Congregational Justice Trainings

As people of faith, we cannot sit back and watch our brothers and sisters be harmed by systematic injustice and deprivation. The Community Renewal Society believes that change will only happen when well-organized, well-informed, and well-trained congregations act decisively on their beliefs. To help build the public leadership skills in congregations throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the Community Renewal Society is conducting free trainings to help congregations take effective and meaningful action to shape public policy in our state. In this half-day session, attendees will learn to:

• understand and articulate the theological basis for citizen activism;
• network with other local congregations;
• analyze power and how it shapes our world;
• create and expand justice ministries in your congregation;
• activate members and build power in your church; and
• develop the skills to build relationships with policy-makers and promote change!

For more information or to register call Alex at 312.673.3840 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

3 Day Community Organizing Training

The Curriculum

Community Renewal's organizing training sessions typically include:

The Melian Debate
You’ll experience the 3000 year-old dilemma of Melian islanders as they are forced to confront Athenian domination of the Aegean Sea. Join the negotiations and experience how power works.

History and Principles of Organizing
Learn the basics of having an effective and powerful public life by mastering that values triangle and the key concept of agitation.

Values
Reflect on where your values come from, the role values play in shaping who you are, and learn how faith-based organizers transform people by working through their own, and other people’s, moral centers.

One-on-Ones
Learn the communication skills of active and empathic listening that will uncover a person’s self-interests and build trusting relationships.

Agitation

Learn how we use our relationships to challenge people to act on their values and self-interest to build power, take action, step out of their comfort zones, and create change..

Cutting Issues
Learn how to identify and refine a course of action for an organizing campaign and motivate people to get involved.

Power and Power Analysis
Learn how to analyze an issue and use that analysis and the knowledge gained to shape a strategy.

Base Building
The best organizers think strategically so that each action and campaign builds on the previous one to create a more powerful organization.

Effective Meetings
Meetings are used to shape our campaigns and structure our work. Learn how to make your meetings energizing and effective.

The Analysis Session
Experience an organizing challenge and shape a response to it within a small group.

Buzz About Our Training

"I WAS CHALLENGED. I feel like I have tools to understand (or at least ask the questions to be able to) a situation and decide how to move forward TO DO SOMETHING."

"I was very pleased with the training and the trainers. It gave me a very real and practical perspective of organizing that I could us on my job…It really equips you with what you need to become an organizer."

"I would describe this training to others as an 'Organizers’ Bootcamp.'"

"I am very fortunate that my Executive Director decided to send me to this training...I had some ideas about how to organize, but I have learned so much. It really has clarified my intentions and what I say are my self-interests."

"The activities are engaging and challenging. The trainers are interesting and full of character. They deal with real life organizing situations…you will learn so much about building relationship in community organizations."

"I gained understanding of important concepts, was challenged to reflect on myself and my work, and worked with other people to apply what I learned."

Registration

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TRAINING
focused on faith-based principles
Wednesday, September 29 - Friday, October 1, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
332 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 500

The registration fee is $250 per person for the three-day workshop (no meals included). Each day runs from 9am to 5pm. You may register online by clicking here. There are a limited number of spaces for the training, which are filled on a first come, first served paid basis.

For more information or to reserve a place pending the receipt of your registration, please feel free to call or leave a message for Alex Wiesendanger at 312.427.4830, x3840 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it