We live our lives in the shadow of violence. Violence stalks our paths, follows us into the sanctity of our homes, and threatens the security of our existence. The carefully woven cloth of our modern world is unraveling before our eyes. The threat of violence haunts our lives and our daily activities. How are Christians called to respond to the violence of our world? How can we stand beside the victims, offer healing to the perpetrators, and bring a message of hope to a society that is in despair?
This resource contains six chapters. Each chapter can be used as a study session. The outline at the beginning of each chapter suggests a format for a one-hour session. Each study session is self-contained. You may wish to use only selected sessions, in which case you will want to be sure to include "Getting Started" and "Creating a Covenant" from Chapter 1 to begin the study. Suggestions for group leaders appear throughout the resource. If you are working with a group that enjoys discussion, the material may take longer than one hour to cover. Leaders will want to decide ahead of time which activities have priority. Leaders should feel free to adapt the material to suit their groups.
Use this resource for personal study, an adult or youth church school class, an ecumenical or interfaith discussion group, a community organization, or as the program for a weekend retreat. Pastors will find it helps for planning sermons.