Last June, Synod 2017 called for an annual Day of Justice to be held in churches beginning on Aug. 19, 2018.
A planning team has gathered a variety of resources to help congregations plan a service that matches their individual justice journeys.
“Different congregations have different instances of injustice in their community and different understandings about what their response should be,” said Kristen deRoo VanderBerg, a member of the planning team.
“We’ve tried to compile resources that can meet churches where they are, whether it is at the beginning of their justice journey or much further along the line.”
The 2018 Day of Justice resources can be found here. This site includes study materials about justice, background information on a variety of justice topics, and suggestions to help plan a justice-themed worship service.
Gail De Young is a member of Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church in Rehoboth, N.M. The church will be holding a Day of Justice this summer. In fact, the congregation was so excited about this annual day that they held a Day of Justice in August 2017, a year ahead of schedule.
She said that the church acted quickly because they believed the quest for justice cannot wait.
“It has to happen as soon as possible, given the many forms of oppression, persecution, prejudice, and discrimination that occur every day,” she said.
As other congregations prepare to join Rehoboth this year, De Young said her hope and prayer is that “it will ignite a passion to stand up for others who have no voice.”
