Atlantic Southeast District to present a Virtual Peace Camp 2020

The Action for Peace Team of the Church of the Brethren’s Atlantic Southeast District is presenting a Virtual Peace Camp 2020, the 13th peace camp to be held by the district. Usually the event is held over Labor Day Weekend at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla., but because of the pandemic the event this year will be online via Zoom and offered free to participants.

Words "Virtual Peace Camp" with leaves

The theme is “Building Peace and Being Peacemakers” with resource leaders Michaela (Kayla) Alphonse and Susan (Sue) Smith. Participants may choose either of two days to participate, with the content repeated each day: Saturday, Sept. 5, 1-4:30 p.m. (Eastern time), or Monday, Sept. 7, 1-4:30 p.m. (Eastern).

Alphonse is pastor at Miami (Fla.) First Church of the Brethren and a member of the Church of the Brethren denomination’s Compelling Vision Process Team. Smith, a member of the planning team for the district’s Action for Peace Team, is a pastor at Antelope Park Church of the Brethren in Lincoln, Neb., and previously was an outreach pastor for Celebration of Christ Church of the Brethren in St. Pete, Fla.

Program highlights include:

— A one-hour session on the topic “Racial Justice” led by Alphonse (0.1 continuing education credit for ministers).

— A half-hour conversation about the Beatitudes with Jarrod McKenna, an Australian minister and peace and justice activist who has been a popular speaker at the Church of the Brethren’s National Youth Conferences, and Matt Rittle, pastor of Arlington (Va.) Church of the Brethren (0.5 continuing education credit for ministers).

— A one-hour session on “God’s Moral Imagination for Peacebuilding” led by Smith (0.1 continuing education credit for ministers).

— Two worship experiences led by Haitian and Hispanic churches in the district.

— An introduction to the history of the Family Peace Camp by Jerry Eller, hosted by Aaron Neff.

The event will include times for questions and interaction during “break out” times. Two breaks will be given during each afternoon.

Register at www.atlanticsoutheast.org/events-1 . Participants will receive Zoom link via email after registering. Find a creative video introduction to the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zipHTaghYc0&t=5s&fbclid=IwAR0bTmYUEMvCh48ExhuKchsuEWT63gI5hp8zx_bo6Ho4Qsb91Q1FvhYMs_4 .

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