Peacemaking Projects

414 Hiden Boulevard
Newport News, VA 23606

757-596-1151

Peacemaking at Hidenwood

For more than 25 years, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has been helping the church grow in its witness and commitment to peacemaking and social justice.

It is becoming a tradition at Hidenwood that each fall we have a special project focused upon Peacemaking.This year, the Mission has selected "Blood Brothers" by Elias Chacour.

Chacour is a Palestinian Christian who grew up in Galilee, witnessed the events of 1948 and 1949, and continues to minister and work for peace in Israel and Palestine today. The book title refers to what Chacour sees as the relationship between the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. He also tells a story of the Christian Church in Palestine which is something that most of us know little about and which often is overshadowed by the conflicts between Muslim and Jew. As with the two previous books read as Peacemaking Projects, the hope of the Mission Committee is that increased knowledge and discussion will bring better understanding of the issues involved in a conflicted part of the world. We will meet to discuss the book on the afternoon of Sunday, October 3.

In 2009, we read the book, "Black Livingstone", about William Sheppard, the first Africian American Presbyterian missionary in the Congo. Then we came together on the afternoon of Sunday, October 4, to discuss the book and learn more about missionary efforts in the world.

In 2008, we read "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson about his extraordinary efforts to establish schools in Afghanistan. Mortenson's work continues today and you may follow his progress through the link to his website provided below. If you were inspired by this book, be sure to read his new book, "Stones into Schools", about the continuing work of the Central Asia Institute. Mortenson's ability to form relationships in the village communities has led to his organization's success and is now being adopted by the U.S. military.