Learn about various positions on the topic of disagreement.

3. State what we think we heard and ask for clarification before responding, in an effort to be sure we understand each other.

Speak the truth in love

Ephesians 4:15

4. Share our concerns directly with individuals or groups with whom we

have disagreements in a spirit of love and respect in keeping with Jesus’

teachings.

5. Focus on ideas and suggestions instead of questioning people’s motives,

intelligence or integrity;

_ we will not engage in name-calling or labelling of others prior to, during, or

following the discussion.

6. Share our personal experiences about the subject of disagreement so that

others may more fully understand our concerns.

Maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace

Ephesians 4:3

7. Indicate where we agree with those of other viewpoints as well as where

we disagree.

8. Seek to stay in community with each other though the discussion may be

vigorous and full of tension;

_ we will be ready to forgive and be forgiven.

9. Follow these additional guidelines when we meet in decision-making

bodies:

_ urge persons of various points of view to speak and promise to listen to these

positions seriously;

_ seek conclusions informed by our points of agreement;

_ be sensitive to the feelings and concerns of those who do not agree with the

majority and respect their rights of conscience;

_ abide by the decision of the majority, and if we disagree with it and wish to

change it, work for that change in ways which are consistent with these

Guidelines.

10. Include our disagreement in our prayers, not praying for the triumph of

our viewpoints, but seeking God’s grace to listen attentively, to speak

clearly, and to remain open to the vision God holds for us all.

Adopted by the 204th General Assembly (1992) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for use by sessions and congregations

Family Promise of the Midlands

trinitypeacemakers — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 13:59:41 +0000

If you attend a church in the Midlands of South Carolina, you may have heard of a nonprofit called Family Promise, which fifteen local churches are participating in.

What is Family Promise? Simply put, Family Promise is a nationally recognized, nonprofit organization committed to helping low-income families achieve lasting independence. One component of Family Promise is the Interfaith Hospitality Network. But that’s not all there is!

If you would like to learn more about this worthwhile organization and how local churches are getting involved, please attend a Family Promise Informational Luncheon that will be held on Friday, January 23, 2015, at Brookland Baptist Church (1066 Sunset Blvd. in West Columbia, SC). The sponsoring organization for the luncheon is the local chapeter of Church Women United. The featured speaker will be The Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield, Associate Pastor of Discipleship at Shandon Presbyterian Church and chair of the local Board of Family Promise.

Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and a buffet lunch will be available at 11:00 a.m. Luncheon tickets are $15 (checks made payable to Church Women United). Tickets should be purchased by January 8, 2015, by sending remittance to Joann Grant, 9190 Windsor Blvd., Columbia, SC, 29223.

Information or questions should be directed to Rowena Nylund, phone 803-252-7752.

SC Midlands Residents, Put January 22, 2015, on Your Calendar!

trinitypeacemakers — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 13:14:43 +0000

Noonday Prayer for Christian Unity

Northminster Presbyterian Church (Map & Directions)

6717 David Street, Columbia, SC 29203

January 22, 2015

The Rev. Dr. James B. Blassingame, Preaching

President, Baptist Educational & Missionary Convention of SC

Service begins at Noon

Followed by a Simple Fellowship Meal

Please register for the meal (no fee) by e-mailing Trudy Bouknight, Administrative Assistant at sccouncil@sccouncil.net.

Address for today’s conference

trinitypeacemakers — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 12:31:39 +0000

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church

125 Sparkleberry Ln., Columbia, South Carolina

Come to Potts Fellowship Hall

Entrance is at back of building

Church phone number is 803-788-3859

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “PEACEMAKING” AND HOW CAN IT HELP?

trinitypeacemakers — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 00:30:51 +0000

Breaking News! CLE and CEU Credit has been approved

for attorneys and licensed professional counselors!

scroll down for conference topics, schedule, and speaker biographies:

Topic highlights are domestic violence, Africa missions, refugee children in USA, Middle East conflict, making peace in families, rule of law, preventing genocide … timely and relevant!!!!!

