Advocacy at Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace in Appleton shared the story with us of how it was that they were able to get an advocacy team up and running.
The Prince of Peace (PoP) ELCA Advocacy Team was formed in March 2015 to help PoP members participate in ELCA Advocacy, take the lead on Bread for the World Covenant Church activities, and connect PoP with local, interfaith efforts to build a more just society.
Several factors helped launch our Advocacy Team.
In 2013 and 2014, Lawrence University’s Civic Life Project produced a series of short student films about local issues. PoP’s Social Concerns Ministry used the Civic Life films, paired with longer-format films as the basis for the “Reel to Real” film series for Sunday adult education. The film series also included a focus on related ELCA Social Statements. The members who attended the series most regularly continued to meet using an ELCA Advocacy study and also became aware and involved in the current social statement process at the time. This group continued as the original Advocacy Team members.
Another important factor was a provision in Prince of Peace’s bylaws whereby any member can propose a new ministry team. Our study group drafted a team charter, which was approved by our Congregation Council. We are a team of the Social Concerns Ministry. Creating a charter helped clarify the goals, purposes, and structure of the new team. We were intentional about identifying with ELCA Advocacy and serving as our congregation’s ESTHER Core Team. ESTHER – Faith Communities United for Justice - is the local faith-based community organizing entity in the Fox Valley. In addition to relating to ELCA Advocacy and ESTHER, our team took the lead on the long-standing Social Concerns Ministry involvement with Bread for the World.
Highlights of the past 8 years have included:
Discovering wonderful resources from the ELCA for education, conversation, and advocacy. (Click here for list.)
Partnering with PoP’s Care of Creation Team.
Developing the annual Bread for the World Offering of Letters into a whole team effort, growing the number of members participating, deepening our relationship with Bread for the World and our contact with our Members of Congress. The team has also designed a more robust celebration of Bread for the World Sunday each fall.
Continuing participation in ESTHER, which has task forces on environmental justice, immigration, mental health, prison reform, and transportation, as well as an emphasis on equity and racial justice.
Connecting PoP with community events, initiatives, and resources such as Imagine Fox Cities “Conversations on Race” and a webinar on “History and Culture of Afghanistan: Welcoming Our New Neighbors”
The key for us in getting an Advocacy Team started and keeping it going has been to start conversations around important, timely topics and facilitate action opportunities for members. There are many allies locally, in the state, and in the nation who have done the research and are trusted sources. Many of them have ready-made resources available. In the cases of ELCA Advocacy and the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin, we can rest assured that our team is taking action based on the social statements of our denomination, which are the result of careful study, discernment, and approval at a churchwide assembly. Interacting with ELCA Advocacy and LOPPW informs you of additional trusted partners.
While advocacy necessarily involves education, it is important to note it does not demand expertise. Often, as advocates, we are more informed on a particular issue than the policymakers we are approaching. We know our communities and areas that need attention and resources. Our purpose is to speak from our faith-informed values of “neighbor care” and bring a particular issue or proposal to the policymaker’s attention. It is helpful to policymakers to hear from constituents and important they know constituents are paying attention.
Our Advocacy Team frequently finds itself offering adult education opportunities, so it has been helpful to keep in mind the characteristics of adult learners. Adult learners typically are highly selective, their participation is discretionary, and they often have many demands on their time. We have noted that our “followers” vary by the topic at hand and that having a variety of ways to participate results in greater engagement from members of our congregation. It can be tricky to measure results in advocacy efforts, but always having a sign-in sheet and keeping lists of attendees for various topics is a tried and true way to inform your team’s work. When our persistent efforts are successful, as in the recent passage of the Global Malnutrition Treatment and Prevention Act, we celebrate with advocates around the nation that millions of lives will be impacted!
(Watch this 4 minute Gala 2022: Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act to understand the impact of this victory.)
Forming an Advocacy Team is an exercise in hope. I am continually encouraged by the hopeful people on our team and in the hardworking organizations with which we interact. They are the people willing to see the problems, have the “holy imagination” for how things could/should be better, and are willing to get engaged. Jane Goodall refers to this effect of local teamwork as “an upward spiral…of growing hope with action.” (October 18, 2021 NPR Interview)
If you are interested in starting an advocacy team in your faith community or interested in comparing notes from your own advocacy experiences, feel free to contact Nancy Jones, njjones.wisconsin@gmail.com.
