Our Mission

​Following Jesus, our mission is to create Spirit-filled healing community across boundaries, sharing God’s love, justice, and peace with each other and with our local and global neighbors.

A call to peace and prayer to stop gun violence:


​Three mass shootings in three days - just in California. Thirty-nine mass shootings  in three weeks in the U. S. These statistics can hardly begin to tell the story of lives disrupted and loved ones left bereft. Amidst the horror and anguish of these tragic events we are called to offer prayer, compassion, comfort and presence to those who are suffering unspeakable pain and sorrow. 

For the sake of our children and theirs, we dare not stop there. We must call on our legislators and those in power to effect legislation that will put an end to this senseless violence and killing. Other countries have done so with remarkable results. *

Guns are not a solution to conflicts and strife. We must redouble our efforts to teach peace and model Jesus’ way of loving enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Be a place of understanding, acceptance, healing and hope for those who are struggling with mental crises. We must also call our representatives to invest more in healthcare for those who are struggling with mental and emotional challenges. 

We must work to stop this avoidable pandemic of gun violence We must rise up in all our communities to protest the killing of innocents and our children and break the hold that gun lobbies have on our politicians. We side with the majority in our country who call for rational legislation to curb gun violence and we invite you to call your local and national representatives asking that they side with the American people in wanting an end to the obscene proliferation of guns in our society. **

Finally we pray for families in distress due to the injury or loss of loved ones. We pray for our legislators and leaders that they will do the right things which will ensure that all people in our land will live long and unafraid. We pray for ourselves that will give us courage and compassion to respond as Jesus would in face of this horrific illness that has overtaken our nation.  In the peace of Jesus. 

* After just one mass shooting, New Zealand’s Parliament on Wednesday voted 119-1 to ban most semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles in the country. Australia has not seen a mass shooting since it introduced an outright ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons as well as tougher licensing laws in 1996. )International Bar Association)
 
**Americans are armed like few others. There are about 393 million privately owned firearms in the US, according to an estimate by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. That’s 120 guns for every 100 Americans (CNN News). 

Statement by: Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference Board of Directors
Date: 26 January 2023
Non-Violence by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, UN headquarters, NY, NY
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