Peaceful Ventures
Issue 8, Winter 2009
A newsletter from Shalom House -- a community of proactive Christian peacemakers started by Circle of Hope
Greetings to all of our partners, brothers, and
sisters! We are glad to write you once again with
news from our community.
OF OUR WORK -
The first big news, which I hope many of you
have heard about by now, is that in late September,
Colosimo’s Gun Center was charged by the federal
government and forced to close. The Philadelphia
Inquirer reported:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomika Stevens said
the store, at 933 Spring Garden St., sold 10 guns
to three people who employees should have known
were "straw" purchasers. A straw buyer is someone
who purchases a gun with the intention of
transferring that weapon to a person prohibited by
law from buying guns, such as a convicted felon.
In addition to the closing, Colosimo's Inc. faces a
fine of up to $200,000. Reed said prosecutors
asked the court to issue a fine of at least $10,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6.
Our work around gun violence has been long
and involved. These actions to hold a gun retailer
responsible, are so urgently needed, and draw
attention to the supply side of the gun violence
epidemic we are living in. Thank you to all of you
who have been praying and working alongside of
us. We have been honored and encouraged to be
a part of Heeding God’ s Call and will continue to
follow the work they are doing.
This time of year brings with it many
reflections and meditation on the season, on our
year, and where to go from here-- celebrating
Jesus' entrance into the world and the beginning of
a new calendar year. Shalom House is forming a
six-month focus on Encountering US Militarism, to
begin in January. We invite you to get connected
as we enter the next season.
ON OUR CONNECTIONS -
We have been working on using our website as
a tool to communicate more regularly with those
Shalom House is Going Paperless!
We need your email address! In 2010 we will begin distributing our quarterly
newsletter in electronic format. We are working on updating our mailing lists and
contact information to include e-mail addresses as well. To update your
information, please send us an email at: emily.kephart@shalomhouse.us, with
“Newsletter” in the subject line.
around us, as well as to connect people to a THIS ISSUE:
broader network of peacemakers worldwide.
Recently we shared with our blog readers the story - Greetings and Update
of Daoud Nassar. Mr. Nassar is a Palestinian - Neighborhood
farmer living and working in the fertile hill country Nonviolence Training
south of Bethlehem. The Nassar’s farm, in the
family for four generations, is ringed by Jewish - Community Living:
settlements and the encroaching Separation Wall. Spirituality
The family has been offered millions for the land, - Partnering with Shalom
but they remain steadfast. “This land is our House
mother,” says Daoud. “Our mother is not for sale.”
To demonstrate their commitment to peace and - Shalom House is
coexistence, the Nassar family has established seeking new members
“The Tent of Nations” providing arts, drama, and - Praises and Prayer
education to the children of the villages and Requests
refugee camps of the region. In addition, Daoud
and his family have also established a Women’s Pray with us for:
Educational Center offering classes in computer
literacy, English, and leadership training. - A different approach to
We also recently hosted a group of Canadians the US involvement in
for an evening. We had 12 visitors from Student Afghanistan than more
Christian Movement Canada staying with us as
of a military presence.
they made their way to the gates of Fort Benning,
GA for the annual vigil and protest around the - New community
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security members, from within
Cooperation (formerly, the School of Americas).
Circle of Hope or
Before turning in for the night, our visitors led a
time of worship from their “SCM’s Peace and beyond!
Nonviolence Devotional.”
Please check in often to see what we're
Rejoice with us
learning. We are continually inspired by our for:
brothers and sisters, our great cloud of witnesses,
who are diligently plowing the way of nonviolence - The closing of a gun
and reconciliation. shop that contributed
Thank you for your continued prayer and to the gun violence
support for the work of nonviolence and epidemic in
reconciliation. Stay in touch, and Merry Christmas!
Philadelphia.
Amen and Amen, - Continued employment
Mimi and Emily in jobs that pay our
bills.
- The strength of our
church community,
Circle of Hope, that
envelops us.
Please check us out online at
www.shalomhouse.us or on Facebook for
information on upcoming events.
