Interfaith Community Forum on Preventing Gun Violence

Upper Dublin Lutheran Church (UDLC) located at 411 Susquehanna Road, Ambler, in partnership with Or Hadash Synagogue, will host an Interfaith Community Forum on Preventing Gun Violence on Sunday, March 10, 2024 from 2:30 – 5:00 pm. Local leaders speaking at the event include Pennsylvania State Representative Ben Sanchez, Upper Dublin School District Superintendent Laurie Smith and Upper Dublin Chief of Police Francis Wheatley. Violence prevention organizations will offer information and support.

UDLC’s Advocacy Team Leader Chris Tranchida says the event is designed to offer concrete advice to help prevent gun violence tragedies.

“We want to bring people of all faiths and backgrounds together because this is not an issue for one religion or race,” Tranchida said, “This is everyone’s problem to solve and we need to come together as a community.”

UDLC and Upper Dublin Public Library will offer supervised mindfulness activities such as yoga, active play, crafts and visits from therapy dogs for children ages 5-12 while their parents attend the event. Babysitting is available for children under 5.

A “Memorial to the Lost,” developed by Philadelphia-based nonprofit Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, will be displayed on the front lawn of UDLC from February 26th through March 10 th. Eighty-one T-shirts will represent each of the gun-related deaths in Montgomery County in the past 5 years (2019-2023). The number is up from 66 (2018-2022) demonstrating an increasing problem in the area. Each T-shirt honors a victim with their name, age and date they were lost to gun violence.

About Upper Dublin Lutheran Church

Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, 411 Susquehanna Road, Ambler PA, welcomes all people with varied race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, relationship status, age, immigration status, nationality, neurodiversity, ability, language, economic circumstance or family configuration. Founded in 1753, UDLC is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and one of an estimated 140 communities of faith in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. The church offers two services every Sunday, a contemporary service at 8:30 am and a traditional service at 10:30 am. Find both worship service live-streams via their website and YouTube channel. Children’s Church is also offered at both services. For more information about UDLC’s leadership, mission, programs and services visit: www.udlc.org or call 215-646-7999.