The Rev Dr. Rick SchlosserDear friends,
Many of us are experiencing a heavy, familiar grief as we get ready for the chaotic years of the upcoming administration. We dreamed of progress, concern for the welfare of all, and a nation that values compassion and justice. We hoped to guide our congregations to expand their focus on the common good so we can embrace all of God’s children without exception. Rather, we find ourselves preparing our churches to deal with the harsh reality that this struggle is far from over. We bear the burden of the future and the heartache of knowing that hatred and division have gained new ground.
Many congregations affiliated with our member denominations throughout California have long and faithfully worked to address the most pressing needs in their local communities. Others have struggled to discern how they can make a difference for the most vulnerable in their neighborhoods. In response to urgent needs for churches to find the best resources available to help them pursue their most needed social justice ministries and protect the most vulnerable among us following the recent national election, the California Council of Churches is ramping up plans to create a statewide Best Practices Network and Resource Center.
This is to offer support, training, and empowerment to thousands of congregations in our mainline and progressive member denominations in every corner of the state to identify and address the social justice issues they feel are most pressing in their local communities. We will accomplish this by gathering best practices: actions and resources from our member denominations, judicatories, and congregations and creating an online Justice Seekers Resource Center for issues they support effectively in housing, food, medical help, community gardens, coops, etc., provide useful reading materials as well, both spiritual and practical, and provide public policy training and advocacy to empower local congregations to advocate on the local and federal levels for compassionate and just policies to protect and lift up our neighbors. As funding permits, we plan to offer workshops throughout the state for congregations to come together and work with trained consultants to help them develop effective social justice ministries in their local communities and connect with existing organizations doing effective work in their areas of concern.
Many of you have long supported the work of the Council and IMPACT and you know that the combination of the end of denominational and judicatory support and the drop in individual support since COVID has severely restricted our ability to be as effective as we would like to be. Libby and I are both looking to pass the torch on to a younger group of activists with the energy and passion to rise to the current challenge.
To accomplish this, we need your help and support. Below are a few ways you can support our work and I am attaching a short summary you can use when talking to others in your church, community, and regional/denominational leadership. Can you help us raise the first $75,000 we need to get this work launched and secure a fund development professional to sustain this work for the long haul? Please do not hesitate to be in touch with us if you have questions, ideas, or resources to share.
How Can You Help?
- Make a generous contribution to support our work
- You can donate online at calchurches.org or churchimpact.org or by mail here.
- Share and help us identify the best resources and models for successful justice work from your region, congregation, denomination, etc.
- Help us identify funding sources and fund development professionals we can pursue to support this work.
- Advocate for us with the leadership of your conference, region, synod, diocese, or area for urgent one-time funding and ongoing support
With gratitude for your activism and support,
The Rev Dr Rick Schlosser Elizabeth (Libby) Sholes
Executive Director Public Policy Advocate
rick@calchurches.org sholes@calchurches.org