5 Easy Ways to Advocate for Your Neighbors on “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday

“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is the ELCA’s annual day of service — a day when Lutherans across the country put faith into action by serving neighbors in visible, practical ways. In 2026, “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday will be observed on September 13.

Many congregations will pack food boxes, assemble hygiene kits, visit neighbors, serve meals, clean up community spaces, or support local ministries. These acts of service matter. They are concrete signs of God’s love at work through ordinary hands.

But Lutheran service does not end with charity. We are also called to ask why our neighbors are hungry, unhoused, uninsured, excluded, or afraid — and to advocate for public policies that protect dignity and help every neighbor thrive.

Here are five easy ways your congregation can add advocacy to “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday:

1. Write postcards to elected officials

Set up a simple postcard table after worship or alongside your service project. Invite people to write a short message to a state legislator, member of Congress, city council member, school board member, or county supervisor.

Keep it simple:

“I am a person of faith in your district. Today our congregation is serving our neighbors through ‘God’s work. Our hands.’ Sunday. I urge you to support policies that reduce hunger, protect health care, expand housing, welcome immigrants, and ensure every neighbor can live with dignity.”

Provide addresses, sample scripts, pens, postcards, and stamps. Even children and youth can participate by drawing pictures or writing messages about what it means to care for neighbors.

2. Connect your service project to one public-policy issue

If your congregation is collecting food, include a short announcement about SNAP, food banks, school meals, SUN Bucks, or Double Up Food Bucks. If you are assembling hygiene kits, talk briefly about housing and homelessness. If you are supporting refugees or migrants, include a prayer and a short explanation of current immigration or asylum concerns.

You do not need a long presentation. One paragraph in the bulletin or one minute during announcements can help people make the connection between hands-on service and faithful advocacy.

Try this:

“Today we are collecting food because our neighbors are hungry. We also know food pantries cannot replace strong public policy. SNAP, school meals, food banks, and state hunger programs are essential tools for helping families eat.”

3. Invite a lawmaker or staff member to see your ministry

“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is a great opportunity to invite an elected official or staff member to visit your congregation, food pantry, heat relief ministry, shelter partnership, community meal, refugee ministry, campus ministry, or outreach program.

This does not need to be formal or partisan. The purpose is relationship-building. Let public officials see what your congregation is doing, hear what you are seeing in the community, and understand how public policy affects real people.

A simple invitation can say:

“We would be honored to have you visit our congregation on ‘God’s work. Our hands.’ Sunday to learn more about how we are serving our neighbors and what concerns we are hearing in the community.”

4. Help people register, vote, and learn what is on the ballot

Faith-based civic engagement is nonpartisan. Congregations can help people check voter registration, learn key election dates, understand ballot measures, and make a plan to vote.

Set up a nonpartisan voter information table with links to voter registration, ballot tracking, early voting information, and LAMA’s voter education resources. Remind people that voting is one way we care for our neighbors and participate in the common good.

You might also invite people to sign up for Election Protection, serve as poll chaplains or peacekeepers, or help share trusted voting information in their communities.

5. Pray — then take one next step

Advocacy begins in prayer, but it should not end there. Include prayers for hungry neighbors, people without housing, immigrants and asylum seekers, public servants, election workers, children, elders, people with disabilities, and all who are struggling.

Then invite every person to take one next step: sign up for LAMA alerts, write a postcard, call a lawmaker, attend a town hall, join a ministry team, learn about an issue, or bring one story from the congregation to public leaders.

“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday reminds us that God works through ordinary people. Our hands can pack food boxes, write postcards, welcome strangers, register voters, comfort neighbors, and help shape public policies that reflect compassion and justice.

This September, let our service be visible — and let our advocacy be faithful, practical, and rooted in love of neighbor.