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Course
Faith-Based Community Organizing
~18 Hours
In this Faith-Based Community Organizing course, you will learn the history of biblically rooted activism and develop your skills in faith-based community organizing, a powerful tool for addressing systemic injustices, mobilizing communities, and driving meaningful change.
3 instructors
About This Course
Throughout history, faith-rooted activism (shaped by theology, spiritual formation, and prophetic tradition) has driven social change. From the civil rights movement to labor organizing, faith leaders have stepped forward to challenge inequality and advocate for policy changes. This work is more than activism––it is a spiritual calling deeply tied to the biblical mandate in Micah 6:8: “...And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV). Faith-based organizing is a Spirit-led approach to building community power for justice and equity.
One example of this today is C.O.P.E. (Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement), a Black-led, faith-rooted organization dedicated to building power and transforming communities. C.O.P.E. equips clergy and community leaders to revitalize neighborhoods, protect vulnerable communities, and advocate for systemic justice through leadership development, grassroots mobilization, and civic engagement. FULLER Equip and C.O.P.E. collaborated to create this course on faith-based community organizing.
What You Will Learn:
- Summarize the core principles of faith-driven activism, grassroots mobilization, and coalition-building, and explain their relevance to faith-based community organizing.
- Identify and explain how faith informs community organizing.
- Evaluate and create effective strategies as a leader for engaging diverse communities and fostering intergenerational collaboration within faith-based community organizing.
Created in collaboration with C.O.P.E., the Pannell Center, and FULLER Equip.
- Multicultural Competence & Voices
- Politics & Social Issues
- Lead Pastor
Introduction
1. Getting Started
Foundations of Faith-Based Community Organizing
2. Introduction to Faith-Based Community Organizing
3. Historical Foundations & Principles of Faith-Based Organizing
4. Strategies & Partnership for Community Impact
Faith and Leadership in Community Organizing
5. Faith-Rooted Leadership: From Calling to Action
6. Navigating Power Structures: Leadership in Action
7. Intergenerational Organizing: Barriers, Strategies, and Practice
Applying Faith-Based Organizing
8. Faith-Based Organizing: From Call to Challenge
9. Building and Refining Your Organizing Plan
Conclusion
10. Formalizing Your Action Plan
11. Next Steps
Your Instructor
Samuel J. Casey, M.A.
Pastor, Founding Executive Director of C.O.P.E.
Pastor Casey is the senior pastor and cofounder of New Life Christian Church in Fontana, California, and the founding executive director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (C.O.P.E.). Through his leadership, C.O.P.E. has empowered communities to influence public policy, advance racial equity, and promote justice across California through grassroots faith-rooted organizing.
C.O.P.E.
Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) is a 501(c)3 faith-based organization, established in 2000 by a core group of pastors. Our mission is to “train and develop the capacity of religious and lay leaders in congregations and across the Inland Empire to protect and revitalize the communities in which they live, work, and worship. The formation of the organization was an outgrowth of a listening campaign with African American clergy, lay, and community outreach ministries in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties who wanted to see meaningful change in their communities.
William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies
The William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies provides indispensable formational education—by building a body of Black leaders who believe in the power of the church, the community, and the culture. In order to accomplish this vision, the Pannell Center embraces a mission to proactively build and empower Black Christian leaders by centering kingdom work, cultural enrichment, and academic rigor.
