Petition in Person

There is no shortage of issues you can begin calling and writing your representatives about. Get fully informed about what they stand for, and then contact them by: 

• E-Mail: You may find your senators and representative directly from Family Research Council’s website. In most cases, you may also e-mail your elected officials directly. When writing an e-mail, follow the guidelines for letter writing given below.
• Phone Call: Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress.

1. Identification: Identify yourself to the person who answers the phone, then ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.
2. Specification: After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, specifying the reason for your call, such as: "Please tell Representative/Senator (Name) that I support/oppose (H.R.___/S.___)."
3. Justification: You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill.
4. Clarification: Ask for your representative's or senators' position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your phone call.
5. Gratification: Thank the person before hanging up.

• Letter: Remember these 4 guidelines as you write elected officials:
  1. Be Polite: When addressing the official, be sure to use the right title:

Dear Representative or Dear Senator.

When writing to the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address them as: Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman, and Mr. Speaker or Madam Speaker.

• 2. Be purposeful: State your purpose in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H. R. ____, Senate bill: S.____.
  3. Be Practical: Get to the point, include key information, use an example to support your position, address only one issue, and, if possible, keep the letter to one page.
  4. Be Pleasant: Remember who you are and whose you are. There is an old country saying that as a lot of truth: You can catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
• FAX: Use the same guidelines as for letter writing. Remember, one page!
  
  Personal Visit: Sometimes the best way to lobby your elected official isn’t with an e-mail, phone-call, letter, or fax, but with a personal visit. Here are 7-Up’s of a personal visit.
  
  1. Call up

    Make an appointment with your official’s office, either the home district office, state office, or the office in Washington. If the official isn’t available for a meeting, the scheduler may refer you to an assistant who deals with the issue you’re concerned with. If that happens, don’t be discouraged because officials rely on their personnel to be their information gatherers and gatekeepers.
  

  2. Pray up

  Pray for God’s wisdom in how to approach the official, for the words to speak, and for openness on the part of the official (Neh. 2:4).
  

  3. Study up

  Consult For Faith & Family’s website, and other sources for brief, concise, information on the issue in order to get handle on the most important points to make. Know your issue well enough to keep your conversation brief, since you may not have much time to make your case (Prov. 15:28a).
  

  4. Dress up

  The commercials say: “Image is everything.” It is not everything, but when meeting an official it is important. Being well dressed communicates confidence and respect—confidence in yourself and respect for the official (Esther 5:1-2).
  

  5. Speak up

As much as is possible, make your point in a compelling, winsome way (Prov. 22:11), and restraint the desire to become angry and combative (James 1:20). If the official is a believer, use Scripture, if not, don’t. The Bible is true in every realm of reality; therefore there are all kinds of statistics to back it up. So use the evidence for your argument, not just a verse.

6. Close up

 Fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient time if you’re prepared well. Be sure to close the deal by making a specific request:

"Will you co-sponsor this?" "Will you vote for this?" “Will you oppose that?” (Neh. 2:5-8).

Once you’ve made your points, leave some information with the official, and express your appreciation for a hearing— and leave.

7. Follow up

Less than a week after your meeting, send a brief note: 1) thanking the official for his or her time, and 2) restating your point.

To make a positive impact on the direction of America, we must let our elected officials know how we stand on the issues and what we expect of them as our representatives. The laws they pass today will set the course for your community’s tomorrow and your nation’s future ! Make sure your voice is heard. Sharing the truth in love can affect their decisions.

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1 Adapted from Concerned Women for America’s Penny Nance and her “how to” for training lobbyists

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