Election Year 2008:
Faithful Citizenship Calls For Our Involvement
Christians are called to care for the common good and the well-being of our neighbors. To answer this call, the church must be a public church - advocating for the well-being of all, especially "the least of these." Several of our church bodies have developed comprehensive and accessible guides on how churches and people of faith can be engaged in the public arena that we know as politics. The Religious Coalition for the Common Good (RCCG) urges you to access one of the guides listed at the end of this bulletin to encourage voter education and full participation in the upcoming election. We do not intend to tell you how to vote. Rather, we hope you will find the suggestions of faithful and legal ways for you and your congregation to be involved in the 2008 elections helpful. RCCG members, including The Church Council, are eager to be of assistance.
Various witnesses from scripture, from Moses and the Old Testament prophets, to Jesus and his followers, engaged those in power and were a voice for justice and advocates for the marginalized and oppressed. Throughout history Christian leaders have continued this tradition, and engaged those in power on behalf of the common good. We too need to urge those running for public office to remember that reducing poverty and caring for creation are important roles for our government.
Get Involved:
Nonpartisan Election Activities for
You and Your Congregation
Voter Registration Drives. Organize a drive to make sure everyone in your congregation and surrounding community is registered to vote! This requires one to three folks who can manage the drive, familiarize themselves with the voter registration process, create a fact sheet, supply necessary materials, and staff a table 1-2 Sundays a month.
Issue and/or Candidate Forums. Attend or organize a forum to have candidates speak on issues that concern your congregation and community. The forum must be neutral and nonpartisan. Invite candidates from both parties and give them equal time. A forum requires significant planning but is an exciting way to faithfully engage in the political process.
Voter Education and Discussion Groups. Your congregation's social ministry committee or another group can organize an adult education or study group to research and discuss the positions of the state and federal candidates on issues that concern the church such as hunger and poverty.
A step-by-step guide for each of these options can be found in several of the guides listed below. For information of the voting rules in your county and information of candidates, visit the League of Women Voters website at www.washingtonvoter.org. Do not hesitate to contact us or RCCG to assist with any of these activities: Ann Erickson at the Church Council at 206-525-1213 x 3040 or AErickson@thechurchcouncil.org or the Religious Coalition for the Common Good (RCCG) at rccg@thewac.org or 206-625-9790.
"Called to be a Public Church: 2008 ELCA Voting and Civic Participation Guide" can be accessed as a booklet from the Lutheran Public Policy Office or online at http://archive.elca.org/advocacy/publicchurch/index.html.
"Our Faith Our Vote" guide to political action and issues by United Church of Christ can be found online at www.ucc.org/ourfaithourvote.
"Voting and the Common Good" can be ordered from the Catholic online store online at https://www.catholicfs.org/catholic/catholic.php.
"Christian Principles in an Election Year" NCCUSA 2008 study guide can be found online at www.ncccusa.org/votingprinciples/votingguide2.html.
