NEXT STEPS: Taking Action on Gun Violence

 

In support of the special event "What's Faith Got to Do with It? Christians Responding to Gun Violence," cosponsored by Grace Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and Perceptions: Exploring Gun Violence, we have collected some possible activities for individuals and churches to pursue as next steps. We will add to this list after the Speaker Panel on March 20, 2022, to incorporate the communal learning that occurs from that event.

Individuals and churches coming to this webpage will vary in the depth of their knowledge about gun violence and in their experience acting on the issue. No matter where you are, we hope you will find a starting or expanding place from this list to target your next steps.

 

Individual Actions

• Read a book or article on the Resources list
• Follow social media or subscribe to the email lists of organizations addressing gun violence (e.g., Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, Everytown for Gun Safety).
• Normalize asking about the presence of guns in homes and businesses.
• Attend a “guns to garden” event in your area
• Donate a gun to RAW Tools to turn into art or garden tools
• Meet with your pastor and/or mission chair to debrief what you learned at the March 19-20 event
• Encourage your church to offer a study or event around gun violence (see section for churches below)
• Support church leaders when they speak out about gun violence
• Offer to lead or support a prayer vigil following a national or community gun violence event
• Include a book about gun violence (see Resources list) in your book club list of readings
• Identify a community organization that addresses gun violence and get involved
• Join a national organization
• Identify policy issues that make a difference and speak to you—and contact local, state, and national policymakers
  • Congressional Representatives and US Senators:
    • House: house.gov/representatives/find/
    • Senate: www.senate.gov (click state link in upper right corner)

Church Actions

• Sponsor a book club around one of the books on the Resources list (you can often find study guides online)
• Offer a 4-week study on Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence. (Here’s a study guide.)
• Offer a study around the webinars available in the Standing Our Holy Ground series
• Join a Guns to Gardens Action circle with Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
• Create discussion groups around the movies and TED Talks on the Resources list
• Use the curriculum materials from your church denomination to offer an adult education study around gun violence (See Resources list.)
• Start a group that meets regularly to study and pray about gun violence
• Attend a peaceful gun violence prevention march or event as a church team
• Commemorate National Gun Violence Awareness Month (June) and National Gun Violence Awareness Day (first Friday in June); encourage your community to wear orange
• Recognize Gun Violence Reduction Sabbath (click here for a resource packet with liturgies and sermon aides from a previous year); have a themed worship service around gun violence and/or the culture of violence
• Respond regularly from the pulpit to gun violence in the headlines (e.g., sermons, prayers, prayer vigils). Here's an example.
• Partner with local churches, mosques, and synagogues to offer events (e.g., interfaith prayer services focused on gun violence; speakers)
• Organize a “guns to garden” event
• Plan a retreat
• Invite a national speaker