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

• Introduction to Advocacy
• ELCA Washington Office: History
• The Mission Statement
• What is an Advocate?
• Ways to Influence Public Policy
• How to Visit a Legislator
• Make Your Letters Count
• How to Write a Letter to the Editor
• Tips on Telephoning Your Legislators
• "I can't get to see my legislator, now what?"
• Attending a Town Meeting
• Sample Role Play I: Social Concerns Committee
• Sample Role Play II: State Senator and Legislative Assistant
• Tough Questions Role Play

Sample Role Play I: Social Concerns Committee

Social Concerns Committee Members of St. John By the Gas Pump

Roles: One person as committee chair
3 additional persons as committee members

You are a member of the Social Concerns Committee of St. John by the Gas Pump Lutheran Church. You have made a name in the community over the years because of your Come-and-Get-It Food Pantry and Next-To-New Clothing Shop.

The Chair of the Social Concerns Committee is a member of the Congregational Council. Two members of the committee are on the food pantry’s Board of Directors.

The food pantry started in the mid-1970's as an emergency ministry for victims of a local flood. Through the 1980's, however, it developed a steady clientele from three groups. One group comprises public assistance beneficiaries whose benefits do not stretch for the whole month. They generally come in clusters to the food pantry the week before the welfare checks arrive. The second group comprises low wage workers. Their wages do not make ends meet and they come in any time. The third group is varied in make-up, yet they are generally victims of fires in their homes.

You are aware of the fact that a proposal to increase the State Minimum Wage is now pending in the General Assembly. Although you have not taken stands on legislation in the past (on the philosophy that your role is to serve, not play politics), you have taken a positive vote on a proposal to advocate for the Minimum Wage Bill, which would raise the minimum wage 50 cents per year for the next five years. The majority of the committee reasoned that, in light of welfare-to-work efforts, minimum wage workers are not well served if the fruit of their labor amounts to depending on charity for their daily bread. The vote was not unanimous.

You have an excellent reputation for providing for the needy in your community. You have, in fact, been the subject of the feature articles in the local newspaper. Although the Social Concerns Committee and pantry Board of Directors had a picture of the food pantry taken with your state Representative and Senator when you got a commendation two years ago, you have never asked your Representative or Senator for any funding.

Your goal is to persuade your senator to support the Minimum Wage Bill. The Senator has not taken a position pro or con at this point. The Senator agreed to give you 10 minutes.

Social Concerns Committee Chair: When you spoke with your Pastor about the committee’s action on the Minimum Wage Bill, she was not encouraging about visiting the Senator. She doesn’t want the food pantry to lose its reputation for nonpartisan service. You responded to the Pastor that you want to be seen as caring about the total of your clients’ lives, that sometimes just giving emergency food isn’t enough, and that, for welfare-to-work to be successful, a minimum wage job just doesn’t begin to make ends meet. Your Pastor responded that the business people in the congregation wouldn’t be in favor of this legislation. You decided to carry through with the committee’s recommendation and arranged the visit with the Senator.