Connecting, resourcing, and equipping communities and practitioners of faith based community organizing
The Organizing for Mission Network is a community of practitioners who are using the arts and skills of community organizing to develop and redevelop gospel-centric communities that act for the sake of the world. Our network invests in leaders and communities to build collective power. We do this by organizing people (connecting through relational power); organizing money (resourcing through grants and funders); and organizing Spirit (equipping by sharing wisdom in training events).
Connecting
In our network, congregations, organizations, students, and leaders build crucial relationships nationwide and with local groups. This fosters collaboration and coalition efforts among members and OFMN community partners.
Resourcing
We help OFMN members access small grants and develop connections to regional and national funding sources. Whether you're starting a project or expanding one, we're here to support your goals with practical resources and valuable relationships.
Equipping
Our trainings focus on our unique lenses for community organizing to cultivate contextual learning, focusing on practical experiences and real-world applications. We offer a three-day contextual gathering, a five-day in depth training, train-the-trainer events and opportunities to develop regional cohorts.
All our organizing work, trainings, and accompaniment focus on our three lenses:
Organizing for Racial and Economic Equity
Our work prepares leaders, congregations, and communities to engage in justice work by asking explicit questions about race and class in our issues, strategies, coalitions, and outcomes. An equity strategy prioritizes the leadership of impacted communities and fosters solidarity across racial and economic boundaries. We continue to evaluate our internal work through anti-racist, decolonizing, and economic liberating methods. We cultivate that same accountability throughout our network.
Place-based Organizing
The closer you are to an issue, the closer you are to the solution. The further you are, the more you can philosophize about it. Creating grassroots collective power means that our immediate communities will surface the work we are called to do. We equip teams to strengthen unlikely relationships and generate place based accountability.
Organizing as a Spiritual Practice
Traditional organizing says we build collective power through organized people and organized resources. We also believe in the power of organized spirit. Our trainings and network foster deep spirituality through intentional listening, relationships that reflect the beloved community, somatic and embodied practices, liberating theologies, and a space where all of our spiritual lives are honored in this work.
To learn more about the Organizing for Mission Network, please contact Br. Steve Jerbi.
