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As the
only statewide ecumenical agency in South Carolina, SC Christian Action
Council respresents a partnership of 17 denominations and 21 regional
judicatories, including 4,500 congregations.
The
Council serves as a catalyst for:
- Social justice through
public policy advocacy;
- Christian Unity and inter-religious
dialogue through relationships, collaborations and events;
- Racial and cultural
healing by building bridges of trust and understanding.
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Ginny Barr Kicks Off First Brown-Bag Lunch
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"Balanced
and Restorative Justice is not a program, but rather a response to crime
that allows for active participation of victim, community, and offender in
the justice process. It is a values framwork which recognizes that
justice is best achieved by building, or rebuilding, relationships
between crime victimes, community and offenders."
Ginny
Barr, Restorative Justice Coordinator for the Department of Juvenile
Justice, offered a compelling vision of Restorative Justice at the
Council's first Brown-Bag Lunch Series at Shandon Presbyterian Church on
September 19th. She explained what Balanced and Restorative Justice is,
told us how South Carolina compares with other states on our use (and
benefits) of BARJ and described on-going programs with which we might get
involved.
South
Carolina is one of 5 national demonstrations sites for BARJ. These sites
seek to measure whether or not BARJ works. Even more impressive, South
Carolina is one of only two states that publishes a report card--thus
ensuring accountability. You can find the 2004
and 2005 report cards here. The 2006 report card will be published in
January. Other fact sheets are available at this same site.
Some
examples of restorative practices that have been supported by SC
Department of Juvenile Justice include: Restitution programs, Community
service projects, Victim impact classes and panels, Offender apologies to
victims, Offender re-entry initiatives, Victim satisfaction surveys, Teen
after school centers, Mentoring projects and Victim notification
initiatives.
The
longest standing and one of the most successful restorative justice
efforts DJJ has supported are Community Juvenile Arbitration Programs. In
these programs, trained citizen volunteers sit down with an offender and
his/her parent(s), the victim, and the arresting officer to develop
common-sense solutions to divert at-risk youths from the juvenile justice
system.
There
are many ways to get involved with this successful practice of
Restorative Justice. Click here to find ways to volunteer, including mentoring, tutoring and
being a spiritual advisor. You can make a difference in the life of a
child, and help to put that child on a path of good citizenship.
For
more information about how you and/or your congregation can get involved,
contact Ginny Barr at 803-896-9766 or via email: VMBARR@scdjj.net.
AND--Join
us on October 17th for the next Brown Bag Luncheon. The topic is
Immigration. See the calendar, below, for more information.
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2006 TEAM ornaments
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SC
Christian Action Council is pleased to offer the 2006 TEAM (The
Ecumenical AIDS Ministry) Christmas ornament.
This
year’s stunning design features a brilliantly glowing candle within a
lantern, a light to dispel darkness, adorned with red ribbon. The actual
size is 2.25 x 3.2 inches, and is packaged in an attractive commemorative
box.
Please
contact Doris at 803.786.7115 or sccouncil@sccouncil.net to reserve and
purchase your ornaments. We have a limited number this year, so order
soon!
1-5
ornaments, $14.95 each.
6-10 ornaments, $12.95 each.
11+ ornaments, $10.95 each.
Contact Doris for shipping and handling charges.
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Community News and Events
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October: AME
conferences. Piedmont and Central Conferences will host their annual
meetings during October. Click here
for more information.
October
4: An Inconvenient Truth. 6:30 showing at Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship, Columbia. Open to the public.
October
6-8: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Regional
Conference. First Christian Church, Agape Christian Church. Click
here for schedule
and registration information.
October
10: Presbytery of New Harmony, Stated Meeting. Ocean
Drive Presbyterian Church, North Myrtle Beach.
October
17: Brown Bag Issues Forum. 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Shandon Presbyterian
Church, Columbia. Sponsored by the Advocacy Work Group of SC Christian
Action Council. Topic is Immigration, facilitated by Mark Cerniglia,
Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas. Bring a lunch and join in the
discussion!
October
19: Trinity Presbytery--Stated Fall Meeting. Saxe Gotha
Presbyterian Church, Lexington.
October
20-21: 84th Diocesan Convention--Episcopal Diocese of Upper
South Carolina. Church of the Advent, Spartanburg. Click here for registration
and schedule.
October
20-22: 2006 National Observance of Children's Sabbath. For
information and to order manual email: ssnyder@children'sdefense.org or
visit
www.childrensdefense.org.
