On September 21, 2023, at 7 PM. everyone is invited to participate in International Peace Day.
Mountville Church of the Brethren will “plant” 216 children’s pinwheels on the lawn of the church. Each pinwheel represents one of the 216 children who die of gun violence in the United States every month.
Pinwheels for Peace seeks to raise awareness of the magnitude of this national tragedy, and to follow the biblical admonition in Proverbs 34:14, “…seek peace and pursue it.”
On Thursday, September 21 an outdoor vigil will be held at 7:00 P.M. to remember the child victims of gun violence. The public is invited to attend.
The Pinwheels for Peace remembrance week will begin during worship service on September 17, when members of the congregation will bring forward a child’s pinwheel which will be “planted’ on the church lawn after the service.
As one of the historic peace churches, the Church of the Brethren has pursued peace since its inception. Recognizing the complexity of peacemaking, the church seeks peace as not merely the opposite of war. Its Annual Conference has called for its members to be powerful witnesses to the tragedy of gun violence in statements since 1978.