The Church Council of Greater Seattle upholds and affirms the rights and dignity of all immigrants and refugees. Since 2017 Church Council faith leaders and allies have come alongside the immigrant community in accompaniment. Accompaniment is about relationships – these relationships are grounded in values of trust, solidarity, and convivencia (the essence of community coexistence, coming together in mutuality and celebration).
No one knows what’s best for the community but the community themselves. Convivencia allows community building to happen organically, enabling us all to connect and respond in solidarity to the needs of community members.
One community member who recently reached out to our Accompaniment hotline was experiencing confusion and anxiety ahead of a court appearance. RM was quickly paired with two experienced volunteers, both trained and motivated to help them to know and to feel that they are not alone.
In this spirit of convivencia, our accompaniment volunteers were open and vulnerable about their own backgrounds, desired outcomes, and anxiety during prep meetings with RM – this supported them in sharing their own story and renewed their confidence. Indeed, the court witnessed these genuine, mutual relationships and responded very positively.
This is the foundation of all the Church Council’s work: becoming an authentic vehicle for organizing collective power.
From undergirding infrastructure and capacity to cultivating locally-rooted solidarity circles around issues of housing, immigration, and Faith Land stewardship, building collective power is the means for creating transformational change toward liberation and justice. At CCGS we know deep in our bones that real, lasting change comes from community-based organizing in which people living in convivencia build resilience and experience self-agency, autonomy, and uninhibited joy.
This belief runs so deep that we recently crafted our new vision statement to express the ultimate manifestation of our collective power building: The Church Council of Greater Seattle envisions a future when justice is realized, where all people experience liberation, profound peace, expansive equity, and joy-filled human flourishing.
Your gift today makes this possible. Together, we are cultivating communities where all people thrive and have what they need: moving money, policy, and culture toward a sacred reverence for all. Will you come alongside us as we work together to transform our world?
You can give securely online any time at thechurchcouncil.org, or mail your check to PO Box 18467, Seattle WA, 98118. Generosity in all shapes and sizes fuels transformational change – thank you for embodying the change you know is possible.