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Responding to Church Violence: Thinking Ahead

July 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

The MSNBC headline in 2015 read, “Charleston shooting part of long history of violence against churches.” An earlier USA Today headline in 2013 was similar: “Churches boost security as violent incidents grow.” With a string of tragedies over the last decade in church sanctuaries, cathedrals, and other locations of faith ministry, many faith-based organizations are offering educational resources to help reduce or prevent violence from occurring.

Lancaster Mennonite Conference will offer a seminar on this troubling aspect of contemporary life to help churches think ahead to the unthinkable. Responding to Church Violence: Thinking Ahead will take place on Thursday, July 20 at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, 900 Howell St, Philadelphia, Pa. The seminar, featuring law enforcement and church leaders, will convene at 7:00 p.m. and end by 9:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Pastor Tracy Brown (retired State Police) will provide a peace church context for the presentation by the Pennsylvania State Police. Local metro police will also be present to comment on facility safety. The police officers will provide practical suggestions to reduce threats and describe resources available to churches to increase personal and property safety. The approach of the evening will encourage thoughtful responses rather than fearful reactions. A time for question and answer is scheduled for the evening.

Pastors, Rabbi’s, faith-based organization board members, church trustees, and others interested in the subject are encouraged to attend. A small packet of printed resources will be available to attenders. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP Joselyn Santiago (jsantiago@lancasterconference.org) to reserve a space for this seminar.

Schools, government offices, businesses, churches, synagogues and mosques, to name a few, have experienced violence at their locations. Some reports suggest violence occurring at faith-based locations has increased over the last decade. As a result many places have responded with education, training, and security measures to increase the safety of the people on the premises. If you want to learn more about this subject, set aside the evening of July 20.

Details

Date:
July 20, 2017
Time:
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Venue

Oxford Circle Mennonite Church
900 Howell St
Philadelphia, PA 19149 United States
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Phone
215-288-5330
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Organizer

LMC
Phone
717-293-5246
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