I spent July 8-13 in Chicago for the Industrial Areas Foundation’s Community Organizer National Training. This was phase two of my grant work this summer looking at the intersections of emergence, evangelism, and, you guessed it: community organizing. The conference involved long hours in the fluorescent-lit conference rooms of the Doubletree Hotel, but brought together a working community to discuss the techniques and demands of community organizing.
I came away with a set of tools to examine and tweak: methods of conversation aimed to help people discuss what really matters for them, ways of looking at community consensus building that help people claim their voice. I think there is a great deal that the Church can learn from organizing. I’ve watched with awe the degree of investment the organizer trained leadership of St. John’s Lafayette Square brings to the tasks of parish life.
But I think we have further to go. In the future, I believe, the barriers between Church and culture need to become more permeable. Developing tools for listening to the needs of a community, creating and developing meaningful relationships, and engaging in community dialogue will be necessary for the Christians.
What do you think? How should Christians go about this? I am hoping to adapt some of these tools for use by Church people over the Fall, what do you think?
Mike Angell 
Reading and enjoying your recent posts…
Though I experienced the President’s “community-organizer” approach to the campaign firsthand, I have very little knowledge or experience relating directly to organizing. Sounds like you’re in a state of Michael zen there..bok choy and all.
I like the idea of the barriers between Church and culture becoming more permeable, but I can imagine several arguments against that as well. Culture is not always a plus. If the barriers are more permeable, how does the Church retain its structural integrity when culture shifts away from the heart of the Church (or tradition)? Shouldn’t the church be somehow distinctive in its reflection of Jesus’ radical approach to humanity, or is that counterproductive? Listening tools, relationships and dialogue are vital to any community. Rachael’s church just spent a year with intense and deliberate listening sessions to engage and vet the church community on the past, present, and future of the church. It was beautiful to watch and has resulted in some amazing strides towards both narrowing and expanding the church’s reach (more octopus-ish than black hole-ish). 🙂
Love you brother,
Brad