6 SEPTEMBER 2017 DRAFT
PLYMOUYH PEACE COMMITTEE
2017/18 MINISTRY ACTION PLAN
MISSION STATEMENT
The Peace Committee will grow in love of God and neighbor by seeking peace and justice in the community, marketplace, with the earth and among nations.
With guidance from the Board of Christian Social Action (BCSA), the Committee will coordinate its activities with the nearly 20 other Plymouth groups which are involved in peace and justice activities. The Committee will collaborate with outside groups – American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA), Catholic Peace Ministry (CPM), Iowa Peace Network (IPN) and Des Moines Faith Committee for Peace – to promote peace and justice issues in the Des Moines area.
This mission promotes Plymouth’s dedication to evangelism and small groups (the Peace Committee has about 10 actives members).
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OUTCOMES IN 2016/17
The Peace Committee focused on the process to determine if Plymouth should be designated a Just Peace Church. This involved presenting the question to the BCSA, forming a Just Peace Steering Committee, identifying Plymouth’s current justice and peace groups, publicizing the Just Peace designation in the Current Happenings, Contact and Video Monitors, drafting the proposed Plymouth Just Peace Covenant and seeking the acceptance and guidance of the Plymouth Program Staff. We anticipate that the Church Council will declare Plymouth a Just Peace Church at its October 2017 meeting.
Other Peace Committee activities included
- Co-sponsored the Sep. 21, 2016 International Day of Peace Service at Cowles Common.
- Sponsored and donated to Witness for Peace program with Martin Fernandez on Oct. 9, 2016.
- Sponsored Nonviolent Peaceforce presentation by Mel Duncan in the Dec. 4, 2016 Fellowship Forum.
- Co-sponsored Moral Mondays at the Capitol during the 2017 Iowa Legislative Session.
- Added Shimmering Secret to the Children’s Peace Book Cart and publicized such in January 2017 Current Happenings.
- Co-sponsored Palm Sunday Procession for Peace with service at the First Christian Church.
- Assisted Plymouth Climate Change Advocates hosting Colonel Wilkerson’s Oct. 13, 2017 presentation at Plymouth.
- Co-sponsored the Aug. 6, 2017 Nagasaki-Hiroshima Observance at the Japanese Bell.
- Donated to Pastors for Peace in April 2017.
- Lobbied with Iowans for Gun Safety to oppose the Omnibus Gun Bill (e.g. Stand Your Grounds, Guns for Tots, etc.).
The Committee is excited what the Just Peace designation will mean for Plymouth. It should make Plymouth’s peace and justice activities more intentional and effective. The Just Peace Steering Committee brought together nearly 20 Plymouth peace and justice groups who, together with the entire Plymouth community, will be bound by the Plymouth Just Peace Covenant.
2017/18 GOALS
In conjunction with the BCSA and many of the other Plymouth groups devoted to peace and justice activities,the Committee plans to do the following during Plymouth’s first year as a Just Peace Church:
- Take part in Covenant Conversations to set Plymouth Just Peace goals.
- Ensure that most Contacts and Current Happenings have an article with the Just Peace logo.
- Help promote the goals identified by the Covenant Conversations.
The Committee plans to continue and, when available, enhance its collaboration with Des Moines area peace and justice groups. Both Linda Dorsey and Nancy Anderson served in 2016/17 on the Des Moines Faith Community for Peace. This increased Plymouth’s profile in the Des Moines area peace community and gave Linda and Nancy a better understanding of what other peace groups believe and do.
The Committee will continue to be reactive. Past reactive actions included organizing after Plymouth church services the signing of a petition to Governor Branstad to allow Latino children crossing the border into the U.S. to relocate to Iowa. We expect to organize signing petitions to our U.S. Congressional delegation when legislation to make DACA permanent is proposed.
The Committee’s calendar 2017 budget of $550 was/will be used for (1) donations to outside groups, (2) food, facilitators and other items for Just Peace Steering Committee meetings and activities and (3) books for the Children’s Peace Book Cart. A budget of $550 should be sufficient for calendar 2018.
The Committee is excited about 2017/18 and believes it will make significant progress toward its long-term goal of achieving world peace.