Justice Matters begins its annual cycle each year with widespread, intentional listening. This has three purposes:
- To ground the concerns/priorities the organization tackles in the experience of our members;
- To give voice to the cries of the people, and;
- To build formal networks in our participating congregations that can be mobilized to address issue of justice.
The Listening Process training will give Team Leaders the tools they need to host successful house meetings where genuine stories of personal experience with injustice are surfaced among a small group of 9-15 people from their church, synagogue, or mosque. These stories will be categorized into themes to allow Justice Network Members to elect one new priority for Justice Matters to address the coming year. Leaders will also seek stories during the Listening Process related to our four ongoing themes: mental health, affordable housing, childhood trauma, and growing incarceration.
