Reconciling Works

The time has come to go purple for #SpiritDay, the annual day to stand against bullying by wearing purple and going purple online.

#SpiritDay is a day of action.

• Today you can take action on social media. Please turn your Facebook and Twitter profile photos purple. You can use the resources provided by GLAAD to so do: www.glaad.org/spiritday
• We also ask that all of our members and supporters join us in wearing purple on Thursday, October 17. Organize your school or workplace to wear purple as well. When you go purple on October 17, LGBT youth will see a visible sign of solidarity everywhere: in the classroom, the congregation, on television, and the internet.
• Check out what other #SpiritDay faith partners are doing.

Also don’t forget to check out ReconcilingWorks’ allies against bullying curriculum and devotional booklet. Help end the cycle of bullying!

Where All Can Safely Live – Revised and Expanded This anti-bullying curriculum is an introduction to what bullying is, how it functions, and why we as Christians are called to prevent it from happening in our communities. It was developed with the help of the staff at the Pacific Violence Prevention Institute, from the pioneering research on bullying by Dan Olweus, and materials created by the United States government. Revised and expanded in 2013. This curriculum is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to stopping bullying. However, this guide provides a basic understanding of how bullying works and offers suggestions for steps in creating a congregational bullying prevention plan.  Free download.

Where Hands Will Reach Devotions, Stories, Reflections Where Hands Will Reach contains responses to bullying from ELCA pastors, parents, theologians, and others. In this booklet you will find devotions, personal stories, and theological reflections on the problem of bullying and what some have done to help. Originally written for the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, these reflections offer an ongoing-testimony for the need to  activate and organize the passion of God’s people for justice to transform the life of the church and society. Great for Bible studies, book clubs, and other forums.  Free download.