South Dakota has experienced two recent tragedies related to shootings.  A family was found dead from gunshot wounds in the ashes of a fire believed to be started by the shooter in Platte, South Dakota.  Just last week a high school principal was wounded from a gunshot fired by a student at Harrisburg High School in South Dakota.

Photo: Photo by Kathleen Barry, illustration by Cindy Caldwell; United Methodist Communications. The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church calls us to work for a world free from mass killings.

United Methodists joined in expressions of distress and grief, as well as calls for prayer, after another mass shooting in the United States left 10 people dead and nine injured at Umpqua Community College in southwest Oregon. 

“My heart aches, and my prayers go out to all of those who were killed or injured,” said Bishop Grant Hagiya, who oversees the Oregon-Idaho Conference. “Let us call upon the power of God to heal and comfort during this challenging time.”  Read more

The United Methodist Church offers many resources for helping people cope with violent events. United Methodist Communications has collected those resources from around the connection, news coverage of how the church is working to respond with peace in a world of violence, and stories about how individuals as well as ministries can make a positive difference even in the most difficult of times.