Justice Ministry
Biblical inspiration for Justice Ministry
Micah 6:8 says, “And what does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus chastises the Pharisees for not following Micah 6:8.
Nehemiah the prophet provides a model for building the power needed to affect powerful systems when he gathers a Great Assembly to hold public officials accountable for the promises that had previously been made to the oppressed Jews in their community. He built power with people.
Vineyard Justice Ministry Efforts
To build power we join with ~25 other congregations under the banner of IMPACT, and together, by turning out thousands of people at an annual assembly called the Nehemiah Action, we exercise that power to bring justice to the Charlottesville area.
As one example of the results of our efforts, IMPACT has been successful getting the City of Charlottesville to put $3MM a year (for several years in a row now) into an affordable housing trust fund. By 2025, the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Trust Fund will have funded the construction or renovation of affordable homes for over 3,500 families in Charlottesville.
Vision 52/1
Our congregation wants to turn out our Average Worship Attendance of 85 people at least once a year for justice. We want the 85 who attend 52 worship services each year to attend the annual Nehemiah Action!
Justice Ministry Cycle
The process of working for justice wins each year starts with building a Vineyard Justice Ministry Network.
• A formal network of relationships – organized through households – that engages the entire congregation in doing justice. We have a 3-part annual cycle:
1. It starts with listening in the fall via house meetings where we listen to each others’ stories of how injustice personally affects us.
2. In the winter and spring, we research and take action. Within IMPACT, we vote on the issues we will focus on, and we learn how they affect our communities.
3. In the summer, we celebrate our wins and start fundraising for the next cycle.
If you have any questions, reach out to the Vineyard Justice Ministry Team Members, Carissa Phillips, Crystal Seek or Jessica Leathers.
UPDATES
Upcoming Dates
We hope that everyone is staying safe & warm during the winter storm. In this update are a few important reminders of upcoming IMPACT events:
Feb 10th: Network Meeting Report Back & Team Leader Training, 6:30pm @ Trinity Episcopal
Feb 12th: Spokesperson/negotiation training w/ RISC, 12pm to 4pm in Short Pump
Feb 16th: Issue Committee Night, 7pm @ All Souls Charlottesville
Feb 23rd: Justice Rally, 6:30pm @ Incarnation
MARCH 24: NEHEMIAH ACTION 6:30PM @ CHARLOTTESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
April 16 - 18: DART Investment Drive Training in Charleston, WV
Network Meeting Report Back & Team Leader Training February 10th
Our next local team leader training is at 6:30pm on February 10th. This meeting will be held at Trinity Episcopal. If your congregation has its network meeting scheduled ahead of Feb 10th, please come prepared to report on it. We will also be spending time talking about how to make sure all of our congregations bring as many people as possible to the Nehemiah Action.
Spokesperson Training on Feb 12th
On February 12th we will be holding a half-day spokesperson training with our sister organization RISC. This training will be in Short Pump from noon to 4pm. All team leaders & clergy are welcome to attend to learn how we negotiate with public officials and prepare for the Nehemiah Action. Even if you are not a spokesperson this year, this training is incredibly helpful in getting yourself and your network members prepared for the Action. If you are planning to attend, please let Will or Aidan know so that we can help coordinate carpooling.
Issue Committee Night Feb 16th
Our next full issue committee night is at 7pm on Feb 16th at All Souls. IMPACT’s board will be meeting immediately beforehand at 6pm.
Our issue committee meetings are open to all interested network members. This meeting was originally scheduled for Feb 2nd, so please make sure your network members know the date change.
DART Training April 16 - 18
The next out of town DART training is April 16 through 18 in Charleston, WV.
Every year, we send clergy & leaders to regional and national trainings that help us prepare for the work of doing justice locally and give an opportunity to meet people in other cities doing this same work and learn from them.
This training is focused on preparing for our congregation and corporate investment drive in the summer. Particularly, this training focuses on how to have strong conversations with network members to uncover what justice ministry means to them and why.
All team leaders & clergy are invited to attend. IMPACT has funding to cover the registration fee & half the hotel cost (full cost if you have a roommate).
If you are interested in attending, please let Will or Aidan know.
IMPACT Transit Committee
There are a few more important meetings coming up this month:
Feb 12 Meeting with Mayor Wade, 6:30pm at Holy Comforter Catholic Church
Feb 16 Issue Committee Night, 7pm at All Souls Church
Feb 23 Rally, 6:30pm at Church of the Incarnation