After the Trip Going Deeper as Faithful Advocates Serving Together

1. After the TripGoing Deeper as Faithful Advocates Serving Together

2. The last part of the Guide includes resources to keep you involved in the experience when your group returns home. The return phase of mission trips is often neglected because we’re ready to get on to other things in life.

3. But we encourage you to linger with the experience and work with your group to continue to reflect, to share the stories, to participate in activities that involve you in justice issues directly related to the people of Appalachia and to issues of justice in your own community.

4. Tony Saddington, a leader in experiential learning: “Experience is not the best teacher. We learn nothing from experience. We only learn from reflection on our experience.” Reflecting on your experience while on-site gives perspective on your work and sets the stage for your continued involvement in the issues and lives of people when you return home.

5. F.A.S.T. Covenant Participating groups agree to get involved in: • pre-trip Bible study and learning about the region • one-week trip including home rehabilitation project, worship and an exploration of social and economic justice issues. • post-trip action to advocate for issues of justice in your own community and in Appalachia.

6. Continuing the FAST (A Debriefing Experience) PURPOSE: One of the best ways to communicate and learn from your experience is to share stories. For this session, bring your group together for a final time of fellowship. You may want to make this a pizza party, ice cream social or some other fun activity.

7. MATERIALS: Pizza, Soda, Ice Cream, Open Minds & Memories, Songs/ Guitars / Recorded Music, Pictures/ Power Point Computer Program/Video / Movie, Leader’s Guide with articles on the region Later Sessions: Additional resources on the region and issues that participants have read or seen DIRECTIONS: Share pictures (maybe a video) Do the discussion questions. Be sure to sing some songs you sang on the trip!

8. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: • What is your most significant memory of the trip? What makes it stand out? 2. What about your FAST experience was surprising to you? 3. What did you learn about being a servant and advocate in the name of Jesus Christ while in Appalachia? 4. How have you been challenged to continue to follow the FAST now that you have come home? 5. How can we as a group continue to follow the FAST this upcoming year? How can we take seriously our call to be advocates for the people in Appalachia? (Perhaps you could have stationery set out for the group to write a letter.)

9. WHEN YOU GO HOMEThe journey has not ended, but has just begun. Here are some ideas to remain involved in this experience: • Continue to reflect on the experience and share the stories with others. Create and share a power point presentation in your local church that helps others visualize your experience and move them to action. • Continue to help your own local community identify poverty, housing, and environmental issues. Plan a service event in your local community. Make it an ecumenical event or an interfaith event. See resources from the Interfaith Youth Core on planning an interfaith event. http://www.ifyc.org

10. The journey has not ended, but has just begun. • Learn more about issues and take action through the various grassroots organizations listed in this section. • Continue to commit yourself to opportunities for hands-on engagement through another mission trip in the United States – either to the same location that you will no doubt see with new eyes or to another location. Visit websites of the Disciples Office of Volunteering http://www.discipleshomemissions.org and UCC Office of Volunteer Ministries http://www.ucc.org/volunteer for opportunities.

11. The journey has not ended, but has just begun. • Continue to explore the global implications of the economic justice issues you encountered during your F.A.S.T. in Appalachia. Deepen your congregation’s participation in UCC/Disciples of Christ Global Ministries. http://www.globalministries.org. • Become part of the United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Action Network http://www.ucc.org/justice/join-the-network/ or the Disciples Rapid Response Team http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/RapidResponse/index.htm

12. The journey has not ended, but has just begun. Continue to support All-church Offerings of UCC Our Churches’ Wider Mission, Disciples Mission Fund, One Great Hour of Sharing Week of Compassion that make these service opportunities possible.

13. Linking Issues Globally Global Ministries Through Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) you are already involved in global partnerships and projects which participate in God’s mission in the whole world. Through Global Ministries you are involved in a shared life in Christ, an ecumenical global sharing of resources and prophetic vision of a just and peaceful world order. You are joined with God’s concern for the poor and oppressed. Get more deeply and personally involved. See http://www.globalministries.org for ideas.

14. Linking Issues Globally • Milliennium Development Goals • Use Dramas, Simulations, and Worship Resources on the Millennium Development Goals from Making Poverty History: Hunger Education Activities that Work!Church World Service Order from www.churchworldservice.org or call your CWS Regional Office at 888-297-2767

15. The Millennium Development Goals are a convergence by 189 governments (including the USA) on the most pressing needs of the human family and specific, measurable goals to alleviate them. The Millennium Development Goals intend by the year 2015 to: • ERADICATE EXTREME HUNGER AND POVERTY by cutting in half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. • ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION by ensuring all boys and girls complete primary education. • PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN by eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education. • REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY by two-thirds for children under five. • IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH by reducing the rate of maternal mortality by two-thirds. • COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES by halitng, and beginning to reverse, the spread of these diseases. • ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY by reducing by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, reversing the loss of environmental resources, and improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers (by 2020) • DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT

16. Get involved in www.ONE.org ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life - united as ONE - to help make poverty history. We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America's most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. ONE is raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world's poorest countries. ONE is asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries.

