Peacemaking Committee
Peacemaking History at SPC | Peacemaking Connections to the Wider Church
As Presbyterians we are called to take an active role in bringing peace and justice to reality. We believe that, together, we can make a positive difference in local, national and world affairs.
Each year the Peacemaking Committee arranges for a guest preacher to be with us on World Communion and Peacemaking Sunday, usually the first Sunday in October. Information on our most recent speaker is found below. It also typically sponsors a forum series that begins on Peacemaking Sunday and continues for several weeks in October. Information on these programs can be found on the Adult Education page. In recent years the committee has also sponsored various forums, given an annual Student Peacemaking Award at Strath Haven High School, and supported several Alternative Christmas Shop projects.
The work of the Peacemaking Committee is funded in large part by the Peacemaking Offering, a special offering created by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and received on Peacemaking Sunday. To learn more about the Peacemaking Offering please visit our Special Offerings page or the Peacemaking Offering page on the PCUSA site .
Don Maclay, a member of SPC's Peacemaking Committee, is currently co-moderator of the Presbytery Peacemaking Committee, edits the monthly Presbytery Peacemaking newsletter Peace Meal, and is actively involved in both Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Israel/Palestine Mission Network and the Philadelphia area Ecumenical Working Group for Middle East Peace.
You may view a gun control brochure created by our Peacemaking Committee after a peacemaking rally on gun control held in Chester in January 2009.
The Peacemaking Committee maintains a display in the lobby of Fellowship Hall containing materials, newsletters, and handouts for those interested in the topic of peace around the world. The Committee also sells West Bank fair trade olive oil and promotes the sale of Fair Trade coffee and tea once each month during "coffee & fellowship" after worship.
We welcome all who are interested in furthering the work of peace and who have new ideas to share to attend our meetings, which are held the second Sunday of each month at 7:00 pm. Please check the Church Calendar for exact dates and locations. In addition to discussing various projects, committee members also review articles or books of interest for our study and information.