This is my archive

Spiritual Exemplar Life Story Interview Guide

Created out of CRCC's project on Engaged Spirituality, the following interview guide may be useful to journalists and researchers interested in collecting and telling stories of humanitarianism and/or the role of spirituality in people’s lives and work.  Read More

New App Equips Disaster Responders to Better Help Religious Americans

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented hurricane and wildfire seasons, a new app will help first responders, disaster response professionals and voluntary organizations better serve America’s diverse religious communities and build partnerships with religious leaders. The Disasters & Religions app presents easily accessible religious literacy and competency information on 27 unique religions, from Baha’i to Zoroastrianism, including 12 Christian denominations. Read More

Six Principles for Engaging Faith Communities

Partnerships with community groups strengthens governmental response to critical social issue, from homelessness to disaster response. Public agencies often turn to faith leaders to support their initiatives, and yet doing so often brings challenges: who to engage; how to build trust with partners; what they can and cannot do for you. Read More

Ten Tips for Government Engagement with Religious Communities

Religious organizations can be essential partners in creating positive change in their communities. Governmental agencies often work with faith leaders because they are influential and well-connected to the people they serve. Their presence, coupled with their capacity to deliver critical services, allows them to mobilize communities and earn the communities’ trust, which makes them a vital stakeholder to create change. Read More

Faith Leaders on Los Angeles’ Homelessness Crisis

The University of Southern California hosted a high-level roundtable of local faith leaders to discuss how the faith community could jointly respond to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. This post includes a video, resources and joint statement that can be used to help congregations join the effort to eliminate homelessness. Read More

Congregational Leaders Survey

CRCC developed a survey for congregational leaders that can be used to ask questions on congregational leadership and governance and how a congregation acts within its community. Read More

The Religious Literacy Primer for Crises, Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

A companion to the Field Guide for Religious Competency, the Religious Literacy Primer is a quick-reference document which provides information on basic religious literacy for 23 of the largest religious communities in the United States. Published by the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture and the National Disaster Interfaiths Network, the two tools serve as accessible guides to help government agencies and non-profit organizations enhance their religious literacy and engage with faith communities during unsettled times. Read More