17. Environmental Concerns are Global Concerns • Fmr. Vice President, Al Gore, Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech December 10, 2007 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/gore-lecture.html Watch movie “An Inconvenient Truth” and take action. • National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs http://www.nccecojustice.org/index.htm

18. Why advocate? Faith and values call us. Legislators need citizen involvement to make good decisions. It works!

19. Advocate for Justice On your return home from seeing oppression first-hand, those in your group may want to do more. One option is to plan local hands-on projects. This will involve more people. The other is to organize your group to become advocates and enlist others to join them in the quest to change systems of oppression. Advocacy is using our power as citizens to shape government policy. Another name for advocacy is “citizen lobbying.” Both names are based on democracy–the idea that people have the right to be involved in decisions made by governments.

20. Advocate for Justice Advocacy has a special meaning among religious people. It means speaking up for the poor and injured– powerless people who are intentionally or unintentionally hurt by the actions of others. Advocacy also means speaking up for our values, human society, and the future. When others have justice and know peace, we are all more secure. And when we do our part for others, we are spiritually enriched.

21. Advocate for Justice The definition of advocacy can be expanded to include anything we do to change the system of injustice that exists in our world . . . or helping the poor and oppressed to get out of the system that oppresses them. A big part of that is working directly with the government and making systematic changes. Another part of that is offering help to those in need to turn their situation around.

22. Advocate for Justice In addition to serving food at a food pantry, how about adding a literacy program or job training for those who come. Offer affordable day care so single parents can afford to get jobs. In addition to bringing clothes to a homeless shelter, provide transportation to and from jobs. Work with landlords on minor repairs on their rental properties and work to change the laws to insure they can't let their properties get so bad again.

23. Advocate for Justice It is true that feeding hungry children doesn't change the system that keeps them hungry. But until the systems are changed, those kids are still hungry. So, get involved in hands-on mission and then come home and do something about the problem. Get others involved in contacting legislators about the issues. You know the “issues” personally now. You've met the oppressed and they have names. Don't let your connection with them, your involvement with them end at the end of a work trip. You have the power to make a difference . . . DO IT!

24. “What types of communications do Congress members respond to?” A survey conducted by the American University Institute for Government Public Information Research asked congressional staff persons this question. Here are their top ten answers: • Spontaneous constituent mail. • Telephone calls from constituents. • Reports from the Congressional Research Service. • Articles in major daily newspapers. • Editorials in major daily newspapers. • Visits from constituents. • Articles in district daily newspapers. • The Congressional Record. • Editorials in district daily newspapers. • Government publications. Notice the importance placed on constituents. Constituents are the most important people in a legislator’s life. So it is important for the informed, concerned citizen to act!

25. Some suggestions about how to become an advocate: There is no magic to advocacy. “Average citizens” change the political world every day, by persistence. Out of concern, love, and commitment to justice you can respond to the pain and problems of our time.

26. Become an Advocate: 1. Organize a letter writing campaign. While you are on your work trip, talk with the hosts about legislative issues affecting their work. They should be keenly aware of votes in congress. Hopefully they can enlighten your group about how your influence would help legislators vote to support those in need. When you get home, have everyone on the trip write letters to congress people. Invite others to do the same: a. Set up a table in the narthex or fellowship hall after a worship service uplifting your trip. b. Be sure to have a sample letter out and provide stationary and envelopes. c. Ask people to write letters or postcards during the service. Educate people during a service and have postcards in the pews. At a certain time, invite people to write. Write the names and addresses of elected officials in the bulletin. Collect the cards and mail them. d. Ask people to write letters and bring them to the service. e. At your work trip “reunion,” have stationery on hand.

27. Become an Advocate: 2. Write a letter to the editor. Legislators are concerned about local media reports. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Mention your representative. Send them a copy of the letter when it gets published.

28. Become an Advocate: 3. Call into a Popular Radio Talk Show. Listen to the shows that discuss public affairs and call and make your voice heard. Others certainly do this and there is a need to have the public hear both sides of issues.

29. Become an Advocate: 4. Organize a visit to your legislator(s). Visits are a very important way to advocate. A face to face meeting may be the most effective way to communicate your concerns to legislators. If it is feasible, go to their office in Washington D.C. If not, find out when they will be home and visit them there.

30. Become an Advocate: 5. Organize a Public Policy Hearing. Visiting legislators is great, but how about asking them to visit you? Well, not just you, but you and a lot of other constituents who would like to hear your representative's position on a specific issue. Because elected officials attach so much importance to the opinions of constituents, they are often responsive to such an invitation. Hearings are also a good way to let the congressperson learn the views of constituents. Hearings also help you identify like-minded persons, share information, and involve more people in advocacy.

