So, you have your EYE17 Peace Coin. You are among a very small group of Episcopalians who hold one of these limited edition items. You have been entrusted with this coin as an outward sign of your commitment to peacemaking.
The Peace Coin is based on the concept of a Challenge Coin, which you may have heard about on the popular podcast, 99% Invisible. According to Wikipedia, a Challenge Coin “is a small coin or medallion (usually military), bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members.” Challenge Coins are not like actual money. They are typically larger, more colorful, and have symbols on them that are identifiable only if you are a member of the particular group or organization that produced them.
Similarly, the Peace Coin was produced for participants of EYE17 as a reminder that we are part of the Episcopal branch of The Jesus Movement dedicated to making and keeping peace in our communities and across the globe.
Do you know what each of the Peace Coin symbols mean?
Can you identify every symbol on the coin? Maybe you can get most, but not all of them? Maybe you’re a super-Episcopalian and could identify every icon on the first try?
If you’re like many of us, once the symbol is decoded you can easily identify its origin.
Here’s a quick decoder for your EYE17 Peace Coin.
CULTIVATE (the Young Adult and Campus Ministry Leadership Conference) is an Episcopal conference for leaders in ministry with young adults on and off college campuses. Held annually, this conference is an opportunity for leaders who are new to this work as well as those who have longstanding roots in this ministry. It is an opportunity for participants to meet and connect with one another in order to be nourished and nurtured in ministry with young adults.
For more information about CULTIVATE and Young Adult and Campus Ministries, contact: The Rev. Shannon Kelly, Officer for Campus & Young Adult Ministries, 212-716-6081, The Rev. Shannon Kelly.
Episcopal Migration Ministries is the refugee resettlement program of the Episcopal Church, and a living example of the Church’s commitment to aid the stranger in our midst. In 2016, EMM helped over 5,700 refugees from 35 countries build new lives in peace and security in 30 communities across the United States. EMM collaborates with local partner agencies in 27 Episcopal dioceses and 23 states to welcome those fleeing persecution.
For more information about Episcopal Migration Minstries, contact: Allison Duvall, Program Manager for Church Relations and Engagement, 212-716-6027, Allison Duvall.
Episcopal Peace Fellowship is a national organization connecting all who seek a deliberate response to injustice and violence and want to pray, study and take action for justice and peace in our communities, our church, and the world. Episcopal Peace Fellowship believes that all are called to do justice, dismantle violence, and strive to be peacemakers.
For more information about Episcopal Peace Fellowship, contact: Allison Liles, Executive Director, 312-922-8628, epf@epfnational.org.
The Episcopal Church Office of Governmental Relations represents the policy priorities of the Episcopal Church to the U.S. government in Washington, D.C. Grounded in the resolutions of General Convention and Executive Council, their current priority areas are refugees and immigration, environmental stewardship, and international development and conflict. They also engage on criminal justice reform, anti-poverty work, and other issues where the Episcopal Church is called to have a unique impact. Episcopalians can engage the work of the Office of Governmental Relations through the Episcopal Public Policy Network, the grassroots network of Episcopalians across the country dedicated to carrying out the Baptismal Covenant call to “strive for justice and peace” through the active ministry of public policy advocacy.
For more information about the Office of Governmental Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network, contact Alan Yarborough, Alan Yarborough, 202-547-7300.
Episcopal Relief & Development serves on behalf of all Episcopalians as a compassionate response to human suffering in the world. Reaching more than 3 million people in nearly 40 countries worldwide, the organization partners within the Anglican Communion and ecumenically to help communities rebuild after disasters and create long-term strategies to overcome poverty, hunger and disease. This work is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 and the Baptismal Covenant promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every human being.
For more information about Episcopal Relief & Development, contact Sean McConnell, Senior Director of Engagement, 855-312-HEAL (4325), smcconnell@episcopalrelief.org.
Founded in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in 2002, Kids4Peace is a global movement of Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth and families, dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world. Kids4Peace operates international summer camps, leadership programs and a six-year, year-round program of activities in local chapters for more than 500 Palestinian, Israeli and North American youth.
For more information about Kids4Peace, contact: Fr. Josh Thomas, Executive Director, 202-544-3000, info@k4p.org.
The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. UTO is entrusted to promote thank offerings, to receive the offerings, and to distribute the monies through a grants process to support mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
To learn more about how to participate in the United Thank Offering, contact: Heather Melton, Staff Officer for the United Thank Offering, 917-771-3366, The Rev. Canon Heather Melton.
Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) is a ministry for those interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the Anglican Communion. YASC offers young adults a unique opportunity to be an active part of what God is doing in the world.
For more information about Young Adult Service Corps, contact Elizabeth Boe, Mission Personnel Officer, 212-716-6381, Elizabeth Boe.
Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers sustains and enhances the ministry of all camps and conference centers of the Episcopal Church by nurturing professional growth and development of current and future leaders; fostering excellence in the operation and services of member centers; strengthening the network of communication, collegiality, and support among leaders of centers; and advocating for camp and conference ministry within the wider Church.
For more information about Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers, contact: Bill Slocumb, 760-445-6774, bill@episcopalccc.org.
Bishops United Against Gun Violence is a group of more than 60 Episcopal bishops working to curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States by speaking and acting decisively against the unholy trinity of poverty, racism and violence. Bishops United Against Gun Violence offers four contributions: public liturgy including processions, vigils and prayers services to commemorate the dead and inspire the living; spiritual support for those living with gun shot wounds, with grief, with fear and with the temptation of hopelessness, and advocacy for broader and easier access to mental health services for those at risk of suicide; sound teaching for those yearning to bring an ethic of Christian compassion and concern for the common good to bear on debates regarding unjust economic and legal structures, public safety, individual rights and our responsibilities to one another as children of God; and persistent advocacy for common sense gun safety measures that enjoy the support of gun owners and non-gun owners alike.
For more information about Bishops United Against Gun Violence, contact: The Rt. Rev. Ian Douglas, Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, itdouglas@episcopalct.org; or The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, mbeckwith@dioceseofnewark.org.