 NEIGHBORHOOD NONVIOLENCE TRAINING
On November 14th we sponsored a 6 hour Neighborhood
Nonviolence Training, bringing in trainers from Training for
Change, to train Circle of Hope folks in nonviolent responses
to the every-day violent encounters we experience in our city.
Preparation & training for a nonviolent response is necessary
if we are to answer Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek, to love
our enemies & neighbors, and to respond to violence and
injustice without responding in kind. So in the training, we
explored theory, applied the theory to practical situations,
and had our imaginations ignited by stories of how this
works!
Five Core Skills for Peacemakers:
There are many skills and attitudes which are helpful to
people who work nonviolently in the midst of conflict
situations. In a wide range of conflicts, from interpersonal to
large-scale, there are at least five core skills which
consistently make a difference. They are called “HELPR”
skills to make them easier to remember.
Handling fear
Enlisting allies
Listening/observing
Projecting confidence
Recalling and creating nonviolent options
How to De-escalate
De-escalation may have different goals: ensuring physical
safety of everyone, reducing the likelihood of violence,
keeping a relaxed environment, or reducing violence such
that a fight can be worked out. Every situation is unique:
there is no formula for reacting to a hostile situation.
1. REMAIN CALM — Avoid panicking and hectic reactions.
Try not to provoke reflex reactions.
2. BECOME ACTIVE — Do not become paralyzed by fear. It
is better to do something small to change the situation than
contemplate big actions that you might not be able to do.
3. TRY TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH THE
AGGRESSOR — Look for common ground that moves away
from the current situation (e.g. introduce yourself).
4. LOOK FOR HELP: ENLIST ALLIES — You are likely not
alone. But do not appeal to a large crowd of people for help.
Make eye contact with one person and ask them for help.
5. WALK AWAY — If after trying different ways, you cannot
find a successful way to de-escalate the situation, it is
perfectly okay to walk away.
There are excerpts from what we learned. (See our website
at www.shalomhouse.us for the full Training for Change
handouts)

Partnering with Shalom House

Shalom House has connected with many groups and individuals over the
How you can help:
Be a prayer partner.
course of its short two and a half years. While it is our wish to build a diverse
We are contributing to the formation of God’s
and supportive community for anyone who may want to join us, we recognize
global network of peacemakers.
that there are obstacles for many people who might otherwise wish to join the
community: jobs, families, geography, money, etc. We encourage you to Be a financial partner. We need to raise
connect in any of the additional ways listed to the right. Shalom House strives money for expenses beyond our mutual
to be an expression of the peace making love of Christ and we extend that to sharing.
all.
Be a local partner.
One of the biggest struggles in our daily tasks is figuring out how to make Sign up at our website:
Shalom House work financially. We attempt to work 20-30 hours per week to www.shalomhouse.us
pay our bills, leaving a significant portion of our time to dedicate to the work of to be on the Circle of Peacemakers Listserve
peacemaking. Every month, each Shalomer is required to contribute $625 to and participate in our dialogue and actions.
our common purse. Even with multiple part-time jobs, it is sometimes difficult
to meet this goal, and to cover any additional personal expenses (like Find further partners.
transportation, health care, student loans, etc.) We have a new cohort of house members
who join each year. We are looking for those
We would love to have you as a financial partner. Please consider the God has prepared for our community.
following: $50 would cover SH activity fund contribution for one month for one
Shalomer; $125 would cover groceries and other household expenses for one If you would like to share with us in this
Shalomer for a month; $200 would cover our current monthly utility needs. Any way, make a check out to Circle Venture
support we have in these areas, frees us up to use our time in the active work and add “Shalom House” in the memo line.
of peacemaking. We are grateful for your financial support.
 Community Living: Spirituality
In our last newsletter we discussed some
areas of our household consumption that
are affected by our attempts to live out our
values of peacemaking. This month, we’d
like to share some of the spiritual details of
our lives together. Shalom House
recognizes that a growing spiritual life is
paramount to a fruitful journey in
peacemaking. Spiritual nurturing and
growth happens on individual and
community levels in Shalom House.
