A release from the Gun Violence Prevention Action Team
The Church of the Brethren Gun Violence Prevention Action Team would like to invite your congregation to remember gun violence victims who have passed away in 2024 by hosting a vigil or service in December as part of the Newtown Action Alliance’s 2024 Nationwide Vigils to #EndGunViolence initiative (www.newtownactionalliancefoundation.org/nationwide-vigils).
This initiative is anchored by the 12th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence being held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11.
We are offering a resource with two liturgy options to aid in preparation for such a service:
—a Blue Christmas Vigil (for Dec. 11, to coincide with the National Vigil, or any other December date) and
—a Longest Night Service (for Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice).
Download the resource from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VmHYiFVQK4N3wBfyq5YRZvzmkGnjiW3A/view.
Newtown Action Alliance also has a toolkit available on the above linked page with planning tips.
We encourage you to list the names of gun violence victims from your community, city, state, or the United States in a bulletin insert or printed on separate pieces of paper. Congregants could be given the name of a specific victim to read during the service and then pray for the family over the next year. We also invite you to invite family members of victims or promote this service to your community.
You can find names and pictures at this website: https://gunmemorial.org/search.
Please contact the team at COB-GVP@OnEarthPeace.org to share the story of your service, including pictures or anecdotes.
With each action we move closer to peace and justice and beloved community,
— The Church of the Brethren Gun Violence Prevention Team is a project of On Earth Peace. Team members include Mandy Park, Sandi Evans Rogers, Rhonda Baker, Linda Himes, Bev Eikenberry, Gerald Rhoades, Linda Williams, Gail Heisel, Steve Stone, Matt Guynn, and Anesu Makufa. Rhonda Baker, Mandy Park, and Sandi Evans Rogers prepared this resource/release.
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