Washington
Update
February 2003
Congregations Can Play Essential Role
in Legislative Process
By Lynette Engelhardt Stott, LIRS
Director for Government Relations
I am often asked how congregations can help
win positive changes in U.S. immigration and refugee policies.
It’s a question I love because it is extremely important
for concerned Christians to advocate for legislation that is
fair and just. Our citizenship is a powerful tool, but it is
only effective if we use it well.
Elected officials need and want to hear your
views on issues that matter to you. Some people feel as if they
won’t be able to make a difference, so they never contact
their members of Congress. But many senators and representatives
say that if they receive even five letters or calls on a given
issue they will immediately assign a staff person to look into
it.
One of the most effective ways a congregation
can get involved in advocacy is through a letter writing campaign.
Depending on your congregation, you might start by talking to
your pastor or social justice committee. Ask if you can organize
a letter writing campaign in your church to support the U.S.
Refugee Program or legislation to protect unaccompanied children.
The letter writing can take place during an adult Sunday school
class or at the coffee hour. Another option is to place a sample
letter in the church newsletter or Sunday bulletin.
A few years ago Bill and Monika DeWees, members
of the LIRS Ambassadors Circle and of King of Glory Lutheran
in Arvada, Colo., wanted to engage their congregation on the
U.S. refugee admissions issue. They started by giving each church
council member a sample letter and asking them to send their
own letters from home. Their pastor was impressed and asked
them to do a temple talk and urge everyone to send a letter.
They did, and generated 100 letters.
Justine Lionberger, also an ambassador, and
a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Decorah, Iowa, held a
letter writing campaign on children in detention. She had an
LIRS display where she promoted the letters and placed announcements
in the church bulletin. Her pastor talked about the campaign
during Sunday services. Justine recruited letter writers at
Holden Village, a Lutheran camp in Washington state, and from
peace and justice groups at the local Lutheran college.
These two issues—refugee admissions
and unaccompanied children—still need a lot of advocacy.
Why not coordinate a campaign in your congregation? Or forward
this article to the churches that work with your agency, urging
them to let their voices be heard on behalf of vulnerable refugees
and children? Visit www.lirs.org today for sample letters and
the latest updates on these issues.
Don’t get discouraged if it takes time
to engage your congregation. Just remember how important each
letter is. The letters you generate may be the first letters
in support of refugees your members of Congress receive. This
is especially true for the 65 newly elected members of Congress
who need to know right off the bat that you care about these
issues…and you expect them to care, too!
Finally, if you have questions, please contact
me—lstott@lirs.org
or 202/626 7934!
Read
past Washington Updates.
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