TUC

Is Alinsky-style organizing working in Chicago? in Austin? In Oak Park? Jim Schwarber is one of Ascension’s leaders in its United Power effort.  He will discuss  how Ascension works with United Power’s methods, and it has been able to accomplish with these methods, both within the church and within the larger community. What can TUC learn from this? How can we be involved? Do we want to be? United Power for Action and Justice represents an attempt by thousands of leaders in diverse communities to reverse generations of division and decline in the Chicago metropolitan area. The region had been divided deliberately and deeply by race, by class, by immigration status, by city and suburban boundaries, and by faith. The United Power effort began rebuilding of respectful public relationships across all of these boundaries. Today, ten years later, this rebuilding is still at an early stage. United Power provides training and development opportunities for the current and emerging generation of leaders in the region, often working through church communities. Various forms of training – targeted for younger organizers, for professional religious leaders of congregations, for new neighborhood leaders seeking to understand the power dynamics of the city and the county -- take place on a regular basis. Experienced leaders and staff attend the intensive IAF training sessions held several times each year. IAF's "iron rule of organizing" ("Never do for others what they can do for themselves")[20] emphasizes developing new leaders from within local organizations. Finally, the organization seeks to build power systematically and wield power effectively. This power – the ability to act – enables the member institutions of United Power and the organization as a whole to operate with more impact and success with other power figures and power institutions in the private and public sectors.    Sue Lodgen will facilitate.

 

 

Annual Meeting Packet pdf

Annual Meeting minister's report