Offering advocates peace, justice today

By Glenda Sanders
2008 Dean School of Christian Mission
United Methodist churches will celebrate “Peace with Justice Sunday” May 18 by receiving a special offering. The offering enables the denomination’s voice in advocating for peace and justice at home and around the world.
Peace with Justice Sunday gifts empower compassionate people to advocate for human rights, buy fair-trade products, care for the environment, demonstrate for important causes, eradicate poverty, feed the hungry, mediate conflict, provide health care, seek affordable housing and model nonviolence. The Special Sunday offering funds global outreach through the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) and annual conference-related peace with justice ministries that transform lives.
Joyce Georgief, Peace with Justice coordinator for the California-Pacific Conference, says she is “fired up” about the United Methodist Special Sunday.
“It reminds us to be who we say we are,” she said. “We say we love kindness, seek justice and walk humbly with our God. Peace with Justice Sunday gives flesh to the Micah 6:8 mandate, and for me, it means recommitting myself to walking the talk.”
Peace with Justice Sunday is a way people can give from a place of faith, according to Adrienne Fong, Peace with Justice coordinator for the California-Nevada Conference. “I know there are many times people give to non-faith organizations that do human rights, peace and environmental justice work, but if they knew they could give from within the church,” she emphasized, “I think they would. It makes me really proud to be United Methodist because we address so many issues through the Special Sunday offerings, especially Peace with Justice.”
Peace with Justice Sunday, one of the six United Methodist Special Sundays with offering, is observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Peace with Justice Sunday offering supports programs that advocate for peace and justice at home and around the world. The day witnesses to God’s demand for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world. Half of the Peace with Justice offering goes to the GBCS for grants to special programs.
The other half remains with annual conferences for peace with justice ministries. Every annual conference has a peace with justice coordinator, and a committee headed by that coordinator determines how the conference money will be used.
Six ways to celebrate and promote Peace with Justice Sunday are:
> Plant a community peace garden and harvest food that can be donated to a local food bank or shelter.
> Contact Habitat for Humanity and encourage members of your church to participate in a “Faith Build.”
> Create a peace minicamp for school-age children in your congregation. Provide training in peaceful conflict resolution and anti-bullying.
> Establish a Bible study at a local prison. Ask Sunday school classes to provide volunteers to lead weekly studies and discussions.
> Plan a congregational peace rally. Invite Sunday school classes in all age groups to make signs about peace and justice issues close to their hearts; post the signs throughout the church.
> Dedicate a church service to peace and justice issues. Use hymns like “We Shall Overcome” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth” to punctuate the importance of world peace. Ask children to share prayers for peace that they have written.
For information about ministries supported by the Peace with Justice Sunday offering, contact Peace with Justice Program, General Board of Church and Society, 100 Maryland Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., 20002-5614, visit www.umc-gbcs.org/grants or call (202) 488-5600.
Information and applications for Peace with Justice grants are available online at www.umc-gbcs.org/grants.