Faith-based Organizing: A Congregational Planning Resource for Addressing Poverty

Faith-Based Organizing: A Congregational Planning Resource for Addressing Poverty was prepared specifically for pastors and lay leaders who want to invite their whole congregations to engage in faith-based community organizing to address poverty and its root causes. This practical resource will help them grow in their understanding and motivate them into action. It will also be useful for denominational and judicatory leaders who feel called to lead the church in mission.

The authors share the fruits of what they discovered--through both their successes and errors--about community life inside and outside the church. They make a strong case that people of faith can address and overcome poverty, because they have what is needed to do so. They identify the available resources in the local church and offer tools for building relationships with leaders in a local community where there are people in poverty. They invite congregations to initiate local partnerships that include a congregation, people in poverty, and community leaders to advocate for change that can overcome poverty.

This book presents a faith-based effort seeking to identify what sustains poverty and to organize people to work together to overcome its root causes. The result is collaborative relationships that change systems contributing to poverty. Within this process, new leadership will emerge, relationships will be enriched, and congregations will experience renewed love for people by undergoing transformation.

Includes helpful information on racism and the culture of poverty, as well as numerous forms and activities that can be used by local congregations and planning teams.

Charles Fredrickson, a pastor in the ELCA, has served diverse communities here and abroad, has an education in international studies, and was involved in community organizing.

Violetta Lien, PhD in education, worked with teachers who served in low-income school districts and has studied and led classes in the culture of poverty.

Herbert E. Palmer, a pastor in the ELCA, has served congregations in a variety of communities meeting the challenges of being a public church. He has studied and participated in community organizing and served on the Texas Impact Board for over thirty years.

Mary Lou Walther has spent her career in administration and educational leadership.