June Emphasis: Racial Justice
Pray
- Pray with your feet: Participate in the Salem Walk, exploring the reality of the practice of enslavement in Salem.
- Pray with a month of meditations: The Spiritual Work of Racial Justice, by Patrick Saint-Jean.
- Pray for the work of the Moravian Church Southern Province’s Team for Racial, Cultural, and Ethnic Reconciliation. See https://www.moravian.org/southern/2022/02/moravian-team-for-racial-cultural-and-ethnic-reconciliation/ for a list of resources and information.
- Subscribe to Praying for Change: Daily Prayers for Anti-Racism offered by the United Methodist Church. See https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/praying-for-change-daily-prayers-for-anti-racism.
- Pray for the work of the Home Moravian Church Antiracism Group.
- Pray for all who work for justice, in our congregation, in our community, in our world.
Serve
- Identify volunteer opportunities through Love Out Loud, a community and Jesus-focused organization (loveoutloudws.com).
- Attend the 2022 Juneteenth Festival, June 18, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m., at Bailey Park in the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, hosted by Triad Cultural Arts. See Juneteenth – Triad Cultural Arts, Inc. for more information. Juneteenth is the annual celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Your attendance says racial justice matters!
- Serve H.O.P.E, which provides weekend lunches in Winston-Salem. Sign up to bake snacks (recently re-started; 1000 needed 50 weeks a year) or prepare lunches (it’s been harder to get a group together since these are no longer prepared at Home Church!) – See their website: hopews.org.
- Sign up to volunteer at one of the Winston-Salem Freedom Schools this summer: Freedom Schools: a 6-week summer program designed to help grades K-12 students grow in literacy, self-esteem, socio-emotional skills, love of learning, and civic engagement, learning to believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves, their families, and their communities! See Winston-Salem Freedom Schools | Education Advocacy in Winston-Salem, NC | Action4Equity (action4equityws.org)
Give
In honor of Home Moravian Church’s 250th anniversary of generosity to the wider community, we invite you to make a gift to these or other agencies active in working toward racial justice and equity:
- St Philips Second Graveyard: significant funds are needed for markers and additional improvements; donate to Salem Congregation, designating your contribution specifically for “St. Phillips Second Graveyard” Donate online (https://mmfa.info/salem-congregation-donation-form/) or send a check to Salem Congregation (St. Phillips Second Graveyard); 501 South Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
- Moravian Ministries Foundation “Field of Interest” Fund focused on racial awareness, equity, and reconciliation) https://mmfa.info/giving-portal/
- Love Out Loud, an organization that promotes collaborations among non-profits, businesses, faith groups, and individuals living out Jesus’ call to love our neighbors by partnering with other local organizations for the flourishing of our city. To give, go to loveoutloudws.com, or Love Out Loud, P.O.Box 20912, Winston-Salem, NC 27120-0912. Consider especially the Repair the Body Solidarity Fund (https://loveoutloud.salsalabs.org/RepairtheBodySolidarityFund/index.html.
- Action4Equity Winston-Salem: an organization that advocates for racial equity in public education. Mail a donation to Action4Equity, 1922 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27107; or give online at www.action4equityws.org.
- Freedom Schools in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County; Contributions can be made through this link (https://action4equity.salsalabs.org/WSFreedomSchools/index.html ), or by mailing a check made out to Winston-Salem Freedom Schools, c/o Russ May, 2323 Sunnyside Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27127.
- Friends of Moravian Prison Ministry, which supports Moravian pastor Jeff Carter as a full-time chaplain with Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries. The incarcerated population is largely Black. Donations should be sent to the Moravian Church Southern Province, marked “Friends of Moravian Prison Ministry,” or made through the Moravian Ministries Foundation’s Giving Portal: Giving Portal – Moravian Ministries Foundation (mmfa.info)
