Donald J. Trump is a president who is not for the poor, working class or people of color, and his policies show that to be true. But, he’s not why I’m writing this. This post should have been written a long time ago. Long before Trump took office. Even before the beloved President Obama. As people of faith who have a responsibility to impact the world, we should constantly be reminded of the following:

To truly have an impactful church requires getting out of our four walls. To impact our community requires civic engagement. Truth be told, some of us, specifically within Holiness and Charismatic traditions, do not prioritize or even understand civic engagement. Case in point – Once, when I was thinking about church-based justice work, I remember being told, “We don’t do that here”. That is not correct, and one day I’ll present receipts to back that up. 

As the body of Christ, we know that change is needed in our society. But often, we don’t know what concrete steps to take. So, we pray….and that’s it.

Prayer is needed. It’s a good first step. The next step is to take concrete action that can bring about the change that our communities desire and deserve.

So, the charge changes from, “Pray about it” to “Pray AND…”. (i.e. Pray AND vote. Pray AND call. Pray AND donate. Pray AND build. Etc.)

With this thought in mind, here are 5 simple but concrete things that churches can do in addition to pray that can bring about community impact that is our salvific responsibility.

1. Make sure that each member of your congregation is registered to vote. Conduct voter’s registration at your church. This can be as simple as setting up a voter’s registration table (with proper paperwork and trained registrants) during worship services OR as complex as having an event that focuses on ensuring that all of your congregants are registered as well as informed about issues that will be on the ballot. Remember that many states require citizens to be registered at least 30 days before the election. One more thing: Because voter’s registration is being purged at alarming rates, encourage each member to check their registration status — https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/.

2. Make sure that your congregation and community actually vote. Provide ride sharing to be sure that everyone has transportation. Have a “Prayer and the Polls” service where everyone meets at the church for prayer and immediately heads to their polls. Have an “I Voted” Fellowship (with food :)) where entry is their “I Voted” sticker. Pastors and leaders, your words have weight. If you ask your congregants to vote, they probably will. If you ask them to meet you at the poll, they definitely will.

3. Start up a Civic Engagement Ministry. You, as the pastor or leader, don’t have to know details about every issue. But someone in your church should and should keep you and your congregation informed. Form a ministry who is tasked with that responsibility and who leads the charge.

4. Host a phone bank at your church. It has been noted that one of the best ways to bring about change in your local community is to call your local representatives. Despite what we sometimes believe and often see, we, the people, elect them, and they work for us. Phoning your representative can seem daunting if done alone. As a church, provide a space for congregants and community to phone representatives together. If people aren’t sure who to call, provide numbers. If people aren’t sure what to say, provide a script. There is strength in numbers.

5. Connect with other organizations that are already doing the work. You don’t have to reinvent any wheels. There are already groups who have been engaging in issues that near and dear to your church and community. Join forces with them, learn from them and work with them. There are strength in numbers.

The time is now for us to engage, if we have not already. If you are interested in any of the above ideas and/or need help setting them up, contact me.