Involving Congregations in Advocacy Now (ICAN) Introduction My Faith and Advocacy The How-tos of Advocacy How to bring advocacy to my congregation Resources Miscellaneous Activities and Handouts

Involving Congregations in Advocacy Now

• How to Start an Advocacy Ministry
• Advocacy Ministry in Your Congregation
• Advocacy Ideas that Work
• Lutheran Office of Public Policy: Action Center
• Building a Network in Your Congregation
• Creating A Network
• Network Tags
• How to Develop an Internet Action Alert
• Using the Public Policy Interest Survey
• Public Policy Interest Survey
• How to Choose Issues
• A Model of What to do if we do not Agree
• Changing the World through Advocacy
• The Open Space Process
• Problem Participants
• Answers to Address Problem Participants

How to Start an Advocacy Ministry

1. Pick an issue that your church/synod is already addressing through its social ministry programs.
    

2. Form a group to study and discuss the issue, using ELCA social statements, ELCA Washington Office materials, newspaper articles, videos, or lectures by guest speakers. Consider inviting a staff member of your local ELCA State Public Policy Office or ELCA Washington Office, an elected official knowledgeable about the issue, or people affected by the issue.
    

3. Join the ELCA Grassroots Advocacy Network to stay in touch with legislative developments. Members receive the Legislative Update newsletter six times a year as well as action alerts in their area of interest. Members are asked to express their views to their legislators by writing, calling, or visiting elected officials, writing op-ed pieces for their local newspapers, and educating and involving their congregations in phone trees and letter-writing campaigns. Check to see if your state has a ELCA State Public Policy Office/Network in order to obtain local information.
    

4. Form a telephone tree for quick communication when emergency action is needed. E-mail lists have become useful in disseminating information. Know how often your group reads their e-mail to see if this works for time sensitive alerts.
    

5. Draft a model letter for congregational use. Designate a Sunday when letters can be given as an offering in the offering plate. Be creative. If the letter is on food policy, consider writing on paper plates.
    

6. Educate parishioners about the issue by posting information on bulletin boards and publishing updates in your  church newsletter.
    

7. Establish a relationship and share resources with your state ELCA State Public Policy Office and your synod social justice committee.
    

8. Find out who else is working on these issues in your community and join with them to form a coalition. Be sure to invite other congregations and people of other faiths to join with you in the struggle for justice.
    

Adapted with permission from, ACTS News,
A publication of the ELCA Social Ministries for Congregations Program
(Winter 1998-1999 Vol. 4, No.1)