Get Involved!

LAMA recognizes that most congregations tend to be more active in acts of mercy than acts of justice. Handing out food at a soup kitchen seems more straight forward than advocating for school breakfast programs. LAMA encourages congregations to do both acts of mercy and acts of justice. Medicaid expansion is perhaps the best example of how significant policy decisions and advocacy can be. Through one bill, an additional 400,000 low-income people were able to get access to affordable healthcare. As much as one might support a low-income clinic that serves poor families, this policy had the ability to magnify thousands-fold the charitable work of a clinic.

Every congregation or faith community is unique. Each has its own set of leaders, committees and ministries. How best to engage the advocacy ministry in congregations varies greatly, which is why LAMA seeks a Congregational Liaison for each congregation.

The Role of Liaisons

Core Functions: Congregational liaisons are asked to do the following core functions:

• Ask the congregational leadership to include LAMA news, events and resources in bulletins, newsletters or other materials.

• Participate in at least one meeting a year with legislators and invite others to participate

• Invite congregation members to do some advocacy before or during the Arizona legislative session (January - May).

  • Writing letters

  • Sending emails

  • Signing a petition

• Participate in LAMA Liaison Roundtable, which meets on the third Monday of the month at 6:00 - 7:00 pm via Zoom.

• Participate in Lutheran Day at the Legislature

• Participate in the annual LAMA Summit

Additional Functions: If able, the liaisons are invited to:

• Encourage civic engagement – registering to vote, help getting out the vote, completing the census (all non-partisan activities).

• Connect interested members of your congregation with key LAMA program areas

  • Food Insecurity as it relates to hunger and the root causes of hunger. Our ELCA social teachings on hunger and poverty include Economic Life and Homelessness.

  • Voting and Civic Engagement as we are called to encourage faithful and nonpartisan voter participation, and understand and speak out about the intersection of voting and elections and racial, gender and economic justice.

  • Water – Acknowledging that Arizona’s water resources are in peril due to drought and other factors, and that lack of access to safe water is one of the biggest challenges to overcoming poverty. ELCA social teachings include Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope & Justice.

  • Housing and Homelessness – We are pleased to be in collaboration with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW), who has committed this year to advocating in the areas of affordable housing and homelessness. We will partner with LSS-SW in these efforts, and will use the ELCA’s social message, Homeless: A Renewal of Commitment, and its new resource, Housing: A Practical Guide for Learning, Advocating and Building as references.

• Familiarize yourself and your congregation with the ELCA Social Statements and Social Messages.

• Register for Arizona’s Request To Speak (RTS) system to advocate for legislation from home, and encourage others to do the same

• Be informed – Sign up for LAMA newsletters, ELCA Advocacy Network and learn about ELCA Advocacy efforts,

• Be engaged – Follow LAMA and ELCA Advocacy Facebook and social media, like and repost events and news

• Encourage the congregation to support LAMA financially through a special offering, inclusion in the budget or a special grant.

LAMA supports Congregational Liaisons:

• Convene monthly LAMA Liaison Roundtable to discuss current issues, strategies, bills

• Activate Request To Speak accounts at the Capitol kiosks

• Provide materials as needed to distribute and display (posters, brochures)

• Send occasional special resources for congregations.

• Find speakers for programs and events at the congregations or online

• Connect the congregation with other interested congregations in the area