TO REGISTER

Fill in this form: [contact-form]

FRIDAY TOPICS

8:30 AM Registration and Coffee

9:00 AM Light Amid Darkness: What Did the Twenthieth Century Teach Us For Prevention of Genocide, and Where Does Peacemaking Fit? (Alexandria Skinner)

10:00 Documentary Film of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Sudan, and panel discussion of restorative justice

11:00 AM Children At The Border: What Are The Legal And Practical Issues With Regard To Undocumented Alien Minors On Our Southern Border? (Tammy Besherse, One hour of CLE / SW/ LPC CEU anticipated)

12:00 PM Lunch together

1:00 PM Introduction of the Work of Each Speaker: What We Do and Why We Do It

Leah Boyd: Building Peace Through Rule of Law

Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mather: Building peace by building communities

Hugh Hammond: Building peace through small group dialogue

Julie Owens: Building peace through training helpers

2:45 PM World Cafe peacemaking exercise for participants

4:00 PM Group Sharing and Recap

4:30 Close for Day

SATURDAY

8:30 Registration and Coffee

12:00 Lunch together

CHOOSE TWO MORNING AND TWO AFTERNOON SMALL GROUP SESSIONS:

Some Spiritual Dimensions of Forgiveness And Reconciliation (Hugh Hammond)

Healing Trauma, Transforming Conflict, And Building Peace In South Sudan: The Work of RECONCILE, International (Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather)

The Church and Domestic Violence: Scriptures and Ways to Help (Julie Owens, 1 hr CLE anticipated)

Healing Trauma, Transforming Conflict, And Building Peace In Seven Countries In Africa: The Work Of ALARM (African Leadership And Reconciling Ministries) (Leah Boyd)

Use of Compassionate Communication To Build Bridges of Understanding (Hugh Hammond, 1 HR CLE, LPC CEU anticipated)

Increasing Peace In Africa Through Rule Of Law: Practical Applications of Biblical Principles of Justice (Leah Boyd, 1 HR CLE anticipated)

From Justice to Mercy: Spiritual Aspects of Healing After Trauma (Julie Owens)

Stories of Hope in the Midst of Conflict (Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather)

SATURDAY PLENARY

3:25 Living as a Lamb Among Lions: Applying Biblical Principles of Peacemaking As A Christian in an Increasingly Hostile World (Asher Din, Moderator, and Panelists)

4:00 PM Closing Worship

SUNDAY

On Sunday, August 17th, for those who wish to hear more,

Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather will be speaking at Forest Lake Presbyterian at 9:00 and 11:00 AM

Leah Boyd will be speaking at McGregor Presbyterian church at 10:00 AM.

August 15th and 16th, 2014

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM each day, Childcare and lunch provided but we need you to pre-register so we know how many to plan for!

REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT TO OFFSET COSTS WE ARE REQUESTING A DONATION OF $25 PER DAY

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather are ordained ministers in the Presbyterian Church (USA) . They work in Yei, South Sudan, with RECONCILE, International, an African-led ministry which engages in peace-building and trauma healing work in South Sudan.

Leah Boyd is an American human rights attorney who works with ALARM (African Leadership and Reconciling Ministries), training African leaders in principles and practices related to Biblical justice. ALARM is an African-led peace-building and trauma healing ministry which works in seven African countries affected by war and genocide.

Julie Owens is a nationally recognized expert and trainer in the subject of domestic violence. In a state which ranks as a leader in the USA in domestic violence, Julie will speak not only about what can be done to counteract domestic violence itself, but the process of trauma healing for victims (a process which will have been described during day 1, in the context of the Africa experience). Julie will help participants learn ways to apply this theoretical understanding of trauma and violence into practical knowledge that can be applied in local ministries and nonprofits, and in their own churches. Domestic violence advocates will not want to miss this workshop!

Hugh Hammond, MDiv., is a former engineer who has a passion for bringing peace and reconciliation to those torn by conflict in the Holy Land, where he has traveled each of the last three years to do peace-building work with Palestinians and Israelis. Hugh is also a candidate for certification as a trainer in Nonviolent Communication, a method for building compassion pioneered by Marshall Rosenberg, who founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Asher Din is a Ph.D. Candidate at Erskine Seminary in Due West, SC, but he is a native of Pakistan. Asher’s family has been Christian for many generations, living in a predominantly Muslim culture and navigating cross cultural dialogue and peacemaking as part of their everyday lives.

