AdventWord: Alert

Encouraging Episcopalians to engage in the political process through advocacy and voting is a key component of our work in the Office of Government Relations. One of the ways we help connect Episcopalians with their elected officials is by sending Action Alerts out to the Episcopal Public Policy Network, which is housed within our office.

Action Alerts are a concise means of voicing your opinion to your elected officials on a specific issue we’re tracking. We help you by providing a pre-written but customizable electronic message and an easy tool that connects you directly to your members’ email.

The benefits of Action Alerts are threefold: EPPN members participate in strategic advocacy, learn about issues which they might not have extensive knowledge about, and together as a collective voice of Episcopalians make our priorities known to our government.

Here’s how to take action! If you haven’t already joined the EPPN, sign up to receive an email with detailed information on the Action Alert topic on a weekly basis. You can find all active alerts on our ‘Take Action’ page. Once you’ve opened an alert, fill out the contact form provided so that your message sends directly to the appropriate elected officials. After tha t, you’ll see the pre-drafted message, which you can customize to include any additional stories you’d like to include. We find messages with a personal touch tend to be more effective!

After clicking ‘Submit,’ you’re done! Action Alerts require no more than five minutes, and they are a great tool to have in your advocacy toolkit. Some examples of alerts we have sent in the past include protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, defending access to asylum, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We hope you will consider joining the Episcopal Public Policy Network to stay engaged and be an advocate, and if you are already a member, please encourage your friends and family to join.