By Deacon Jessica Noonan (she/her), Executive Director at LEAD

Do you ever feel like you don’t know what you have to offer amid the hard things happening in our communities, country and world? Do you feel overwhelmed? Same. I see so many things happening and many messages that don’t align with the world I hope to be part of and help create. I wonder, “What can I offer?”

In seminary, Mary Hess, one of my favorite professors, shared this amazing tool called Social Change Ecosystem Framework created by Deepa Iyer (lawyer, writer, activist). It was a light bulb moment for me where I realized – we all have gifts that can be shared for social change in our communities. There is not one role or path for helping to make change we want to see in the world. It takes all of us!

For followers of Jesus, this concept – the variety of gifts that can work together for one communion purpose – is not new! The Apostle Paul talks about this in his letter to the church in Corinth – “Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). Again, in his letter to the church in Rome in Romans 12:3-8.

The varied roles in the Social Change Ecosystem Framework provide us with understanding of where our strengths already exist, validation for all types of engagement in our communities, and the opportunity to partner to the strengths of others. My prayer is that the change we are working together helps us to collectively be agents for the good of every human being.

Access a free worksheet from Social Change Ecosystem Framework (copyright Deepa Iyer, 2017)