Center for Lived Faith and Organizing

The Center for Lived Faith and Organizing educates, trains, and connects leaders with local and regional partners for long-term and sustainable ministry in organizing and justice work. The Center supports congregations, justice seeking community members, clergy and students.

The Center for Lived and Organizing is a partnership between Eden Theological Seminary and the United Church of Christ Justice & Local Church Ministries with a generous grant from the Fetzer Institute.

Great for congregations or community teams!

Individuals can complete a Certificate for Organizing and Social Transformation by by signing up for 5 seminars up front.

Seminars are offered monthly in the fall and spring. 1 of the 5 seminars for the certificate must be the “Organizing Seminar” which will be offered every fall and spring. The Organizing Seminar is a project-based offering that connects participants to grassroots organizing in their local community with an organizing plan for their context.

Courses:

Structural Oppression and Healing Strategies for Congregational Organizing
October 21, 2023, Saturday, 8:00-1:00PM (CT)
Hyflex: Online and In-Person at Eden Theological Seminary

Instructors:

  • Rev. Vahisha Hasan and Rev. Anne Dunlap, organizers and editors of a new book: Building Up a New World, Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact.

Organize people to take this with and save:

  • 5 Licenses: $550
  • 3 Licenses: $450
  • 2 Licenses: $350
  • Individual: $275

*A license is class access; can be used per person or per class.

Session Description :
Seminar participants will leave with an understanding of the “why” of congregational organizing, analysis of the landscape of oppression in which we organize, tools for addressing trauma in their organizing, and other practical skills to begin congregational organizing in their contexts.

Spirit and Solidarity, Organizing in the Faith and Labor Movement
November 3, 2023, Friday, 12:00-5PM (CT)
Hyflex: Online and In-Person at Eden Theological Seminary

Instructors:

  • Bianca Cunningham
  • KB Brower

Organize people to take this with and save:

  • 5 Licenses: $550
  • 3 Licenses: $450
  • 2 Licenses: $350
  • Individual: $275

*A license is class access; can be used per person or per class.

Session Description: 
Bianca Cunningham is a former Verizon Wireless worker who led her coworkers in 7 stores across Brooklyn, NY to join CWA in 2014, making them the first unionized retail workers in the company. She later led her coworkers on a 49 day strike to secure their first contract.  KB Brower is the Organizing Director for Bargaining for the Common Good, and a fellow at the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization at Rutgers. She is a founding member of the Interfaith Network for Worker Solidarity, and is currently pursuing ordination in the Epsicopal Church. Participants will learn about the history of the faith and labor movement, engage and reflect on tools from local labor campaigns and discover the role faith and congregations can play in the labor movement.

Organizing Seminar: Womanist Ways of Movement Building
December 1, 2023, Friday, 12:00-4:00PM (CT)
Hyflex: Online and In-Person at Eden Theological Seminary

Instructors:

  • Rev. Dr. Raquel Lettsome
  • Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker

Organize people to take this with and save:

  • 5 Licenses: $550
  • 3 Licenses: $450
  • 2 Licenses: $350
  • Individual: $275

*A license is class access; can be used per person or per class.

Session Description: 
Participants will be rooted in a womanist biblical worldview as a call to discipleship in community organizing. Participants will create or revise local organizing plans, and reflect on their experience with an assigned community organizing group.  The organizing seminar is required for participants earning a certificate. Participants will be required to schedule a one hour pre and post class consultation with Rev. Dr. Wise Baker.

A new center designed to companion a people of faith engaged deeply in transforming the world through community and cultural organizing grounded in theology and faith.

The Center for Lived and Organizing is a partnership between Eden Theological Seminary and the United Church of Christ Justice & Local Church Ministries with a generous grant from the Fetzer Institute.

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