Advocacy and You: A Lesson plan
This lesson plan was developed from the work of Episcopal Appalachian Ministries, and a resource entitled, “The Advocacy Process in Episcopal Appalachian Ministries” was heavily used.

As in all lesson plans, “Sessions” are relative, and lessons may be lengthened or shortened as time allows. Also, please edit and add to this document as you see fit, sending copies of change or altered information to EAM for inclusion into our own outline.

You may download the whole lesson as a word document Here.

Contents:
1. What is advocacy and why are we called to do it?
2. Handout: Ways to get Involved
3. Choosing a focus
4. Handout: Doing the Research
5. Creating a plan
6. Implementation
7. Respectful Communication Guidelines
8. Guidelines for Writing a Resolution

Respectful Communication guide
Respectful Communication guidelines

R         take Responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others. (“I” statements, not “you” or “they”
E          Empathetic listening – enter into the other persons’ situation and point of view.
S          be Sensitive to differences in communication styles
P          Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak
E          Examine your own assumption an perceptions (Why am I reacting/feeling this way?)
C         Keep Confidentiality (to uphold wellbeing of community)
T          Tolerate ambiguity because we’re not here to debate who is right or wrong.

Mutual invitation process

• The leader/facilitator may share first or invite another to share
• After the person has spoken, they have the privilege to invite another to share.
• If the person invited chooses not to share, they may simply say “pass” and invite someone else. (no explanation needed to pass)
• The process continues until all have been invited to speak.
• Anyone who passed is invited again, but is still free to pass.

This method is a way to include all in the conversation in a respectful atmosphere. While a person is speaking, the others listen. No one may interrupt or jump in to speak without being invited by name. In this method, no one has more authority than anyone else. There is no competition for time.

Community Bible Study Process
After 1st reading: A word, phrase, or image that stood out for you.
After 2nd reading: How does this passage speak to the work before us?
(This question may be modified for context, group, reading, etc.)
After 3rd reading: What does God invite you to do, be, or change through this passage?

Conclude with a prayer circle. Join hands in a circle. Facilitator begins with a 2 sentence prayer:
“I thank God today…” “I ask God today…” and squeeze the hand of the next person when finished. This process goes around the circle until it returns to the leader. The circle ends with the Lord’s prayer.