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

Building a Network in Your Congregation

Goal: To find ___ people willing to make a commitment to affect public policy from a faith perspective. Some ways to discover these people:

• Use an advocacy Bible Study as part of adult curriculum.

• Approach individuals personally and ask them to become involved in an advocacy network. Visit with them after worship, after a meeting, or ask them to coffee or lunch.

• Have the congregational council designate an advocacy Sunday.

• Have a place designated after worship where individuals can join the grassroots network.

• Hold an Adult Forum on Advocacy. You might even want to write letters at the close.

• Give a talk on advocacy during worship.

• Write an article about advocacy in your church newsletter.

• Have a minute for mission and explain the advocacy network, the work of the ELCA Washington Office or an issue during worship.

• Have “advocacy network” added to the time and talent sheet for stewardship.