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We rally people at the local level around causes. For each identified local are of concern we seekto provide information, opportunities for involvement and a strategic task force in order to develop and implement tangible solutions. |
Local Causes
| Common List |
Cities are complex places that have unique causes/issues of concern that affect the overall welfare of their citizens. We believe that God calls all people, but especially the people whom are following after Him, to seek the welfare of the cities in which they live! (Jeremiah 29) The causes/issues of concern that are on the hearts and minds of local citizens are also on the heart of God. They have not escaped His focus and He is intimately aware of their personal and corporate ramifications. A call has been issued for God's people to give their lives in making a difference in the lives of those around us. As modeled by Jesus, there can be no greater gift that one can give than of themselves for the benefit of another!
While understand that complex issues often times require complex and multi layered responses. Our approach is to organize teams and efforts in a way that will initiate or advance the work in our city on the road towards community transformation.
The Common List of 30 Kingdom Causes
As an organization, Kingdom Causes identified a broad list of common causes that we will organize around in any of our cities. This list is a fixed list but one that we are continually evaluating. The primary reason for a common list like this is because we work in multiple cities and want to be able to communicate effectively amongst them and hopefully be able to share and help see best practices implemented wherever they can help.
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Arts & Culture |
Church Unity | |
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Criminal Justice |
Disability |
Domestic Violence |
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Economy |
Environment | |
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Family Support Services |
Former Offenders | |
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Health Care |
Housing | |
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Immigration |
Leisure/Recreation |
Men |
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Mental Health |
Neighborhood Development |
Poverty & Hunger |
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Prostitution |
Racism |
Refugees |
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Senior Citizens |
Spirituality |
Substance Abuse |
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Transportation |
Women |
*note: While the main cause might be the same in various cities, the particulars around what that city will be focusing on and/or strategy that they are seeking to organize may be entirely different. For example, when it comes to Neighborhood Development one city might be focusing on a particular neighborhood while another city is working with a broad based city wide effort.
How are the local causes determined?
The causes that we address are determined by the community members themselves. Sometimes an issue comes on our radar because there is an unexpected urgency to organize. Other times we are approached by a person or a group ready to provide the energy and resources necessary to sustain a broad based organizing effort around a cause they are passionate about. In other cases our Kingdom Causes team helps local leaders identify and prioritize the local causes through a variety of learning conversations. We exist to serve and help catalyze efforts like these in our cities (Or any other city for that matter(click here to learn more)). A process like this ensures that the leadership, passion and resource allocation for any action plan is owned by the community and is carried out by the community. Each city's focus will be unique.
Our ApproachOur approach to local causes is to provide:
| Information |
Often people remain uninvolved simply because they are unaware about the depth and scope of the challenges facing others in the city. Information is power. Accurate information is even more powerful! it is our goal to help the local community understand the causes/issues of concern that we face. We glean whatever information that we can find from any source possible in order that we might help paint a picture of reality in our city. |
| Task Forces | We support and participate in existing strategic conversations that address these local causes and encourage others to do so. When there is no local pre-existing effort to address a cause that has been identified, our catalysts gather strategic task forces in order to address these relevant community concerns. We define strategic task forces as any focused conversation that is working to identify, promote and implement tangible solutions to local causes. Many of these plans will become future "opportunities for involvement". |
| Opportunities for Involvement | When someone is informed about the local causes we want to empower them to properly respond. We are there when they start to ask: Should this be in my city? What can I do? Where can I go? Who can I go and talk to in order learn more? How can I support what is already happening? Who can I help? Is there a gap somewhere that I can fill in with the resources (time, talents, treasures) that I have responsibility to utilize the best I can? |