October
20-22: 2006 National Weekend of Faith and Action on the Death
Penalty. NWFA is an opportunity for faith communities, interfaith
groups, human rights activists, and others to examine the death penalty
from a faith-based or values-based perspective. Register
on-line or request more information from khoule@aiusa.org.
November
21: Brown Bag Issues Forum. 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Shandon
Presbyterian Church, Columbia. Sponsored by the Advocacy Work Group of SC
Christian Action Council. Topic is Death Penalty, facilitated by Catilla
Everette, Equal Justice USA. Bring a lunch and join in the discussion!
Have
other South Carolina community news? Let us know at sccac@bellsouth.net.
We
include information on community events as space and time allow; and,
only in accordance with the mission and policies of SC Christian Action
Council. We do not accept unsolicited articles.
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Comings and Goings
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Here's
a sampling of October activities for the staff of SC Christian Action
Council.
October
2: Silent Witness on Domestic Violence, Columbia. (Brenda)
October
6-7: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Regional Conference,
Columbia. (Brenda)
October
9: Death Penalty Meeting, Columbia. (Julia)
October
12: Payday Lending Town Hall Meeting, The Citadel, Charleston. (Brenda)
October
17: Brown Bag Lunch Series, Shandon Presbyterian Church, Columbia.
(Brenda, Doris, Julia)
October
26: UMC Advance Specials Meeting, Columbia. (Doris)
October
27: CBF Pastor's Conference presentation. (Brenda)
October
29: Columbia Friends Meeting presentation. (Brenda)
October
31: Restorative Justice Interfaith Network. (Brenda)
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Across My
Desk...
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. . .
Sometimes I hear the voices of prophets.
These
bearers of God's message are often just a little different from those of
us who have no sharp, revealing message to share. They are clergy and
laity, professional and skilled labor, life-educated and
academia-educated, high-churched and holy- churched and other-churched.
Men and women utter their prophecies in vibrant tones of the song of
life: sometimes in false-setto, or baritone, or the high soaring of a
soprano's obligato.
Some
prophets claim to be the REAL one, the RIGHT one, even the ONLY one. I
confess to being a bit leery of the one who sets him- or herself apart as
a prophet. I'm more likely to trust the message of a someone who got
pushed into the role, who did not seek the limelight, who is obviously
gifted and passionate and knowledgeable and would just as soon be off
somewhere sitting in the shade or fishing.
Such a
prophet was Ezekiel (see the Old Testament). I'm becoming more acquainted
with Ezekiel because he speaks plainly a word every bit as sharp and
revealing today as it was when he first uttered it thousands of years
ago. Open your ears, here comes some good ol' prophecy:
"Suppose
there is a righteous man who does what is just and right....He does not
oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides
clothing for the naked. He does not lend at usury or take excessive
interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly
between man and man."
Ezekiel 18: 5, 7-8 (New International Version)
In
support of the efforts of SC Fair Share, SC AARP, and others the South
Carolina Christian Action Council advocates for legislative and
grassroots support for regulation of the Payday Loan industry to protect
consumers. Payday lenders charge up to 15 cents for every dollar borrowed
— amounting to an annual interest rate of 391 % — and loans
are due in less than two weeks. More than $150 million in fees were
collected on 4.3 million loans in South Carolina last year. AARP South
Carolina along with its partners have hosted a series of town hall
meetings this fall (upcoming: Charleston and Rock Hill). “The purpose of
these meetings is to get legislative and grassroots support for our
position and hear from consumers who have been victims of payday
lending,” said Teresa Arnold, AARP South Carolina legislative director.
This
broad coalition supports efforts that would: allow no more than one loan
at a time; create a 24- hour cooling-off period between loans; and create
a real-time database to track loans being issued. To learn more about the
town hall meetings, visit www.aarp.org/sc
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Ezekiel's
righteous person's contentment rests in doing what is right. For him or
her it is more than refraining from doing wrong. The SCCAC believes that
together we can build a society where neighbor cares for neighbor. We can
build a society where hungry people are fed from their neighbor's pantry,
people are clothed by the shirts off their neighbors' backs, cars that do
not run are repaired by the skilled hands of a neighbor, mortgages are
paid from the resources of a neighbor, medicines are bought, oppression
is opposed, and everyone has the opportunity for meaningful work and
personal dignity.
"Pie
in the sky," you say.
I can't
hear you. I'm listening to Ezekiel.
...and
that's the view across my desk.
Brenda
Lynn Kneece Executive Minister
(Respond to Brenda here: bkneece@sccouncil.net.)
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