{"id":410,"date":"2017-09-05T17:44:41","date_gmt":"2017-09-05T17:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=410"},"modified":"2017-09-05T17:44:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T17:44:41","slug":"proclaim-peace-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2017\/09\/05\/proclaim-peace-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Proclaim the Peace of Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proclaim the Peace of Christ<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cSo he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off
\nand peace to those who were near.\u201d
\nEphesians 2:14-17<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The letter to the Ephesians tells us that Jesus came to proclaim a peace that is universal. While the earthly ministry of Jesus was in a specific age and place, the peace he shared is limited by neither time nor geography. As followers of Christ, our call to witness\/work for peace begins in our own neighborhoods and extends to the ends of the earth.\u00a0 It is a demanding call, but it is one that Presbyterians at all levels of the church are seeking to follow.<\/p>\n

The Peace & Global Witness Offering<\/a> exists to support the witness of the whole church.<\/h4>\n

At the national level, this witness is done in direct support of those working to heal the divisions in violent contexts like South Sudan.\u00a0 It means creating educational materials that equip congregations to deal with important issues, from disagreements between members of session to bullying to gun violence.\u00a0 It means bringing leaders together who have made a profound witness for peace around the world and deploying them as a resource to congregations like yours and leaders like you.\u00a0 And it means speaking up for the vulnerable around the world through a seat at the United Nations table.\u00a0 The Offering strengthens the collaboration of the Peacemaking Program<\/a> and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations<\/a> with the reconciliation work of global partners through World Mission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"

A student leads classmates in prayer before school in Agok, South Sudan.
Photo credit: Paul Jeffrey<\/p><\/div>\n

Yet the Offering is also about your local congregation\u2019s<\/h4>\n

It is about living out a commitment to peacemaking, proclaiming Christ\u2019s peace. Twenty-five percent of the Offering stays in your local congregation and 25 percent is retained by your mid council.\u00a0 The ways congregations engage this work speak to the strengths of each congregation and the context where they see the need.\u00a0 It has meant supporting the work of a mission co-worker in finding reconciliation in difficult international contexts.\u00a0 It has meant two pastors in Texas starting an organization that seeks civility in political discourse. \u00a0And it has meant scholarships for students recognized as peacemakers, resettlement of refugees, and support for shelters where those who are abused may find refuge.<\/p>\n

The Peace & Global Witness Offering sustains a witness in many forms and at every level of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but all are bound together in Christ.\u00a0 Together they are a living proclamation of the peace we know in Christ, who puts an end to hostilities and speaks peace to those near and far.<\/p>\n

Join Us<\/h4>\n

Your support of the Peace & Global Witness Offering acknowledges that a wilderness of conflict may surround us, but we are not abandoned there. If we open our eyes to the possibilities of peace, we see God has set a table for anyone willing to take a seat.<\/p>\n

Please give generously to the Peace & Global Witness Offering:<\/p>\n