Advocacy Teams

A year ago, Advocacy Teams were asking big questions: How can we better get the attention of our members of Congress? How can we be more effective in our advocacy? With support, could we build relationships with community leaders and host in-person lobby days in our districts? To explore these questions, more than a dozen teams have begun building local coalitions, starting with faith leaders.

How can we better get the attention of our members of Congress? How can we be more effective in our advocacy? 

The testimony from the Oberlin, Ohio, Advocacy Team on how they are engaging in the struggle for justice and peace.

What a year 2025 has been! Amid an onslaught of destructive policies that has tested our ability to keep hope alive, I’ve been overjoyed by the resilience and persistence of the Advocacy Teams network.  

While our hope may have wavered at times, our commitment to this work has been constant. A record nearly one thousand Advocacy Team members lobbied this year, 449 times, and published 71 times in the media. Our advocates have given me great hope.  

This was the question FCNL faced nearly two decades ago. The “War is Not the Answer” movement had sparked widespread energy, and members of FCNL’s General Committee and staff were ready to build on that momentum.

Among them was Jim Cason, former associate general secretary for policy and advocacy, who came to FCNL with a leading to engage more people in the political process. When Diane Randall became general secretary, she shared a vision to deepen FCNL’s advocacy. By then, Annual Meeting already included lobbying, with many arriving early to participate.  

That question was put to the test in June 2015, when FCNL launched seven Advocacy Teams to lobby for the Iran Nuclear Deal. In two months, these teams held dozens of lobby visits and published numerous letters to the editor. Their efforts contributed to the deal’s success.

Dropping by the offices of your senators and representatives to have a face-to-face visit is the most powerful thing you can do right now.

Just follow these steps:

There was no “spring break” for FCNL advocates this year. From April 14-28, the recent congressional recess, hundreds of citizen advocates carried out more than 100 lobby visits with over 80 different congressional offices across 35 states on several of the most urgent issues before Congress. If you recently visited a congressional office, please file a lobby report! 

Dropping by the offices of your senators and representatives to have a face-to-face visit is the most powerful thing you can do right now.

Just follow these steps:

Advocacy Teams have historically worked on only one legislative campaign every year, which allows the program to be both strategic and effective as 135+ teams in 48 states all coordinate their efforts. However, as the program celebrates its 10th anniversary, and our network has grown in size, expertise, and capacity, we’ve seen an opportunity to expand our work.