Equipping the Church to Vote

Chapter 11: Practical Initiatives a Church Christian Citizenship Ministry Can Do

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to
the family of believers.” (Gal 6:9-10)

Any quick search of the literature will find a number of organizations that have lists of activities and pro-active actions that can be used to make a difference.  Besides the main thrust of this pamphlet, the conduct of an Election Pre-View Evening, the following is a short list of specific actions a Christian Citizenship group within a church environment can pursue to make a difference.  It is roughly in chronological (growth) order, moving from an internal perspective (organization and oversight) to eventually reaching outside the confines of a church and collaborating with other fellowships.  This is obviously an artificial structure, since any Christian organization can do what they deem appropriate according to their time constraints and priorities.

It’s important in choosing activities, however, that the amount of commitments not exceed the ability to accomplish.  Once a church becomes energized, there’s a tendency to believe everything must be done immediately.  This will only breed frustration and disappointment early on – which can lead to completely frustrating any organized approach.  Prayerfully consider what your particular volunteer labor force is gifted to do, and pace yourself to build upon previous lessons learned.  Finally, consider any activity with a long term perspective such that any difficulty in obtaining “success” does not completely dishearten efforts.  Remember, the Lord only calls us to be faithful in our service to Him, the results will be dependent upon His gracious will (1 Cor 3:6).

Relative to Church Leadership

• Ensure church leadership provides oversight of all activities and significant decisions.  They must ensure the name of Christ remains honored in all that is done
• Ensure there is a firm understanding of all legal issues involved.  Seek legal counsel if uncertain
• Develop a formal church policy towards Christian Citizenship (if necessary)
• Develop modest (realistic) goals and objectives for a specified time period and reassess periodically
• Identify a mature, experienced church point of contact to coordinate allactivities, lead meetings, report to church leadership and be the spokesman

Providing for Believer Education

• Prepare for and conduct specialized training classes (topical) or retreats for interested people
• Work with the pastor to outline an appropriate topical sermon series
• Generate a Sunday School Christian Citizenship class series
• Conduct a Home Fellowship Group Bible study on citizenship issues
• Create a permanent Citizenship library or set up a table or bulletin board during worship times with information of current interest
• Publish or route fact sheets, booklets etc. on specific topics
• Create a Christian Citizenship budget line within the church annual budget for education materials (books, videos, tapes, periodicals, etc.)
• Subscribe to election and legislation alerts from reputable Christian organizations and post in conspicuous place to increase awareness
• Educate church membership on success stories with inserts in bulletins
• Create a group E-mail distribution capability for interested members
• Encourage voter registration and provide materials to facilitate
• Invite political leaders to give their personal testimony and/or to discuss issues of concern with the membership
• Conduct voter awareness evenings on any number of general or specific items of interest as a continuing education and equipping ministry
• Develop a phone directory for all members listing the districts they are located in, all elected representatives and contact information
• Encourage school children to write school reports on the Christian roots and influences in our nations history

Direct Outreach

• Build an advertising campaign (radio, billboards, other?) to address local issues from a Biblical perspective
• Organize and conduct writing classes to equip members on how to write effective letters to public officials, newspapers, corporations, etc.
• Organize and conduct letter writing workshops to produce letters to the editor, elected officials, TV executives, industry executives, etc.
• Develop and build Web sites containing reasoned positions on topics of particular interest.  Use hot links to trusted Christian sites for easy access
• Encourage pastoral mentoring of current and future community leaders
• Organize visitation of elected representatives to voice opinions on topics of interest and concern to the Christian community
• Organize picketing, demonstrations, boycotts if needed (however, conduct all within legal constraints)
• Develop a publications and pamphlet ministry to produce and deliver reasoned positions on moral issues to the community

Possible Joint Church Activities

• Conduct joint church coordination/awareness meetings on current issues of interest to the wider Christian community
• Sponsor joint church seminars or workshops for specific topics
• Pursue a vigorous information exchange and collaboration process
• Host candidate forums during election years to allow all candidates for an office to: speak on issues, give their personal testimony, answer questions
• Develop joint church resolutions on moral issues
• Form an advisory group to express concerns and encouragement to local, state and national leaders
• Pool financial resources to support ad campaigns if needed
• Identify specific expertise (e.g., geneticist) to provide reasoned answers to all collaborating churches when questions arise in that area

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