Legislative/Criminal Justice Ministries

For almost two decades Church Action for Safe and Just Communities (CAS-JC) has worked with congregations and other groups to address the issue related to criminal justice including various kinds of violence. Despite our collective experience, we could not have predicted the proliferation and pervasiveness of violence in our communities today. It is a violence that transcends race and economic status and its victims are most likely children and youth.

What can you do?

For that reason, Church Action for Safe and Just Communities chose Stop the Violence—What Churches Can Do as its theme for its 1994 Annual Seminar.

What follow are 110 things (divided into groups of 10 and 20) congregations can do to address violence. Obviously, no single congregation can do everything suggested, but a congregation might choose several of the suggested actions or activities.

1. Use the church facilities to provide alternative programs for children and youth.
2. Become a safe house, provide sanctuary.
3. Identify persons in the congregation with access to information and resources related to public safety and youth services.
4. Recruit help from persons from the congregation who work in areas of counseling, law enforcement, health professionals, education, and public policy.
5. Create Bible study related to forgiveness, hope, and healing of persons and neighborhoods.
6. Provide sex education with the cooperation of parents.
7. Encourage youth to be active in YMCA and YWCA and other similar programs.
8. Cooperate with other congregations to create summer enrichment programs.
9. Teach the sanctity of life and sense of self worth.
10. Encourage positive peer pressure.
11. Encourage healthy life styles in areas of consumption and recreation.
12. Provide assistance to victims of violence.
13. Help to establish a community mediation center for less serious offenses.
14. Expand church sponsored day care programs to include children from low income and single mothers and fathers.
15. Set up programs in our churches for recovery and re-entry of prisoners into society.
16. Explore what other churches, schools, and community groups have done to address issues of violence.
17. Identify individual victims of violence in the congregation.
18. Develop a neighborhood watch program to reduce crime.
19. Determine the most serious problems of violence in your community related to gender and age groups.
20. Teach violence prevention as a part of the church school curriculum.

1. Address the issue of suicide among youth and other age groups.
2. Encourage the pastor to do a series of sermons on the issue of violence and the role of the religious community.
3. Establish a violence concern committee in the congregation.
4. Set up mentoring programs for young men and young women.
5. Provide love and caring to youths and children in the church and in the community.
6. Talk to and listen carefully to youth and children.
7. Create Bible study related to forgiveness, hope, and healing of persons and neighborhoods.
8. Emphasize spiritual values for everyday living.
9. Move out of the comfort zone, take risks.
10. Take seriously the imperative in Luke, to "preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed."
11. Participate in the redemptive power of God.
12. Teach ways to resolve conflict with nonviolent responses for all age groups starting with preschool.
13. Think nonviolently.
14. Create an anti-violence week/month.
15. Make a personal commitment to nonviolence.
16. Encourage a family commitment to nonviolence.
17. Explore what local church federations and council of churches are doing related to the issue of violence.
18. Create an essay contest on violence prevention.
19. Create a rap contest on violence prevention.
20. Create a column or article in the church newsletter on violence prevention.

1. Establish an after school or Saturday computer training class.
2. Explore what church federations and council of churches are doing too address community violence.
3. Address the issue of violence on television movies, etc.
4. Provide alternative video materials.
5. Work to eliminate systematic violence.
6. Create an award or special recognition for acts of violence prevention.
7. Help youth groups develop small business ventures.
8. Create partnerships with private industry to help create training and employment.
9. Create a job placement center in the church.
10. Increase an awareness of basic attitudes and behavior required to secure and hold a job.
11. Work with youths to encourage such habits as punctuality, good grooming and respect for self others.
12. Create cross generational study groups on safe communities committed to meet over a significant period of time.
13. Create seminars on such subjects and youth violence and family and child abuse.
14. Teach individual coping skills.
15. Work for the recognition of victim and victimizer when possible.
16. Be prepared to identify the full range of community agencies offering assistance to children and youths.
17. Work closely with nearby schools, adopt a school and its children.
18. Provide space and tutors for after school study programs.
19. Develop effective community responses to problems of poverty and homelessness.
20. Create scholarships for post secondary study and training.

1. Support "stay in school" efforts.
2. Help to address the issue of violence in schools.
3. Take drug and alcohol addiction seriously.
4. Invite to the church such programs as AA suggested (Alcoholics Anonymous), RR (Rational Recovery) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous).
5. Organize support for drug abuse treatment programs.
6. Sponsor anti-drug messages in local media.
7. Promote and monitor academic achievements.
8. Support community anti-drug programs.
9. Adopt children and youth in juvenile centers.
10. Monitor juvenile court systems and offer assistance.
11. Examine such public policies as law enforcement's use of firearms and work to eliminate their excessive use of force.
12. Be more intentionally political.
13. Support legislation and other forms of public policy that emphasizes prevention and treatment.
14. Work for equity in law enforcement.
15. Support good police and community relations.
16. Increase cultural awareness and appreciation.
17. Work to dismantle systemic racism and racial discrimination.
18. Use multicultural materials in church schools and other study programs.
19. Increase cultural awareness.
20. Work to achieve quality in employment, housing and public education.

1. Collaborate with other congregations in your neighborhood especially with a racial make up different than your own for a broader perspective of issues.
2. Educate young people about the dangers of gangs and provide alternatives.
3. Celebrate what most of our children do right rather than what some do wrong.
4. Encourage neighbors to get to know each other and each others children.
5. Create church sponsored child care programs.
6. Support basic health care and child care.
7. Examine issues of violence related to poverty and social inequities.
8. Support the Children's Defense Fund, an advocacy or organization for children.
9. Consult with community and street workers who work with gangs to better understand pressures and influences on youth.
10. Establish opportunities for dialogue with gang members where possible.
11. Educate young people about the dangers of gangs and provide alternatives.
12. Work for gun safety and for gun control.
13. Support the reduction of guns by restrictive licensing, buying back guns and restricting importation of guns.
14. Support tougher gun laws.
15. Create family oriented programs, especially for single parents.
16. Identify and intervene with children and families in trouble.
17. Work to strengthen family ties.
18. Set up training to improve parenting skills.
19. Develop a parenting training programs for teen fathers as well as for teen mothers.
20. Address the issue of domestic violence including abuse of the elderly.
21. Provide support and shelters for battered women.
22. Help to set up parent support groups in the church community.
23. Challenge questionable police practices such as harassment of youth.
24. Encourage such programs as Police Pal Clubs.
25. Support law enforcement policies and practices of returning the police to a "walking beat."
26. Invite public officials to a church and community sponsored discussion around selected issues of violence.
27. Support good legislation, "three strikes and you're out" will only lead to warehousing more prisoners; we need legislation that will emphasize prevention and treatment.
28. Write for the packet "The Christian's Response to Violence" from Disciples Home Missions.
29. Contact Disciples Home Missions for suggestions to implementing any of the above responses to violence.