The American Civil Rights activist, Ella Baker, described the basic practices of community organising as ‘spadework’; the necessary, but sometimes overlooked or undervalued, work that needs to be done to enable change and flourishing.
Building Connections
Forming Relationships of trust takes time and perseverance. We practice how to share our story and how to listen well as others share theirs. We create opportunities for conversation; in our existing gatherings (church services, mid-week activities); on neighbourhood walks, and in one-to-one conversations.
Gathering People
As we build relationships, we discover shared interests, passions and concerns. We invite people to gather around these. Organisers often speak of putting people before programmes because the focus of these gatherings is on collaborative working and developing leadership within the group. We want to work with, not for, others. This requires patience and a shift in expectations; from acting quickly on a person’s good idea, or what we think our community needs, to taking time to create something with real meaning and lasting impact together.
Discerning an action
As multiple new ideas emerge from shared conversations, organising tools help us to agree and focus on specific, achievable actions, rather than becoming overwhelmed and indecisive. They help us to discern what is ours to do, individually and collectively.
Organising uses collective, relational power to instigate change. This means recognising both the power we have to enact change, and where we need to find out who does have the power to change things, and to connect with and sometimes, challenge them to put that into action.
Acting and reflecting
We create a culture where we are willing to try something, and afterwards, to reflect together on how it went. We develop a habit of reviewing both the practical and the spiritual aspects of our action; whether we chose the right space or had everything we needed, but also, to reflect on where we experienced God at work and what God might be inviting us to try next.
These same practices lead to change and transformation in ourselves, our churches (whether established or new) and our wider communities.