Social Justice

Luther  Memorial’s Social Justice Initiative, a Christ-Centered ministry, transforms awareness about racial and gender justice, poverty, equity, and oppression; through learning, dialogue, and community collaboration.

History

In 2020, the LM council established a Social Justice Task Force made up of several individuals to explore ways in which the congregation might engage in issues of social justice. The group sponsored several learning opportunities, such as book discussions and adult forum sessions. In 2021, the council formally changed the task force to the Social Justice Ministry Team. The council endorsed the SJMT mission statement during their August 2023 meeting.

Initiatives

Luther Memorial library resources
Click to view a list of books available at the Luther Memorial library

Recommended resources
Click to view a list of recommended books, films and other media

Educational opportunities (Past initiatives)

Book club discussions via Zoom

• Trans Allyship Workbook: Building Skills to Support Trans People in our Lives by Davey Shlasko: Book discussion (Summer 2021)
• Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad: Adult Forum followed by three evening discussion sessions (September 2021)
• Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman: Adult Forum led by Pastor Worzala Dumke
• The End of Bias: A Beginning – The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias by Jessica Nordell: Two-part Adult Forum presentation (January 2023)
• Co-led a four-part Lenten series of evening discussions via Zoom (2022) “ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent” (pdf)
• How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith. The author describes his travels to nine historic sites, eight in the U.S. and one in Senegal, “to understand how each reckons with its relationship to the history of American slavery.” He calls us to reconsider the way America teaches its history of slavery.

Sunday Forums

• Purple (YouTube): Two evening sessions via Zoom (May 2023)
• Held three Adult Forums on the topic of dialog:
  • “Civility: Talking through Divisive Topics”: Adult Forum discussion (May 2023)
  • “Dialog: Talking Through Divisive Topics”: Adult Forum discussion (January 14, 2024)
  • “Bias; Stereotyping; and Productive and Courageous Conversation using both Discussion & Dialogue”
• “Civil Rights = Human Rights/Economic Justice = Social Justice/Racial Justice for All”: Adult Forum (January 19, 2025) Looked at statistics on poverty and discussed how bias and stereotyping affects attitudes toward those living in poverty.
• “Immigration Awareness and Faithful Response”: Adult Forum (March 2, 2025) Discussed due process rights and response procedures during a visit from ICE; distributed red and yellow Immigrants’ Rights cards.

Other initiatives

• Surveyed the congregation to find out how people are interested in engaging with the SJMT.
• Beginning in 2022, publicize and encourage LM members to participate in Justified Anger’s “Black History for a New Day”, a nine-week course offered by Nehemiah Center for Leadership Development. have taken the course. (2022, 2023). The SJMT continues to promote courses provided by Nehemiah including one on Incarceration in 2025.
• 2022, 2023, 2024, & 2025 Coordinated the Backpack/Back to School Project – The congregation has generously filled four backpacks for individuals signed up with the FOSTER Program of Dane County (Families Overcoming Struggles to Encourage Restoration). Each backpack is filled with all items on their school’s supply list plus back-to-school clothing and shoes. We provided additional backpacks and school supplies, which FOSTER distributed at their Back To School event. The backpack drive also raises funds that we distribute to Nehemiah and FOSTER. FOSTER is a nonprofit providing support to members of families at risk of being in foster care, who are incarcerated, or have single parent households.
• Requested that the LM congregation become a member of the Wisconsin Council of Churches
• Collaborated with United Methodist Church’s Social Justice Team and exploring potential collaboration with other local congregations
• Initiated a Did You Know? item in The Weekly once per month, featuring brief informational facts about systemic racism and poverty. Our intent is to increase awareness, and provoke conversation and further learning.
• Weekly Social Justice Ministry Team emails: Each Monday, the Social Justice Ministry Team  sends out email regarding social justice concerns. The email contains sources of information, opportunities for learning, ways to make your voice heard to legislators or others in power, and to ways take action through demonstration and resistance. The email covers a variety of social justice topics that are both local and global as we care for our world and all our brothers and sisters. Anyone can ask to be included in the email distribution.
• Sixteen enthusiastic LM members participated together in the Oct. 18 No Kings march. Also LM members attended the May 2 Voces de la Frontera: Day Without Immigrants & Workers Rally with some from Parroquia Santa Maria.
• Added a SJMT web page to the TV monitor in the children’s area promoting our activities and created a bulletin board to promote LM and community initiatives
• The LM Library has a category of books addressing social justice issues, labeled “Outreach & Inclusion” Oversaw the addition of books to the library on bias, racism, social justice.

Learn more

Get involved with social justice at LM. Contact Dave Bray at dmbray01@gmail.com.