We worship a God who brings good news to the oppressed.
Who binds up the brokenhearted, and who comforts all who mourn.
As we go out from this place and into the world,
may we be agents of hope speaking into the issue of gun violence
through art and politics and story and community.*
As campus ministries across the country begin another year together, we are all too aware that gun violence in our country remains a source of fear, grief, and tension. Acknowledging that politicized topics such as this one are often ignored in our communities of faith, UKirk Collegiate Ministries has partnered with the Office of Christian Formation in the Presbyterian Mission Agency to offer G-NS: A Resource for Generous Dialogue about Gun Violence.
Written by Sarah E. Logemann, the curriculum’s four sessions follow the movement of a worship service: Gather, Encounter, Respond, and Send. Each session, though highly adaptable, is designed to take about 1.5 hours, and includes elements of worship that correspond to that session’s part in the movement of worship.
As you’ll read in the introduction, “This resource aims to engage participants about the issue of gun violence from a thoughtful and theological perspective. With a major emphasis on open and gracious communication, the curriculum seeks to help participants think and talk about this controversial issue productively and through the lens of the Christian faith.”**
To preview the curriculum or print a full copy yourself, find a free downloadable PDF here. To request a hard copy of the curriculum bound in booklet form, fill out this form and one will be sent to you at no cost. (Please limit hard copy requests to one per campus ministry.)
As we work to acknowledge shared humanity in an increasingly divided society, we hope this curriculum will be a resource that fosters authentic conversations and inspires prophetic action, on our campuses and beyond.
Notes
* Benediction, p. 40
** p. 1