Restorative Justice Week Resources Available

Nov. 3, 2009 -- Since the Christian Reformed Synod has encouraged its churches to "preach and teach restorative justice," Restorative Justice Week, Nov. 15-22, can be a good time to do just that -- preach and teach and maybe even start a ministry with restorative justice as its focus.

To help churches interested in marking this week, the CRC’s Office of Social Justice has posted on its website a number of resources churches can use to make this a time of education, celebration and maybe even healing.

Restorative Justice is a biblically based view of criminal and other types of justice that attempts to engage victims, offenders and the affected communities in bringing about deep and lasting solutions by focusing on healing, restoration and the future. It is often a long, start-and-stop process, but it is one that can have lasting results.

In a letter to churches, the restorative directors for the CRC write that “each year churches and communities are urged to become aware of restorative justice as an alternative to the current criminal justice process, to engage where possible offenders, victims and communities in bringing about deep and lasting solutions by focusing on restitution, restoration, healing and the future. In addition, restorative principles can be used to bring about healthy churches, schools and communities.”

Rev. John Lamsma is Restorative Justice Director for the CRC in the US, and Rev. John de Vries, Jr., is Director for Canada.

“Values and principles like safety, healing, restoring, inclusion, attentiveness, love and respect, all guide us to respond to human needs within our community. Restorative justice can’t work if the community does not build bridges between its valuable citizens. Our goal should be to create healthy relationships between individuals, organizations, institutions and among all our relationships,” the two write in the letter.

“This year’s theme Communities Responding to Human Needs, invites individuals and the church to use resources for worship services to facilitate a deeper and broader understanding of restorative justice.” To help churches celebrate this week and possibly even get involved in the restorative justice process, the CRC’s Office of Social Justice has posted on its website information about:

A worship service on restorative justice from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
A restorative justice booklet, "Justice that Heals," provides a sample service.

song suggestions

Sermons on restorative justice from Restorative Justice Online.
Bible verses to think about.

A thoughtful list of those to remember in prayer from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
Opening, closing and general restorative justice prayers from Correctional Services of Canada.
Litanies that can be prayed with restorative justice as the theme. PDF containing litanies

--CRC Communications

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