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When you have a decision to make, whom do you trust to give you advice? Who are the people who can convince you to do something? Chances are, the people you thought of in answer to these two questions are people you have a relationship with.

When you have a decision to make, whom do you trust to give you advice?

Who are the people who can convince you to do something?

Chances are, the people you thought of in answer to these two questions are people you have a relationship with.

Members of Congress are similar: they are most likely to listen to and seek out the advice of people and organizations they trust and respect. People they have a relationship with.

Over the past two years, FCNL has been building our capacity to encourage and support people to develop relationships with members of Congress. Two exciting new programs — the Advocacy Corps and Advocacy Teams — are part of our work in deep advocacy: getting into real, sustainable relationships of influence with members of Congress and their staff.

This type of relationship-building takes many forms, but it starts from listening and recognizing the spark of the Divine in everyone — regardless of their position on a particular issue. In this way, it’s closely linked to all advocacy with FCNL.

Building a relationship with your members of Congress doesn’t mean you have to like them or even agree with them. It does take a commitment to listening, engaging, sharing your point of view, asking them to listen to you — and repeating these steps again and again.

By laying this groundwork, when your member is facing a decision, you may be one of the voices he or she listens to most closely.

The good news is that we can do this work together. Our FCNL community has the expertise, and we’re building the tools to help you engage with your elected officials in many different ways, at every step of the ladder of engagement.