Goal:  To equip future deacons with the skills needed to identify and analyze social justice issues, and to lead and empower others to solve those issues.  The candidate/postulant will demonstrate

• The ability to identify and analyze social justice issues in contemporary society
• An understanding of the dynamics of advocacy and a commitment to non-violent social change
• Knowledge of the Episcopal Church’s position on a variety of social issues
• A working knowledge of referral sources
• The ability to resolve conflict

Methodology:  The material for this block will be delivered using a combination of readings, exercises, and lecture.

Requirements:  To successfully complete this block of instruction, the candidate/postulant must 1) adequately respond to a case study;  2) prepare a movie review to share with others attending the Human Awareness & Understanding weekend, and 3) prepare an annotated inventory of referral sources in his or her community.  This latter assignment will be distributed during the Pastoral Care block of instruction.  You will present an oral report on the resources you have located during the Human Awareness & Understanding weekend.

Readings and other assignments:

            Matthew 5:1-11

            Matthew 21: 12-15

            Matthew 25: 31-40

            Luke 10: 25-37

            James 2:14-18

            Going Public:  An Organizer’s Guide to Citizen Action, Michael Gecan

            OR

            Soul of a Citizen:  Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time,  Paul Rogat Loeb

            Any one of these books:

            Leading without Power, Max DePree

            Leading with Soul, Bolman & Deal

            Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf

            The Dance of Leadership, Denhardt & Denhardt

                (if you prefer something more scholarly)

            Watch 3 movies and journal what you observe on social justice issues.  Use your

            journal to prepare a review of one of the movies and bring the review to the Human

            Awareness and Understanding weekend to share what you learned about yourself

            and the issues with your fellow participants.

Movie Review Instructions:  First, watch three movies (NOT documentaries) that deal with social justice issues.  After watching a movie, journal what you observe and how you respond to it.  Here are some questions to stimulate your thoughts:

·       What was the issue?  How was it portrayed (harshly, sympathetically, etc.)?

·       What did the film portray as the cause of the injustice?  How do you respond to that depiction?

·       Were there any heroes or heroines?  Who were they?  What did they do to address the injustice?  Were they successful?

·       Could you identify with anyone in the film?  Who was it, and why?

·       Was religion or faith depicted in any way in the film?  How did the portrayal of faith, or its absence, affect you?

These questions are only suggestions.  Use them as a guide, not as a strait jacket.  After watching three movies and journaling, pick one movie to review.  You will present this review at the Human Awareness & Understanding weekend.  Please ensure your presentation takes no more than 10-15 minutes.  Your review should provide us with the following information:

• The title and a brief   summary of the movie. 
• A brief description of the social justice issue presented in the movie, and how it was portrayed.
• The major themes or characters that spoke powerfully to you—and what you learned from the movie as a person, a Christian, and a deacon.

If you are not typically a movie-goer, here are a few suggestions:

            Crash                                                    Brokeback Mountain

            To Kill a Mockingbird                              Grapes of Wrath

Case Study Instructions:  On the final day of the Human Awareness & Understanding weekend, you will be given a copy of a case study.  You will write a 4-6 page, double-spaced paper to respond to the case OR you may arrange an appointment with the examiner for an oral presentation of your response.  The questions you must respond to will be included in the case study.

Community Resources:  The ultimate goal is to create a notebook or database of resources in your community that you (and other deacons in your area) could consult when someone comes to you with a problem.  If you are in an urban area, this is quite a large undertaking, so feel free to work with other deacons (or deacons-to-be) on this project.  Here’s what you will want to collect:

• Agency’s name
• Type of help provided
• Contact information
• Any restrictions that could limit help
• If this resource is a hospital, include helpful items such as visiting hours for different areas of the hospital, and the location of important units such as the ICU

Example:

SafeHomes of Augusta provides shelter and much more for women who are the victims of domestic violence.  They provide the following services:

• Shelter for women and children in a safe refuge with 24-hour staffing and special police protection

• On-site counseling
• An on-site court advocate
• Support groups
• Parenting skills classes
• Advocacy for children who need the opportunity to talk about the abuse experience
• Extensive referral system to help victims connect with public and nonprofit services they may need
• Services are provided to non-sheltered victims who want to explore their options
• 24-hour hotline, 1-800-33HAVEN

SafeHomes services a 10-county area, and provides outreach to rural counties in the Augusta-Richmond County area.  Call 706-736-2499 to reach one of the rural advocates.

There are no restrictions on services; however, SafeHomes has lost some grant money which has impacted its ability to provide legal advocacy services.

 For the weekend, bring along the resource information you have collected about your community.  Be prepared to share with the group information about one agency that you felt was unusual or special in some way.  Please limit your presentation to 10 minutes.