Individually, each member of the
community meets monthly with a member
of the Guidance Team for spiritual listening.
This time is intended as a method of
stepping back, listening for God speaking
into our lives, and discerning in what
directions we may be called. Some things
we have taken away from our spiritual
listening hours recently have been the
importance of seeing God in the balance of
tasks and people, being open to what God
has for us in the midst of fears, and the
value of disciplines that may take years to
develop fully. Individual personal retreats
are also encouraged 2-4 times per year. In
May Emily went on a 3-day backpacking
trip on the Chuck Keiper Trail, in central PA.
In July Mimi visited a friend on the eastern
shore of Maryand and Chincoteague
Island. Both trips served as a much needed
retreat from the city and from the hustle of
everyday life, providing space and time for
deeper spiritual reflection.
House Retreats are planned, as part of the
community rule, about 4 times a year. In
October, Mimi and Emily spent a weekend
at the Peace Hermitages on the grounds of
the Medical Mission Sisters. We spent the
time in silence and meditation, prayer and
reading, discussion and discernment,
cooking and eating. This time was fruitful
and energizing.
Shalomers begin our days together, for a
time of prayer. This tradition began at the
beginning of 2009 and has been a blessing
ever since. This time together, centering on
God, serves as a way of opening a window
into our lives. We have used guided
meditations, the Celtic Book of Daily
Prayer, and are currently using daily advent
readings from the Circle of Hope
community. Our morning meditations help
to shape our daily worldview, and center
our minds on the body of Christ. Recently
we shared a phrase prayer from our
morning reflection to create a meditation on
our website, and we share it with you now:
Lord, give us mercy
enough for this day.
IMAGE: St. Anthony, Egyptian monastic, Desert Father.

Shalom House is Looking for Community Members

Shalom House is an endeavor in common living and
common mission. We work to support each other in our
personal journeys of faith and peacemaking. We work
together to compliment each others’ strengths and
weaknesses, seeking to bring the peaceful Kingdom of God
to our home, our community, and our world. Through our
conflicts and our fellowship, our transportation and our
consumption, our work and our play we hope to realize the
peaceful and loving ways Jesus calls us to live.
Is it time for you to live differently? Is it time to try a new
approach to living out the faith that calls you to build and
foster peace? Are you ready to join with others in a
supportive community to build up the shalom of Philadelphia
and the world around us? Do you want to use your skills and
gifts to engage others and spread the message of peace?
Shalom House is looking for four new community members
to join our work and share our lives as we seek creative ways
to use our gifts and meet our call. Please call, write, or email
us with any questions or to arrange a time to talk further
about the possibilities of becoming part of Shalom House.
We are praying for you.
A little more about this process, and how to discern this
possibility:
Think about it. A two-year commitment dedicated to
deepening & applying your calling in Philadelphia and
learning about and connecting to God's worldwide
community of peacemakers, just might be where God is
leading you.
* Pray and listen for God’s leading
* Learn more about us. Give us a call or send us an
email.
* Fill out an application, which you can find on-line.
* Meet with the Shalom House Guidance Team and
House members
* Once extended an invitation by the Guidance
Team, move in!
Shalom House welcomes young and old, single people and
couples. Please be creative in helping us grow our
community! We look forward to serving with you.
 If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, please email emily.kephart@shalomhouse.us or give us a call.
more information!
Contact us for
emily.kephart@shalomhouse.us
Emily Kephart
mimi.copp@shalomhouse.us
Mimi Copp
www.shalomhouse.us
215-474-1195
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Details inside... 401 S. 51st Street
We’d love to hear from you!
members!
for new community
Shalom House is looking
Non-profit Org.
U.S. Postage PAiD
Philadelphia, PA
Shalom House Permit No. 4477
c/o Circle of Hope
1125 S. Broad St. 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Address Change Service Requested
Shalom House is a tool for proactive peacemakers to use to grow in their faith, to express the gospel of peace, to provide the option of reconciliation for people in
Philadelphia, and to secure a place for Circle of Hope among God’s worldwide peace movement.