What might we do now that we are a Just Peace Church?  Our friend and recent Sabbatical Senior Minister, the Rev. Dr. Bob Loesch sent us a list of some of the activities that members of his home church have taken in the past year.  He is a member of Foster Memorial Church (UCC) in Springfield, MA.

Pastor Bob’s List

Every Monday evening for 30 minutes during busy commuter drive home, our church group called Waving for Peace stands on our church property, holding peace signs and waving to drivers at the intersection.

Our Pastor, Rev.  Barbara Schenk,  with other local church leaders, took a five-week training  course on non-violence principles and techniques and has shared her learnings regularly during worship services:

• Attended monthly meetings of Campaign NonViolence (CNV), Greater Springfield chapter,  to share area events and actions in which we can participate.
• Participated in two non-violent walks sponsored by CNV through neighborhoods in Springfield to show solidarity with people affected by all kinds of violence and advocate for nonviolence. We stopped at significant local sites for prayers, such as schools, government buildings, police and fire stations, sites of recent violence, group homes, medical centers, religious institutions and businesses. These walks ended with a gathering for prayers, speakers and recalling the names of each person killed by violence in the city in the past year.
• Attended Martin Luther King, Jr.,  ecumenical breakfast with speakers advocating and supporting racial justice, locally and nationally.
• Participated in several prayer vigils and calls to action at the Jewish Community Center (following hate crimes),  at the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts (following threats), Take Back the Night, vigils for Puerto Rico and Caribbean islands following Hurricane Maria, rally for actions by the government about immigration reform, travel bans and DACA at Federal Building in Springfield, and marches in support of common sense gun legislation.
• Participated in Western Massachusetts and Greater Springfield area Women’s Marches.
• Advocated for area awareness and actions regarding food,  hunger and poverty issues at Crop Walk for Hunger.
• Participated in readings and ecumenical  service on August 6 on anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Participated in interfaith program at the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Great Springfield,  with the speakers about  peace, justice, and unity to counter hate crimes and all forms of discrimination.
• Many sermons, reports and children’s messages during Sunday worship about peace and justice.
• Participated in ecumenical  seminar on Opioid crisis and what actions local congregations can take to help prevent, treat and respond to this public health issue.
• Participated in climate change actions, including the Lenten Carbon Fast sponsored by MACUCC and New England Region with proposed daily actions.
• Represented national United Church of Christ-Wider Church Ministries at Annual Conference of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Bob Loesch