Newtown Congregational Church is welcoming light and nurturing hope in the new year by hosting a “Guns to Garden Tools” demonstration on Sunday, January 8.

Reverend Matt Crebbin will join retired Episcopal Bishop Jim Curry at a forge in the church parking lot at 14 West Street to transform guns into garden tools and heart charms.

The entire community is welcome, especially those seeking healing and hope following gun violence encounters and those who provide nurture through community gardening. Hands-on participation is invited, and all participants may leave with a heart charm forged from a gun part.

Garden tools will be presented to representatives of community garden organizations including Real Food CT, The Newtown Victory Garden, and The Newtown Fruit Trail.

Bishop Curry and his Swords to Plowshares-Northeast organization have conducted similar demonstrations across Connecticut, as have affiliated groups across the country. Using parts from guns turned in during gun buyback events like the one in Newtown in November, a blacksmith heats the metal and hammers it into a garden tool or a heart charm. Guests are invited to help transform the gun, a weapon associated with fear and violence, into a tool used to nurture growth and bring life and peace.

Participants are often changed too, finding renewed hope that the scourge of gun violence can be transformed to peaceful conflict resolution, fulfilling the ancient Biblical prophesy that inspires the program: they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)

The forge demonstration begins outside at noon and continues until 2 pm. Guests are welcome to drop in any time during the demonstration. All are also invited to join NCC members for the 10 am worship service that morning, when Bishop Curry will deliver the message.

A light lunch will follow worship and warm snacks will be available during the demonstration period.

Limited tools will be available for purchase and donations are welcome. Proceeds will benefit Swords to Plowshares (s2pnortheast.org) as well as local organizations working to end gun violence or bring comfort to survivors.

Additional information is available at newtownctchurch.org or 203-426-9024.