[Peace-discuss] Church Presence Discussion and Stand for Peace Reminder

[jandurl]

*Church Presence* Round Table Discussion to be held Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 PM at the Catholic Worker House located at 317 S. Randolph in Champaign.
On Thursday, December 1st, Jan and Durl Kruse (and others from AWARE *Church Presence* ) will be on hand for a roundtable discussion on the meaning of their peace presence in front of churches on Sundays through Advent. We'll discuss the decision to do this and the goals among other things. This discussion begins at 7 PM.

All are welcome. Please forward to anyone that you think may be interested.

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*Stand for Peace* Sunday December 4:

Join the Stand for Peace at the First Christian Church located at 3601 S. Staley Road in Champaign. Map link below. Time from 9:45 AM- 10:45 AM.        Signs Provided. 


"Church Presence" outside local churches during the *Season of Peace on Earth* !

A working group of AWARE members has been carefully and thoughtfully planning how to engage area churches in a dialogue regarding the war and occupation of Iraq. We have decided one such way is to hold a "Presence", not a "protest", outside local churches on the Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The next planned "Presence" is this coming Sunday, December 4 and then the following two Sundays of December 11 and 18. A possible Christmas Eve Presence is also being discussed. During this "Season of Peace" you are invited to join and stand with others in a respectful presence outside designated area churches. The "Presence" will be held between the church's two Sunday morning services. 

Purpose: 

Some area churches have declined to speak about the current war, the permitting of torture and the occupation of Iraq by the US military. Our purpose is to encourage congregation members to engage in a discussion among themselves or with members of those outside the church regarding the morality of this war and toll being taken on ordinary Iraqi citizens, US soldiers, military families and our nation's economy.

Plan: 

AWARE Working group will stand outside designated churches in the C-U Community on the identified Sundays during the "Season of Peace on Earth" holding signs, sharing information and expressing a call for discussion and engagement. Our call will be to members of churches to address and acknowledge a moral component that we as US citizens share when our complicit agreement is given through our taxes and voting. We call for a need to question a perceived desire not to engage by some in the religious community. We also call for dialogue with those who support our government's policy; a policy many currently argue is bringing death, destruction, and instability to our world. We desire to give space for discussion especially to the voices of the minority inside churches who may want to speak for peace but may be fearful of doing so.

Procedure:

Join with others as we stand for peace and begin the process of dialogue with local community churches. It is our intent to engage with and challenge church communities in this important moral discussion.

Map Link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=from%3A+Champaign+IL+to%3A+3601+S+Staley+Rd,+Champaign,+IL+(First+Christian+Church)&spn=0.042042,0.070939&f=d&hl=en 

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