Peace

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Peace JusticeTransforming our Community

• Vision to Action II
• 26 April 06

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What we will reviewVisionStrategyCurrent
ResponseRecommendations
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Our Vision
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Vision

• We have heard the clarion call to effect justice
• We sense that Gods spirit is nudging our church
  toward a deeper investment in our local community
  
• We desire to lead our congregation in a
  multi-year strategy to deepen its understanding
  of and engagement in Justice Ministry

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Vision

• SHALOM Completeness, wholeness, health, peace,
  welfare, safety soundness, tranquility,
  prosperity, perfection, fullness, rest, harmony,
  and the absence of agitation or discord.
  (Strong's Concordance 7965)

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Scriptural Call for our Response

• Matthew 2530
• when you did unto one of the least of these my
  brothers and sisters , you were doing it to me.
• Acts 1 8
• and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
  and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
  the earth.
• Micah 68
• this is what he requires to do what is right,
  to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

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Strategy

Our response is both corporate as a church family
and individual we want to encourage and
facilitate both.
Where God is working


The action of one while always valuable is
compounded when many join together in the same
action.  This is true citizenship/community
building/doing church as a team establishing
priorities as a community and working together to
effect change.
Our Gifts and Resources
Our Passions
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Strategy Our Jerusalem

• Overseas ministry has historically been
  handled by the Missions Committee.
• Church of the Redeemer is the prime example of
  our recent ministry in neighboring regions.
• Local missions have been handled by the PJ
  Committee.

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Strategy Compassion, Prevention and Justice
Justice (policy social change)
Prevention (keep people from going over)
This waterfall illustrates three types of
responses 1) having compassion on those in
crisis, 2) helping people prevent a crisis, and
3) being an advocate for the poor to ensure
unjust systems do not spur a crisis.
   
Compassion (pulling people from the pool)
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How will we help?

• Some Principles
• Build on the foundation that God has already laid
  in the Church. Affirm Pasadena Covenants
  Unique Signature
• Educate congregation of needs and opportunities
  to help Find out how our friend hurts.
• Invite congregation to identify our passions and
  resources which could be employed to help make a
  difference- Based on Gods call to Pasadena
  Covenant Church.
• Challenge congregation to get outside their
  comfort zone We exist to challenge our church
  and city to not insulate ourselves in comfort,
  but to say yes to Gods call to justice.
• Partner with others with shared vision and
  values/Employ new tools- Formative for us as the
  church transformative for our community.

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Our Current Response
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Our Current Response is primarily compassion
(shown in blue)
Global
Child exploitation
Human rights
Affordable drugs
Fair Trade
Neighboring
Church of the Redeemer
Job training
Affordable housing
Discrimination
12 step programs
Affordable health care
Elizabeth House
Bad Weather Shelter
Local
Food Closet
Compassion (giving a fish)
Prevention (teaching to fish)
Justice (improving society)
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The Bad Weather Shelter (BWS) now provides more
prevention type services.
PCC has hosted the BWS for the last 17 years.
Each year PCC has staffed the shelter one night
each week. The last nine years, PCC has also
provided food for the homeless on the night we
staff the shelter. Lake Avenue Church provides
shelter for families. Currently no other
churches or organizations have been willing to
help host the BWS.
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Recommendations
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Recommendation

• Add Justice Ministry
• We recommend that justice ministries be added to
  our current ministry priorities. This will be a
  key ministry along with our outreach ministries
  of compassion and evangelism.

The implications of this recommendation begin on
slide 17.
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Recommendation

• Commit Funds
• We recommend that funding from the church budget
  be committed over the next five years for
  Pasadena Covenants Peace and Justice Ministry to
  the local community as seed money for projects,
  consultation fees, administrative and office
  support, support for grant writing and research,
  and conference fees (tentative proposal 3 of
  operating budget). This year, we ask for 10,000
  from the endowment fund to pay for consultants,
  guest speakers, curriculum and the website
  development.

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Recommendation

• Ensure Facility is Community Friendly
• Any renovations to our facility must be community
  friendly and possibly include a space
  specifically available for community use. We
  must ensure that our facility is not so nice that
  we do not feel comfortable making it available
  for community use.

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Implications

• Homelessness
• Work with the city and other churches, etc. to
  identify other partners to help host the Bad
  Weather Shelter (BWS) in 2-3 years.
• Continue hosting the BWS for one month per year
  even after other partners help host the BWS. The
  days of continuous activation will increase from
  45 to 60 days next year.
• Become part of the implementation team of
  Pasadenas Ten Year Strategy to End Homelessness,
  including the Good Neighbor program.
• Other potential responses longer term
• Transitional Housing
• Permanent Supportive Housing

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Implications

• Learning to Do Justice
• A Core Peace and Justice team will take the lead
  in learning how to develop an effective justice
  ministry
• This will involve an intentional one-year
  learning process for core group and wider
  congregation
• We will draw on multiple resources/expertise
  using Covenant curricula and specialists in
  targeted service areas
• We will solicit guidance and training from an
  experienced local community organizing network
  (One LA-Pasadena)
• We will examine how to bring more integration and
  synthesis between efforts of Missions,
  Evangelism, and Peace Justice

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Intentional Learning Process

• PHASE 1 - Recruitment and Development of a Core
  Group
• Build Biblical Foundation for justice work
• Skill building (e.g. relationship building)
• Basics of congregation-based community organizing
• Regular meetings together
• Outside trainings where appropriate

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Implications

• PHASE 2 - Engagement process with wider
  congregation
• Identify our issues, gifts/passions, and new
  leaders through extensive meetings with
  individuals, small groups, existing ministry
  teams
• Reflect prioritize with expanded core group
• Propose next phases of engagement/learning
  process
• Develop strategy to raise consciousness on
  justice issues and ministry opportunities
  through
• Sunday morning messages
• Multi-week series in fall 2006
• Enhanced church website to serve as a portal to
  facilitate engagement in justice ministries

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Implications

• PHASE 3 - Public presentation and affirmation of
  a Peace Justice mission/strategy
• Projected 5 year time-frame
• Rooted in Pasadena Covenants unique gifts/call
• Focused and strategic
• May include formal membership, participation
  local network - One LA-Pasadena

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• Questions and Answers
• In Partnership,
• Brenda Thomas, Christine Anketell, Donna Sider,
  Don Bosch, Emilie Still, Gaithri Fernando, Mike
  Still, Laurie Cornell, Lela Giwa, Rob Filback,
  Shola Giwa, Suren Anketell, Wayne Aoki and
  Charles Barker
• Peace and Justice Ministry Team

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Closing Thought

• Redeeming Injustices as Emissaries of Gods
  Grace 
• We serve a God of Justice.  We are called to be
  instruments of peace and vessels for his use. We
  are called to be partners in the process of
  Redemption. 
• We act out of the stream and flow of Gods
  Grace. As we meet practical needs and effect
  change, we create opportunities for those within
  our sphere of influence to be reconciled to God -
  to know the joy, grace, eternal hope and victory
  of true Life in Christ.   
• However we can only make a difference when we act
  as the Holy Spirit directs. 
• As we reach out to the world as God directs, we
  find Christ in the least of these, we are
  transformed and reconciliation occurs between God
  Man Man Man, and Man Social Systems. Gods
  right order is established and Shalom reigns.