Advocating Congregation
September 2, 2010
ADVOCATING CONGREGATIONS: A STATEWIDE
NETWORK FOR JUSTICE
A message from the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington State
Did you know that your congregation recently became a part of the LPPO’s Advocating Congregations program? Upon learning this news, you may be asking yourself: What does this mean? What is an Advocating Congregation, anyway?
Advocating Congregations carry out advocacy in a variety of ways, but three characteristics are shared by all of them: One, an Advocating Congregation is one that, amidst our diversity of opinions, urges their members to use their voices to communicate to elected officials regarding the critical social issues of our day. Two, an Advocating Congregation is one that believes that advocacy and striving for justice and peace is a part of our baptismal vocation. Three, an Advocating Congregation is one that urges its members to make the connection between acts of charity (deeds of compassion) and acts of justice (working for positive change in and through social structures).
Advocating Congregations like yours carry out advocacy ministries in a variety of ways and on a variety of issues. You might convene an advocacy Bible Study, hold an offering of letters, attend public marches and rallies, send members to Faith Advocacy day in Olympia, or even host a nonpartisan forum with elected officials. Trinity will begin it’s involvement with Pr. Paul Benz and Trinity’s Advocacy Chair Cyndi Nielsen leading Youth/Adult Forum for two Sundays, September 19 and 26 showing us ways to be better advocates for justice. The LPPO will also work with your congregation to help map out a congregational advocacy plan for the coming year.
Finally, this year the LPPO will hold its First Annual Summit of Advocating
Congregations. This year’s gathering will be on Sunday, September 26, from 4:30 - 6:30 pm at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland. We hope you can join us!
To learn more about advocacy at your congregation, contact Cyndi Nielsen, Trinity’s
Advocacy Chair. To learn more about the LPPO’s statewide Advocating Congregations program, visit www.lppowa.org.
