Columbus Mennonite Church and North Broadway United Methodist Church Join Hands to Bring a Peace Gathering to Columbus OH

(August 17, 2004, Columbus OH) - The Columbus Mennonite Church and N. Broadway United Methodist Church, both of Clintonville OH, are hosting a peace gathering in Columbus OH. The weekend-long meeting, called Choosing Peace: Practicing Faith in Public, will be held October 28 - 30, 2004 and will involve worship and Bible study as well as workshops.

Keynote speaker is J. Daryl Byler, Director of the Washington Office of the Mennonite Central Committee. Mr. Byler works to bring a Christian perspective to matters of public policy. Bible study leader is Rev. Grayson Atha, Senior Pastor of King Ave. United Methodist Church near OSU campus. Rev. Atha will lead the study through storytelling.

Workshops include "What do I believe about killing?" for youth; "What Does Your Church do with War?" for adults. Other workshops topics are "What is Restorative Justice?", Peacemaking in the Middle East, Practical Nonviolence for Aggressive Energies, Interfaith Peacemaking, How to Teach Peace (for parents), Nonviolence Across the Curriculum (for teachers), Forgiveness and Hospitality, and Racism and Legislation. There will also be interactive sessions such as Peace and the Visual Arts, Peace and Writing, and Drumming for Peace. Peace-related activities for children are planned for Saturday, October 23. Bible study, a Coffee House and Variety Show, and opportunities for networking and viewing peace-related displays round out the weekend.

Registration fees by September 15 are $100 (adults) for Friday and Saturday (covers meals, workshops, etc.). Fees for Friday only: $75; for Saturday only: $40. Youth and children's fees for Saturday are $15. Fee for attending a particular workshop: $20 per workshop. Late fee for registering after September 15: $10. Fees for meals purchased separately: $5. Local housing and a limited number of scholarships for youth and adults are available.

The Columbus Mennonite Church and North Broadway United Methodist Church are joining energies to hold this gathering to offer alternatives to living with or accepting war and violence as solutions to problems. Partners for Peace, a group of persons from both churches, meet together regularly to discuss peace with justice issues. The group planned the Ohio Peace Gathering at the request of and with the support of the Peace and Justice Support Network of the Mennonite Church USA.

For more information, including a registration form, see the Website Peace.mennolink.org and click on the link Regional Peace Gathering, Columbus, OH.