Youth, Faith, and Advocacy
“How are faith and advocacy connected? What do they have to do with immigration? And what can we do to respond to the needs of our community?” These were some of the many questions that approximately 20 middle and high school youth from two different churches explored last week.
Christ Presbyterian Church, Bethel Lutheran Church, and First United Methodist Church in Madison partnered with the Wisconsin Council of Churches to host what we hope is the first of many Youth Advocacy Immersion events. This year’s group focused on immigration.
The youth learned from non-profit organizations like the Community Immigration Law Center and Voces de la Frontera, which work directly with immigrant communities. They explored what barriers people face in the immigration process, what immigration in Wisconsin looks like, and received basic Know Your Rights training. They also participated in a simulation that helped them even better understand the complex and frustrating process of trying to immigrate to the United States. They rounded out the first day with a field trip to local immigrant-owned grocery stores to buy a snack for the next day and interact with local immigrant communities.
On the second day, youth were equipped with an understanding of legislation that is in process at the state capitol that would affect immigrant communities, and information about how our state government works. They prepared for meetings and then headed to the Capitol building. After a tour, they divided into four groups and met with four different legislators who represented them. In these meetings, they shared what they had learned and why they thought legislators should act. Overall, they reported positive responses, and some legislators were even surprised at how well informed the youth were.
Both days were rooted in our Christian faith, beginning with Bible study and discussion about how we as Christians are tied to stories of migration and a call to “welcome the stranger.”
We hope to continue growing this program and are already discussing holding a youth advocacy immersion in 2026 focused on another topic. If you are interested, feel free to reach out (wcoc@wichurches.org) to join the conversation!
