In 2007, representatives of several faith communities came together to discuss ways to more effectively address the pressures facing families in our community. This group became convinced that institution-based community organizing would provide congregations with the tools they need:
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To better understand the pressures facing families |
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To more consistently identify and train potential leaders within congregations |
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To make more explicit the connection between faith, worship, and life |
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To work with other institutions, including public schools and civic groups, to learn to use the democratic process effectively so that families can have a voice in what happens to their neighborhoods, schools and the greater community. | |
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From our earliest conversations, we acknowledged the passionate work our religious traditions have done on behalf of families, particularly families that are middle class or lower-income. And yet, we also acknowledged that individually, our faith communities do not have the power they need to truly impact the policies and actions of public officials that adversely affect the lives of families.
We sometimes focus so much on charity that we leave little time to think about justice. The OKC metropolitan area faces many challenges in the 21st century; we believe that within our congregations, we have a lot of knowledge, talent, and lived experience that can help shape a better future for families, if our congregations organize themselves to work together.
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