Alexandria Skinner, J.D., works as a mediator for families and churches in South Carolina who seek peaceable resolutions to difficult challenges.

This conference is sponsored by the Peacemaking Committee of Trinity Presbytery.

*The art on this page is the “Christ the Peacemaker” stained glass window located at Central Baptist Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania, has been used with permission. The explanation for the art is:

Christ the Peacemaker They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war any more. Micah 4:3

The window facing Lancaster Avenue represents Central Baptist Church’s ministry of peacemaking and justice-building in the world. The Light of God descends from heaven, coming through the figure of Christ the Peacemaker. The light surrounds Christ’s hand and continues down through the sword to create the plowshare. The bright colors represent the explosive transformation that occurs when peace breaks out in the world.

“To me it is like the phoenix arising from its own ashes symbolizing rejuvenation, continuity, and resurrection. I used clear glass for the main part of Christ’s body as an invitation to the outside world to come in and know the Peacemaker.” Lucinda Shaw, artist

Fambul Tok: Making Peace in Sierra Leone

xanskinner — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:43:23 +0000

Between 1991 and 2001, a brutal civil war in the central African nation of Sierra Leone resulted in the deaths of about 50,000 people. Rape and maiming were deliberately used by soldiers as weapons to spread intimidation and fear. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced from their homes and many became refugees in Guinea and Liberia. No one was unaffected. Neighbors were pitted against neighbors. Entire communities were disrupted.

Following overthrow of the military dictatorship, how could communities so damaged restore a sense of peace? To answer this question requires asking questions like, “What is justice?”

Further, who is responsible for justice? How can communities be involved in deciding how to do justice? How does justice in those communities work, as a practical matter? Here is a six minute introduction that explores some of these concepts and how they are being applied through Fambul Tok to heal the wounds of war in Sierra Leone:

In the Sierra Leonian language of Krio, the term Fambul Tok means “Family Talk.” The organization Catalyst For Peace, a Portland, Maine, organization headed by peacebuilder Elisabeth Hoffman, has spearheaded ongoing and fruitful peacebuilding in this African nation.

A full length documentary (film trailer HERE) has been produced, along with supplementary educational materials, which can be purchased HERE. Consider having your church, synagogue, Mosque, or community organization host a showing of the film and discussion. Consider how family talk concepts might be applied in your (our) own, local communities.

On Loving One’s Enemies

trinitypeacemakers — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:58:13 +0000

“[W]e know it is possible to love our enemies. Otherwise why would Christ in the Sermon on the Mount ask that we so love? . . . Are we to make Christ a liar? If we do not think it possible to love our enemies, then we should plainly say Jesus is not the Messiah.” (Quote from Stanley Hauerwas)

Karoly Ferenczy, Sermon on the Mountain (1896)

Miracles

trinitypeacemakers — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:11:58 +0000

The man whispered, "God, speak to me."
And a meadowlark sang.
But the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky.
… But the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."
And a star shone brightly.
But the man did not notice.
And the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle!"
And a life was born.
But the man did not know.
So, the man cried out in despair.
"Touch me God, and let me know that you are here!"
Whereupon God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Listening to God (a Lenten meditation)

trinitypeacemakers — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:57:31 +0000

“The sheep that are my own hear and are listening to my voice; and I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27

(Louis Robbe (attr) Schafherde in hügeliger Landschaft)

These days, there seems to be a cacophony of religious voices, all saying different things.

In matters of faith, only one voice matters. How will we discern that voice?

Psalm 46 says: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Be still.

We modern folk are such poor listeners. We label each other, we talk past each other, we judge each other, we jump to conclusions, we stop listening.

We want to be heard, we want everyone else to listen to us, we talk to whomever will listen.

Stop.

Listen.

No, really, I mean it! Stop talking (mentally even) and … just …

Listen.

This song (linked below) reminds us just to take it in, and to give it back. Not to tell others or to tell God how it is or what we want, sometimes not even to tell God what we need.

Sometimes, we are just to

Listen

And, if we respond, our response is to “lift a hymn of grateful praise.”

Nothing more, nothing less.

Heather Prusse sings For the Beauty of the Earth

In thought, word, and deed, let us praise our God. As it is said in Psalm 19:14:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

May peace be with you!

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