The Episcopal Church has prepared a series of resources as well as discussion questions for adult forums and youth gatherings, following unrest over the recent grand jury decision not to indict the police officer involved in the August 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
The resource, "Talking About Ferguson in Our Congregations," is available here.
“Advent is a good time to take up the deep work of encountering racism and other issues that divide us,” the guide states.
Included are a series of Bible citations; conversation starters for elementary school children, youth and adults; and other resources such as Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s statement.
"The color of one's skin is often the most visible representation of what divides God's children one from another," Jefferts Schori writes. "Michael Brown's death was and is a tragedy, and has become a powerful witness to those divisions between human beings in this nation. His death also carries the potential to become a sacramental offering--if it continues to challenge us to address our divisions and the injustices in this nation that are far more than skin deep."