Bringing hope to the new year, the Right Reverend James E. Curry and Reverend Matthew Crebbin will host a transformational experience at Newtown Congregational Church next month.

NCC Senior Pastor Crebbin will welcome Curry, retired Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut and co-founder of Swords To Plowshares (S2P) Northeast, to offer the sermon during the 10 am worship service on Sunday, January 8. From noon until 2 pm, Curry will then operate a forge on the grounds of the church, 14 West Street.

Launched in January 2017, S2P partners with police departments, who provide the organization with weapons that are turned in during gun buyback days. S2P then repurposes weapon parts into various gardening tools. The finished tools are donated to community gardens that provide vegetables at harvest to soup kitchens or shelters, agricultural high schools, or used as donation incentives.

The process, according to S2P, allows a creative way to make something inspiring and symbolic out of a weapon of death, something that will symbolize the transformation the organization believes is possible if Americans step back from the heated gun debate and try to listen to each other.

On January 8 at NCC, attendees will be invited to craft a heart from forged gun parts.

Forged garden tools will be presented to local community garden organizations and will be available for purchase. Proceeds will support regional gun safety and violence prevention programs.

Warm refreshments will be provided.

To Learn About Swords to Plowshares Northeast visit s2pnortheast.org.