Apply to be a Strategy Leader
Some of the participants in CTA’s June 6 Virtual Convergence, where we introduced the four strategies.
Questions? Contact Abby at abby@cta-usa.org
Do you have experience working with one of CTA’s four strategies? Do you feel passionate about developing a strategic vision for church transformation? We want you to apply to be a Strategy Leader!
Strategy Leaders are conveners, cultivators, weavers, and shapers of the 2020 National Campaign. Some Strategy Leaders are CTA members, some are members or leaders of allied organizations, and some are independent Catholics with experience using their strategy. Each of the four strategies — education, lobbying, direct action, and alternatives — are coordinated by a small team of these leaders.
Working Groups
Strategy Leaders’ primary role is to facilitate Strategy Working Groups. Working Groups are monthly on-line meetings where local people (individuals, teams, chapters, organizations, etc.) bring their church reform and social justice goals to brainstorm, workshop, troubleshoot, and find collaborators. Strategy Leaders act as consultants, coaches, brainstorm partners and advocators for anyone who joins the call. They will help members discern tactics and use best practices to make progress on their issue--however the group choses to define progress.
A single Working Group may have members working on a range of different projects in their local contexts. Some may use the space as a one time brainstorming session, while others build a project over the long term. Working Group attendees will fill out a form ahead of time if they wish to discuss project ideas during the meeting time, so Leaders will not need to plan an agenda for the meetings.
National Campaign
The National Campaign offers a strategic vision for Catholic reform grounded in movement ecology. This framework will enable people to cultivate targeted and effective projects to address issues in their local contexts. Together with CTA staff, the Strategy Leaders form the Campaign Coordinating Committee, which ensures that education, lobbying, direct action, and alternatives work as complementary strategies — ensuring coordination and communication across the country. In the long term, Strategy Working Groups are intended to serve as a framework for coordination and collaboration that can adapt to any circumstances.
CTA staff Abby Rampone and Zach Johnson will be Strategy Leaders for the Education Working Group which will serve as the Campaign “ground floor” where attendees will receive help:
Understanding movement ecology and the logics and framework for our Campaign — we appreciate how confusing some of this can be!
Understanding which of the other strategies, or combination of strategies, might be useful to achieve their goals.
Support developing educational sessions, programs, or training on their church reform or social justice issue.
Support in finding an issue to work on, if they don’t already have one.
Strategy Leaders will:
Facilitate monthly Strategy Working Group calls. They facilitate coordination among people working within a single strategy and provide opportunities for brainstorming and workshopping of specific projects. They also facilitate connections among participants who may form teams with each other.
Ensure that at least one Leader from their Strategy participates as a full member of the Coordinating Committee for the National Campaign. The Coordinating Committee will be in regular communication with one another and will meet as needed to ensure that all the working group efforts complement each other.
Encourage Working Group attendees to plan for a “culmination” or promotion of their work in Advent 2020. Strategy Leaders may:
Offer advice outside the monthly Working Group meetings to participants who seek additional support to implement effective tactics in their local context.
Choose to assist Working Group attendees as they implement their strategy. As Strategy Leaders, their central focus is on the big picture and coordination.
Propose projects to Working Group attendees, when appropriate.
Time Commitment:
1.5 hour Strategy Working Group calls once a month from June 2020 to January 2021
Prep time for the monthly Strategy Working Group calls with your team of Strategy Leaders
Follow and participate in signal/text/email/slack threads for Coordinating Committee
Join 3-4 Coordinating Committee calls (as necessary) between June and January
Strategy Working Group attendees will:
Attend Strategy Working Group meetings as often as they find helpful and relevant to their needs.
Work on projects targeted to their local context or to address a specific issue of church reform and/or social justice. Their project may employ one or more of the four strategies.
Participants may arrive at Strategy Working Group meetings with a specific project to workshop or may be looking to network and develop a project in conversation with other participants in the Working Group.
Receive guidance and support from each other and from Strategy Leaders.
