Peace and justice activities at Pittsburgh 2011

The Mennonite Church USA convention, July 4 through 9, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mediation Training

Come early to convention to learn skills helpful in your congregation. This six-hour training, based on Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love, will prepare participants to understand conflict in church settings, be a non-anxious presence, listen better and mediate.

Register Now

Enemies Eat, Too Thursday 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

At Pittsburgh Opera, 2425 Liberty Avenue (Straight out the front door of the David Lawrence Convention Center and then left one mile on Liberty Avenue.) (MAP)

Explore God's call to love our enemies at this dinner sponsored by the Peace and Justice Support Network. Restaurants are catering authentic fare from the Middle East, Mexico and North Korea, countries the United States treat as enemies. Join us at the Pittsburgh Opera House (a short walk up Liberty Avenue from the convention center). The program includes Bible stories and songs. All ages are welcome. Families are especially encouraged to attend; children will receive Peace Packs. You must sign up on your registration form. MYFs have to register specially with the Convention Office, but are also welcome.

It will not be possible to attend both this meal and the hymnsing.

Peace Pitcher Pitcher & Different Drummer recognitions

Adult lifetime of peace and justice recognition: Peace Pitcher, during Holistic Witness report during delegate sessions

Youth Different Drummer recognition: during or after a youth worship

To nominate, please visit:
peace.mennolink.org/resources/peacepitcher.pdf
peace.mennolink.org/resources/youthdrumform.pdf

Exhibits

• PJSN resources: we need volunteers to engage passersby, find out what their congregation is doing with peace and justice, help them find and buy resources, and help children decorate their peace packs.
• Modern Slavery task force will have an interactive display that needs volunteer staffing.

Evening PJSN meeting

Becoming a living peace church
Friday, 7/8/2011
9:00-10:00 p.m.
Come help the Peace and Justice Support Network (PJSN) plan for deepening Mennonite Church USA's commitment and witness to Christian peacemaking and justice-seeking. We need your ideas and support.

Seminars

There are many peace and justice seminars. The following are sponsored by PJSN and peace advocate.

Adult

• Historic or Living Peace Church? - Tim Huber
• Peacebuilding in Palestine-Israel: A Follow-up to the 2007 'Open Letter to Mennonite Church USA Congregations' regarding Peacebuilding - Members of the MCUSA Task Force "On Becoming Peacemakers in Israel/Palestine"
• Recognizing the slave next door - Ruth Guengerich (Mennonite Women), Mark Regier (Everence), Linda Gehman Peachey (MCC Women's Concerns)
• Walking With the Stranger: Your Part in the Immigration Debate - Tammy Alexander, Saulo Padilla

Youth

• Clothing Yourself with Injustice - Mark Regier and Joanna Shenk
• The Immigration Debate: What's It All About? - Tammy Alexander, Saulo Padilla
• Why Can't Israelis and Palestinians Just "Get Along"? - Timothy Seidel and Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach

Intergenerational

• The War in Afghanistan - Good vs. Evil? - Theo Sitther

Evenings

• Asian pastors Evangelism and Peace training with Teng 9 pm Wednesday
• Immigration film festival 7 pm Wednesday

Need for volunteers

• Peace packs
• Staff display - July 4 through 9
• Set up enemies eat - 4 pm Thursday, July 7
• Transport enemies eat - 5 pm Thursday, July 7
• Tear down enemies eat - 7:30 pm Thursday, July 7

Contact Tim Huber at or 316-281-4386 if interested in volunteering.