Just Peace Declaration

Waverly Heights United Church of Christ

Adopted January 22, 2006

In recognition that peace cannot exist without justice, as justice cannot exist without peace,

aware that the environmental health of our planet is directly related to justice and peace,

mindful of the need for good people everywhere to commit to nonviolent forms of conflict resolution, and as a response to the Biblical call to love kindness, seek justice, and walk humbly with our God,

Waverly Heights United Church of Christ declares itself a "Just Peace" church.

As a congregation, it is our intention to practice mindfulness of Just Peace in all that we do and to incorporate it into the life of the church through:

Prayer & Worship: by being mindful of Just Peace in our communal and personal prayers and by focusing some worship services specifically on Just Peace concerns.

Education: by presenting current issues of social justice to the congregation, including our Sunday school, and our local community. These may include, but are not limited to issues identified by Justice Action Network and other UCC contacts.

Action: by endorsing individuals within the congregation to represent us in Just Peace endeavors, and to use and invest church resources responsibly (including money, facilities, and individual skills).

Community: by inviting our community to journey with us as we strive toward a Just Peace, we will communicate with other UCC churches, build interfaith alliances, and join with organizations that are not faith-based to create actions that have more potential to promote justice and peace.

Equality: by continuing our commitment to being an open and affirming church, embracing and encouraging diversity within our congregation, and educating ourselves about issues of inequality.

As individuals we agree that we will incorporate mindfulness of Just Peace concerns into our personal reflections and dialogues that we have with our families and communities. Mindful of the complexity of these issues, we will not ask or expect the church to create political agendas for us, but rather to offer us information, inspiration, and opportunities to act. Through these actions and with God's help - may we become the people whom we hope to be.