2007 ACTS Organizing Plan

Presented to Prospective Member Clergy, Dec. 12, 2006

 

This plan is adapted from the Gamaliel First Year Organizing Plan for use by ACTS-Syracuse. 

 

The plan is intended to help clergy leaders develop a strong team of lay leaders in each congregation who will carry out a “listening campaign” intended to reach a very large percentage of the congregation. Thus, the movement toward a very large ACTS Public Meeting on important issues will have the maximum participation of most congregants. 

 

The plan is also intended as a tool for congregational leaders to bring their congregations and their leaders to the forefront of public debate in Syracuse and Onondaga County.

 

The plan will be implemented once twenty (20) congregations are on board as member congregations. 

 

Exact Dates will be settled by the ACTS Board after consultation with the ACTS Clergy Caucus.

 

Covenant Event (March 11):  10-30 people from each member congregation, beautiful singing, preaching about congregations working together and the religious roots of organizing.  Congregations commit to working together in the organizing process, to commission their members on the Board of Directors (pastor, lay leader, alternate), to pay dues. The event might include a public commitment from an official (e.g., the mayor) on some ACTS agenda item. Finances: a collection, a request for sustaining members, a recognition of major donors could take place.

 

First Leaders’ Training (late March/early April): 2-4 weeks after the Covenant Event, each congregation sends 3-5 leaders for a 2-day training in the basic concepts of organizing (e.g., Friday evening, Saturday until 2PM). Leaders commit to building an “outreach team” in each congregation and begin planning. 

 

Outreach Training (late April/early May): 10-50 from each congregation, 4 hour training on creating a 6-week Outreach Campaign within your congregation. Leaders create their lists, brainstorm a commissioning service in their congregation, and commit to the campaign. In ACTS, if some congregations have already done the outreach in the congregation, they would learn an option of outreach outside the congregation.

 

Commissioning Service in the Congregation (late May): The clergy leader asks the congregation to pray for the Outreach Team and to say “yes” when one of them asks for a 30 minute 1-1 interview. The Outreach Campaign becomes the central focus of the congregation during the next 6 weeks.

 

6-week Outreach Campaign (late May – early July): Each member of the Congregational Outreach Team conducts 10-15 interviews in the congregation. For example, 20 leaders trained from your congregation will conduct 10-15 interviews with other congregants. Each interview lasts 30 minutes and will help the interviewer discover the congregant’s concerns, interests, underused talents, social concerns, etc. The Outreach Team meets twice in the 6-weeks to solve problems and report on what they are hearing (Internal/External).

 

Issues Convention (July): The ACTS Board will prepare a slate of issues based on what their Outreach Teams are hearing (e.g., job loss, crime, disinvestment, city-suburban conflict, mass transit, schools, etc.). At the Issues Convention, 10-50 delegates from each congregation vote on the top 3 issues. Delegates choose an Issue Taskforce and receive training in “Power Analysis” and “Issues and Actions.” The Taskforces then elect leadership and set a schedule of meetings to begin planning the Public Meeting.

 

1000+ ACTS Public Action Meeting (October):  50-200 people from each congregation gather in a well-planned, disciplined meeting of 1000-2000 persons with public and civic officials both in Syracuse and in Onondaga County. The purpose of the meeting is to demonstrate the collective power of the congregations, to enable leaders to win significant victories and new partnerships with other powerful players in the city and region and to give your leaders an opportunity to grow as congregational and civic leaders.