31. Become an Advocate: 6. Keep up with Current Events. If you are serious about influencing public policy, you must first become informed about the issues. Learn the facts. Try to discern the ethical values in a public policy question. You can't know everything about every issue. You might become a mini-expert on one issue and that issue could come directly as a result of your mission experience. Once, you've chosen your issue: 1. Read a daily newspaper that provides a balanced opinion. • Read current events magazines. • Watch TV interviews, panel discussions and documentaries. 4. Go to public meetings on current issues. 5. Read The Congressional Record at your public library to discover how your legislators are thinking on currently debated legislation. .

32. Become an Advocate: 7. Set up a Public Policy Table in your church. Have a table permanently set up in your parlor, narthex or fellowship hall or room where coffee hour is held. Update it with news articles, letters, etc. Purchase stamps, paper and envelopes so members can share their concerns about public policy issues with legislators.

33. Become an Advocate: 8. Join the Disciples Rapid Response Team or the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network Disciples’ and UCC advocacy networks are growing daily! If you are willing to write, call, fax or e-mail your legislators and the media about certain issues, you’ll want to join the Disciples Rapid Response Team or UCC Justice and Peace Action Network. You will receive action alerts and legislative bulletins on topics of concern to you from staff. Then, you contact your legislator to express your opinion. Your voice is joined with hundreds of others speaking out for justice. To add your name to the list contact:

34. http://www.ucctakeaction.org http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/PublicWitness/RapidResponse.htm Disciples Home Missions P O Box 1986 Indianapolis, IN 46206 1-888-DHM-2631 or Justice and Witness Ministries United Church of Christ 700 Prospect Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 736-3700

35. GRASSROOTSADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS in Appalachian Region Christians for the Mountainshttp://www.ChristiansfortheMountains.org Christians for the Mountains is a national neighborhood of active people engaging their faith to protect the vulnerable areas and inhabitants of Appalachia. Its members work to inform and to encourage churches to address Mountaintop Removal as a moral issue. There is a call to Christians, church communities and people of conscience to join in advocating for personal responsibilities and public policies that strive toward conservation of the earth’s resources so that an end can be put to the destructive practice of Mountaintop Removal.

36. GRASSROOTSADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS in Appalachian Region Appalachian Voiceshttp://www.appvoices.org/index.php?/site/air_overview Appalachian Voices brings people together to solve the environmental problems having the greatest impact on the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. Its mission is to empower people to defend the region's rich natural and cultural heritage by providing them with tools and strategies for successful grassroots campaigns.Because the threats to the Appalachian mountains do not respect state boundaries or political ideologies, Appalachian Voices reaches out to a broad spectrum of people from across the region. It is a member-based organization promoting individual and community involvement in the important environmental decisions facing neighbors. It believes that success is most likely when a diversity of people are involved and empowered to work together for change, and all the programs are guided by this commitment to build a broad base of public support for environmental protection in the southern mountains.

37. GRASSROOTSADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS in Appalachian Region Statewide Organizing for Community Empowering (formerly Save Our Cumberland Mountains) is a member-run organization that encourages civic involvement and collective action so that the people of Tennessee have a greater voice in determining their future. The mission of SOCM is to empower Tennesseans to protect, defend, and improve the quality of life in their communities across the state. http://www.socm.org/ LEAF (Lindquist-Environmental Action Fellowship) is a Christian fellowship of Tennesseans whose faith leads them to take action for Tennessee’s environment. Concern for God’s Creation is not a matter of being liberal or conservative. This group believes people of faith can look beyond such distinctions and do the God’s work together. http://www.tnleaf.org/

38. The 2 Feet of Social Action • Direct Service Justice & Social Change Help individuals meet their present needs: - Serve in soup kitchens - Sponsor a refugee family - Mentor and tutor - Donate food, clothing, money Correct long-term problems in communities: - Participate in community self-help projects - Advocate for just public policies - Develop local community enterprises

39. ACTION PLAN F.A.S.T. Follow Up • List ways in which our group participated in direct service during the week of F.A.S.T. (How did we help individuals meet their present needs?) • List ways in which we experienced direct service during this week of F.A.S.T. (experiences of hospitality, conversation, inspirational moments)

40. ACTION PLAN F.A.S.T. Follow Up • List larger and long-term community, national, global issues that shape needs we encountered during our F.A.S.T. experiences. • List ways in which someone who lives outside the Appalachian region can participate in social and economic change.

41. ACTION PLAN F.A.S.T. Follow Up • List one way in which you as an individual plan to change during the coming year because of your F.A.S.T. experience. • List one way in which your group plans to continue as Faithful Advocates Serving Together during the coming year.

42. 2010 Local partner Morgan-Scott Project for Cooperative Christian Concerns Deer Lodge, TN