Use these tips to begin engaging churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other faith-based organizations:
- Stimulate and tap interest within the religious community. A decision to form a network must come from the congregational leaders who would be the core of that network. If you don’t already have champions within the faith community, start by finding them.
- Focus on building relationships. Religious leaders are much more likely to get involved in a network when they have a personal connection to someone in the network.
- Be intentional about inclusivity. Existing networks among congregations tend to be specific to a particular faith tradition or particular racial/ethnic community. It’s important to be intentional and persistent in reaching beyond these comfortable patterns to include all aspects of the faith community.
- Start with interests and strengths. Find out what strengths and resources people in the religious community believe they have for asset building. Learn where they’re interested in developing additional strength. Use what you learn to shape your efforts.
- Stimulate, support, and encourage asset building within and among congregations. This may involve sponsoring events for youth in which congregations can participate, encouraging congregations to participate in community-wide events, offering training for congregations, or linking congregations to multisector initiatives. In each case, encourage an intentional focus on assets—then tell stories about what congregations are doing.
- Start small. Don’t try to do everything at first. Identify concrete things you can do that will have a tangible result for the religious community. Let it grow.
- Recognize that it will take time. Expect a network to build slowly; give it time. It likely takes at least two years for a network to become self-sustaining.
