Nebraska Synod ELCA

By Gretchen Ahrens, Director for Youth and Justice Ministries

The last few weeks have been a flurry of news broadcasts, emails, social media sharing, and information overload. So much has happened so quickly. It’s hard to keep up. I often find myself wondering “What can I do? How can I make a difference?” I’m just one voice. I’m just one person. This is scary stuff, but I’m not equipped to do anything, I have no training and am not even sure where to start. I want to love my neighbor and I suspect I’m not alone in those fears and wonders.

But those wonderings are followed by a nagging voice saying, “But if you don’t act, who will? If you don’t speak to and for your neighbor, who will? You have to do SOMETHING. Anything. Your faith compels you to act and to live out those baptismal promises. You have GOT to do something.”

And I couldn’t get that voice to be silent. As children of God, we are called to speak up when we see injustice. So, I committed to some simple steps based on some ideas from friends and colleagues. And, I invite you to join me in these steps. They aren’t always easy, but Jesus calls us to live in the uncomfortable and the uneasy for our neighbors and community’s sake. If you want help walking forward in these steps, contact me. I’d love to walk with you. We can struggle together.

Step 1: Be intentional in your daily conversations.

If someone says something you disagree with, speak up. Invite conversation. Try saying “I see it differently” or “I have a different viewpoint on that. Can we talk more?” Don’t respond angrily or go home and wish you had said something. Too often, I am guilty of not speaking up to keep the peace and regret it later. You can practice saying these phrases in front of a mirror, or write them on post-it notes and stick them on your desk and around your house, so that you see them and they become comfortable and easier to remember and to say. (Yes, I know that sounds silly, but muscle memory does help the words come out when you need them.)

*Thanks to Deacon Sunni Richardson for this idea

Step 2: Sign up for 1-2 advocacy organizations alerts/newsfeeds that allow you to be a part of “group advocacy.”

Although form letters and e-mails don’t always have the same impact as a personal letter or phone call, professionals are also better at saying the words than I am. And there is power in numbers. If many of us send an e-mail (even if it’s a form letter), it still makes a point. And, often when advocacy organizations send out a plea for you to send a letter, you can take words from their plea to craft your letter. You can find your advocacy organizations relevant to the issues you are most passionate about. I signed up for the ELCA Advocacy network for broad-based justice advocacy. They send advocacy alerts which make it easy to share an already crafted email with senators and representatives. You can sign up HERE:

In Nebraska, I like Nebraska Appleseed. They send out Nebraska-specific advocacy alerts, and I find it easy to copy and paste text from their e-mails to craft my e-mail quickly. Their website is also a wealth of information.

Step 3: Find a friend and practice advocacy phone calls together.

Calling a legislator is scary. And sometimes we don’t know what to say. So, find a friend who is also passionate, and before you call your legislator, practice with a friend. You can work together to write a script and then practice saying it to each other. Many advocacy sites have sample ones you can adopt. Here is one on immigration from Nebraska Appleseed. Here is a sample script for LGBTQIA advocacy. (It is for the Jewish community and was used in 2024, but a good example and easy to adapt.) If you can’t find someone to practice with, I’m happy to be your practice buddy.

This friend can also be your accountability buddy. Make a plan to call legislators and report back to one another. Then make another plan and repeat.

Step 4: Put your legislators’ contact information where you can easily find it.

Find the e-mail addresses, the local office numbers, and the DC numbers. Write down the information. Make several copies of it and then put it in places where you will see it. Tape it to your computer. Put it on your refrigerator. Put it on a tiny card on the back of your phone case. (Bonus: this makes it a conversation starter about why you are an advocate!) Having the information in front of me keeps it in front of my mind and drives me to action. It is too easy to put it off when you have to look up the information. If it is right there, it makes acting much easier and becomes a habit.

*Thanks to Virg Unverferth whose Facebook post with a picture of legislators’ contact information inspired this step.

Step 5: Amplify your voice by inviting someone else into advocacy.

As you become more comfortable advocating, listen for others who share your passion. Invite them to advocate as well. You’ll likely discover they felt like you (and me) unsure of where to start or how to get involved. Yours might be the voice of encouragement they need.

If you want to discuss advocacy, practice using your voice, or connect with others who are advocating, please contact Gretchen Ahrens.

Join us for an Advocacy 101 Class!