Planting Seeds
The People - a network of local people of faith taking action
A seed group, a membership organization, working groups, and a network of progressive Christian faith communities.
The seed group is a core group who hold the ongoing intention of a local Christian peace and justice entity. The members are those investing in peace and justice work by covenant to financial support, by covenant to be in a community of communities, by covenant to connect personal and communal piety to real world action, by covenant to take action and invite change, by covenant to gather regularly, by covenant to learn, and by covenant to welcome others into the work. Working groups are groups that connect around shared passion, activity, or questions.Working groups help draw us together to better know each other and better find each other and better know our individual and collective vocations. The network is all the connections we make and invite including those within and outside of our community of communities including both real and virtual connections.
The Posture - the voice of a community of progressive communities
A credible, responsive, consistent, passionate Christian voice for local, national, and global issues of peace, environmental integrity, economic justice, and human rights for all.
The Place - a local peace and justice center
A physical space for ongoing work. A virtual presence to facilitate our work. A combination of paid and unpaid staff.
A physical address, a place for all correspondence, files and information to exit. A place to pray meet and gather in. A place to prepare newsletters and other communication, to ready and store our literature and to ready ourselves for organizing/ mobilizing, special events, and programs. A place for volunteer, intern, and paid staff to work and the equipment needed to get this work done efficiently. A place to educate and host others. A place to connect people with shared interest and mutual intention. A website, a phone number, email addresses, and technology tools for communication and for efficiently fulfilling and sharing our work.
The Practice - the work of a community of progressive communities
- Networking – supporting each others work, knowing what is going on, sharing invitations, identifying and accessing each others expertise, passion, and expectations, getting the word out, sharing resources, meeting new collaborators.
- Organizing – spurring individuals, churches, and groups to join in our work
- Education – educating through statements, articles, events, workshops;
- Advocacy and Direct Action – engaging in nonviolent actions that promote social justice.
- Building Community– Energizing and nourishing our membership through worship, devotion, recognition, storytelling
- Spiritual Practice and Application– Embracing and offering spiritual discipline and practice as integral to naming and living out our spiritual vocation
The Plan - the activities of the community of communities
A calendar of community of community events that stir passion for peace and justice, build our capacity and expertise to do the work of peace and justice, and build our capacity to know and serve each other. A program of activities and events. A container that helps us thrive.
- Gathering- the community of communities comes together - a regular schedule of assembly, convening on a particular topic to hear a thought provoking speaker or engage in a specific activity, including a time of worship and a time for guided networking to build affinity groups, to listen to each other, to find our collective voice, and affirm our individual and collective calls to peace, justice, and action
- Advocacy and Awareness- the community of communities makes itself heard- a regular schedule of public preparation, public comment, press release, media activity, direct action and advocacy on a particular topic to raise awareness and take action to accent and build specific affinity groups, to call out to each other, to sound our collective voice, and affirm specific calls to peace justice and action
- Education- the community of communities comes together to teach and learn - an irregular schedule of workshops trainings and book studies, convening on a varying topics designed to build resolve capacity skill and interest, to nurture affinity groups, to listen to each other, to find our collective voice, and prepare us to fulfill our individual and collective calls to peace justice and action
- Working Groups- the community of communities seeds communities of ignition, intention, and practice - Small groups that form around topical areas, for spiritual practice, for study, to start new work, to support and inform common interests and mutual concern, to organize community wide activities, to implement our strategies. Examples: Diversity, Governance, Advocacy, Direct Action/Organizing, Newsletter, Education, Resource Development, Gathering, Spirituality, Any Topic Related group
The Price - investing in the activities of community of communities
A calendar of community of community giving events that stir passion for peace and justice, builds our capacity and expertise to do the work of peace and justice, and builds our capacity to know and serve each other. Building residual assets that ensure the continued effectiveness of our work. A revenue model and container that helps us thrive and is keeping with our intention to be in solidarity with those who suffer. To help financially underwrite the work of the Sowers of Justice Network, contact us at sowersofjusticenetwork@gmail.com
