United Methodist Church: General Board of Church and Society Toolkit

ADVOCATING AND ORGANIZING

THE CALL TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD involves personal, social and civic righteousness.

Advocating alongside our neighbors, we call leaders to adopt policies and practices that reflect faithful understanding of justice and dignity for all. While the journey toward justice is long, God sustains us through community.

Church and Society educates, equips and connects advocates with other United Methodists and faith partners as we strengthen movements for justice and peace together.

ADVOCATING AND ORGANIZING

UNITED METHODIST DAYS ON THE HILL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Building on years of successful gatherings that incorporate visits to Capitol Hill, we recognize the need to galvanize United Methodists to speak to their elected officials through an annual “United Methodist Days on the Hill.”

Church and Society’s presence at the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill is an ideal location from which United Methodists can make their voices heard. For many, decision makers can feel distant and intimidating. To exercise one’s civic right to share our convictions and beliefs as United Methodists is critical, and yet many either lack the resources and capacity to speak to their representatives, or simply are unsure of how to best make their voices heard.

At United Methodist Days on the Hill, 50 United Methodists from key, strategic states would have the chance to come to Washington, D.C., and make clear to decision makers the Church’s priorities for justice and peace.

PROGRAM GOALS

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The United Methodist Days on the Hill enables United Methodist voices to be heard across Capitol Hill. Each summer, when Congress is debating legislation, United Methodists spend a weekend training to visit their representatives followed by a day of advocacy on Monday.

Scholarships provide opportunities for individuals from a variety of contexts to gain skills and capacity for exercising their civic rights and more access to civic engagement. An investment of $2,000 covers the cost for one United Methodist to attend the program, and $60,000 underwrites 25 scholarships for the program.

As a result, United Methodists develop skills to address injustice in their communities, learn about Church and Society’s advocacy priorities, and impact decision makers as they hear the real stories of United Methodists across the connection.

25 scholarships bring more diverse and inclusive groups of United Methodists to Capitol Hill to learn and speak on the issues that are impacting their communities and congregations.

CHRISTIAN WATKINS, WENDLAND FELLOW FOR FAITH AND JUSTICE

My fellowship has reaffirmed the necessity of collaboration in the struggle for justice.

Without the partnership between Church and Society staff and local congregations working together to enliven hope and advocacy in our communities, this fight would be a losing battle.

United Methodists gather for faithful witness on Capitol Hill.

CHURCH AND SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS

the fellow will work with the Advocacy and Organizing department to support its legislative priorities.

The fellows increase Church and Society’s capacity to advocate on critical issues while also providing vital training for the next generation of faith-based advocates.

The Church and Society Legislative Fellows initiative changes lives by helping students immerse themselves in our teachings and practice.

This yearlong fellowship, for recent college graduates and those with equivalent life experience, is designed to support advocacy work on established legislative priorities of Church and Society. This yearly program accommodates up to five fellows, each assigned to one of the five priority issues of the agency. We hope to one day have the resources to the fellows could live in community together in a nearby house and work full time with us. Legislative fellows greatly augment Church and Society’s capacity to attend Hill meetings, analyze and track legislative developments, and communicate to and mobilize our constituents.

As a part of a donor funded pilot in 2019, Church and Society is hiring a legislative fellow entitled the Wendland Fellowship for Justice and Peace. Beginning in fall 2019,

United Methodists called for an end to gun violence in the March for Our Lives.

FAITHJ USTICE PEACE FAITHJ FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM GOALS

The fellows deepen their understanding of issues of injustice and inequality which impact the world and how their faith equips them to respond. Fellows learn skills to engage in issue advocacy with decision makers on Capitol Hill and federal agencies.

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The fellowship program covers a full year (August to August), and providing housing and benefits. Your investment of $60,000 supports one fellow and $300,000 underwrites five fellowships for one year.

Finally, a $4 million-dollar investment would allow for Church and Society to achieves a dream of a fellows’ house.

2018 Church and Society Legislative Fellows advocate for the refugee resettlement program.

For more information contact: giving@umcjustice.org

www.umcjustice.org

General Board of Church and Society 100 Maryland Ave, NE Washington, DC 20002 © 2013 General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church M IAL AD

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