Join Us This Advent to Practice Hope and Build Peace!

When it feels like the world is falling to pieces, what do we do? When our families and communities seem impossibly divided, when our most vulnerable neighbors face even greater threats and injustice, how do we respond?

We can be tempted to just accept the status quo; to say that nothing we do will matter, to doubt our courage and ability, or to believe that we’re powerless to make a difference. These stories can stop us in our tracks. But we can also see them for the lies that they are.

The truth is that love casts out fear. The truth is that we can move mountains with faith as small as a mustard seed. The truth is that we are living out God’s mission of reconciliation. And the truth is that we have the very Spirit of the living God within us.

Even when all seems lost, we can have hope because we know we are part of something—that we are at one with Someone—that is always working for peace even when we don’t understand how.

Looking for a first step to live out this hope?

This December, we invite you to try out some peace-building, hope-practicing experiments with us during our Advent Peacebuilding Experience. December 1-14, we’ll share a series of seven challenges designed to spark your peacemaking spirit. Inspired by our Getting Started With Community Peacebuilding resource, these challenges will help you get into practices like getting to know your community, loving your neighbor, loving your enemy, and partnering with others for good.

Whether you have time for one challenge or all seven, we’d love for you to join us. It’s even more fun and encouraging if you do it with friends! You’ll also be able to share your experiences with other peacemakers from across the world and learn from their experiments as well. At the end of the two week event, we’ll finish with a special closing celebration where we’ll share stories and rejoice in what we’ve learned. (We’ll also have a drawing to give away free stuff for those who have participated!)

We can’t wait to build peace and practice hope with you.