South Dakota Faith In Public Life

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  • Mission Statement
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  • Past Study Topics & Public Actions
    • Response to the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Shooting, October 2018
    • Love Your Neighbor. No Exceptions. 2017
    • Civility in Public Life, 2016
    • A Call to Welcome Refugees and Immigrants, 2016
    • Payday Loans, 2015
    • Health Care Access, 2014
    • Gun Violence, 2013
    • Islamophobia, 2012
    • Immigration Reform, 2010-2011
  • Resources
    • Respected Resources for Accurate Information about Muslims in America
    • Wm Paul Young speaks on Love Your Neighbor, No Exceptions
    • South Dakota’s Changing Neighborhood: Accurate Facts and Figures About Immigration and Religious Minorities in South Dakota
    • Preaching About Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Muslim Bias
    • Resources on Islam for Sermons & Education
    • Resources on Refugees & Migrants for Sermons & Education
    • Example Sermon: “Love your Neighbor: No Exceptions”
    • Adult Education Idea: Walk in the Shoes of Syrian Refugees
    • Children’s Sunday School Lesson or Children’s Sermon About Refugees: “Be Good to Each Other: The Rest Comes Easy”
    • Sample Children’s Sermon or Sunday School Lesson Muslim Neighbors in South Dakota: “Little Muslim Dolls”
    • Tips & Resources for Writing Op-Eds & Letters to the Editor on Ally-ship and Standing with Vulnerable Communities
    • Examples of Published Letters to the Editor & Op-Eds
    • Social Action Ideas for Congregations
    • Children’s Books about the Immigrant Experience
  • Contact

Social Action Ideas for Congregations

Social Action Ideas for Congregations

Introduction

We hope that congregations across South Dakota will find a way to act to “Love Your Neighbor.  No Exceptions” in your congregation or community.  The ideas below are examples of easy, low-intensity ways to show and build ally-ship in your home congregation or hometown.

 

Ideas for Action

1)     Using “Love Your Neighbor” materials

  • Yard Signs – yard signs can be ordered for free from “Love Your Neighbor” staff.  Email sdfaithinpubliclife@yahoo.com before July 31, 2017
  • Button and sticker distribution – in church, at an event (farmer’s market, county fair)

 

2)     Fellowship & Social Events

  • Host a potluck dinner with another religious group or new immigrants; or host a welcome dinner for a small group of recently resettled refugees
  • Host a picnic of campout for new immigrants, refugees or another vulnerable group in your town
  • Plan a joint volunteer event. You could serve food at the Banquet soup kitchen, pack school supplies/backpacks, host a neighborhood cleanup day, or plant flowers to beautify an area of town
  • Open up VBS to immigrant church or group, include songs or crafts that highlight the other group’s language or culture
  • Host a cultural appreciation event at a religious center or school, focused on the food, music or a movie about another religion, culture or immigrant group
  • Host a speaker from another religion, culture or immigrant group in SD to speak about their community and answer questions – can combine with a focus on food and socializing

 

3)     Visibility Projects

  • Show your support for new immigrants and refugees by putting up a “You are Welcome Here” sign in three languages for your church.  Available on Amazon.
  • Fund/lead the creation of a mural that supports inclusion, mutual respect and kindness at a church, school or local college & university.
  • Use the “Love Your Neighbor” public service announcement and take photos of people in your congregation or community (again at a community event like a county fair) holding “Love Your Neighbor” signs.  If you use an instant camera, you can post pictures immediately and create a collage at a county fair booth or in the front of your church.  Funds from “Love Your Neighbor” can pay for both posters to hold for the pictures and film for an instant camera (or even an instant camera if you buy a cheap one.)
  • Take a group field trip to visit the Muslim Community Center of SD, the Jewish synagogue in Sioux Falls, a Native American church, an immigrant church, a refugee resettlement agency, the LGBT community center in Sioux Falls, or the Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha.  Meet with leaders and experience a worship service, or ask about the group’s work.

 

© SD Faith In Public Life