Advocacy Café
Our Christian faith compels us to attend to the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. Sometimes, we may echo the sentiment: The world’s so big and I’m so small. Yet there is much we can do act for greater justice, and we are far from alone.
Drop by an Advocacy Café to hear from ELCA advocacy community leaders about timely topics. The 30-minute presentations will be offered twice on the same day. The day session will wrap-up with 15-minutes for a Q&A session with panelists. The evening session will wrap-up differently, with 25 minutes to meet in a small group with others to exchange experiences and ideas.
Register today – and invite others!
The ELCA “is called to be a part of the ecumenical Church of Jesus Christ in the context in which God has placed it—a diverse, divided, and threatened global society on a beautiful, fragile planet” (from the ELCA social statement The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective). Together, there is much we can do.
Tuesday, 7/26/2022: August Recess
August Recess is a traditional time for U.S. representatives to return to their home districts, which presents windows to raise your experiences and policy concerns locally with elected officials. Learn about this opportunity for impact and hear from ELCA advocacy staff about some current issues where your voice matters. Choose:
Day Session: 30 minutes of content, 15 minutes of Q&A starting at 10am MST/PDT, 11am MDT. Register at bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0726day.
Evening Session: 30 minutes of content, 25-minute breakouts for facilitated sharing starting at 5pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Register at bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0726eve.
Tuesday, 8/30/2022: Civic Engagement Actions
In Lutheran teaching, one way God works to preserve creation and build a more peaceful and just social order in a broken world is through government. As a church we do not endorse a particular candidate, party or form of government or strive for a Christian one. Yet our civic engagement in the electoral process can have positive impact. Offered in conjunction with the ELCAvotes initiative. Choose:
Day Session: 30 minutes of content, 15 minutes of Q&A starting at 10am MST/PDT, 11am MDT. Register at bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0830day
Evening Session: 30 minutes of content, 25-minute breakouts for facilitated sharing starting at 5pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Register at: bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0830eve
Tuesday, 9/27/2022: Barriers to Voting
The guarantee that all citizens be able to exercise the right to vote on an equal basis is a fundamental requirement for a just society, affirmed in ELCA social teaching. As individuals, in congregations and in other partnerships, acting to remove barriers can demonstrate our Christian faith as Lutherans and have value for our communities and country. Offered in conjunction with the ELCAvotes initiative. Choose:
Day Session: 30 minutes of content, 15 minutes of Q&A starting at 10am MST/PDT, 11am MDT. Register at: bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0927day.
Evening Session: 30 minutes of content, 25-minute breakouts for facilitated sharing starting at 5pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Register at: bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-0927eve
Tuesday, 10/25/2022: Public Discourse
Election season is, unfortunately, a time of heightened rhetoric aimed at instilling fear and belittling others. The church of Jesus Christ is uniquely equipped to foster and model civil relationships and dialogue, invite trust amid differences and lead healthy community conversations on the common good. Offered in conjunction with the ELCAvotes initiative. Choose:
Day Session: 30 minutes of content, 15 minutes of Q&A starting at 10am MST/PDT, 11am MDT. Register at: bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-1025day.
Evening Session: 30 minutes of content, 25-minute breakouts for facilitated sharing starting at 5pm MST/PDT, 6pm MDT. Register at: bit.ly/ELCAadvocacycafe-1025eve.