Connect, Equip, Provide, Advocate

We’ve come to the last post in this series about MCC’s new mission, vision, values and strategy statements, adopted by our Board of Directors this past June. [blog posts #1 and blog post #2]

Today, we’ll unpack the strategy we’re embracing to accomplish our mission in the years ahead. 

All too often, organizations spend lots of time, energy and money creating beautiful new mission, vision, and values statements only to put them on a shelf until the next time someone suggests another round of strategic planning is in order.  Without a clear strategy for implementing and executing the organization’s mission, it’s likely the organization will lose all the clarity and momentum they just gained. 

MCC’s Board wasn’t about to let that happen!  So, they have laid out a four-part strategy for how we plan to “speak with a prophetic voice of faith, connecting people within, through, and beyond the church to create a more just, compassionate, and peaceful world.”

We will:

Connect people across denominations, faith and wisdom traditions, organizations, races, ages, classes, national origins, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities;
 This part of our strategy includes creating opportunities for individuals, congregations, and organizations to step out of “silos” and meet together for mutual support and collaborative action.  It also includes MCC being an active participant in a variety of statewide coalitions, alliances and task forces.

Equip them to take action so that our collective impact can be more powerful;
We accomplish this by offering statewide training, such as our biennial Faith-based Advocacy Series and the Protecting Houses of Worship forums, but also by serving as an information and resource clearinghouse and a network hub that can facilitate helpful connections across sectors, locations, individuals, and groups.

Provide educational opportunities where we can teach and learn from one another;
Each year, MCC offers a wide range of educational programming, including author talks, Q&A with state officials, “each one teach one” style webinars for information sharing, lectures, and forums on issues of the day, all from a faith-based perspective.

And

Advocate for statewide public policies that create a more just, equitable, compassionate, sustainable, and inclusive community in Maine.
MCC will carry on its long legacy of faith-based public policy advocacy at the State House in Augusta, shaping our witness according to The Moral Agenda adopted by the Board in 2019.  While we may occasionally engage on issues at the federal level, our focus is primarily at the state level. Our Public Policy Committee includes faith leaders, clergy and lay, as well as representatives from our official partner organizations, and we delegate liaisons to represent MCC with groups like the Environmental Priorities Coalition, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, the Wabanaki Alliance Coalition, and the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, among others. Click here to see a complete list of our official partner organizations with links to their websites.

Well, we’re all unpacked now!  It’s time to begin.  We hope you will join us.  It wouldn’t be the same without you!