Rites of Passage: 8-Solutions for Black Churches

1. Create a Rites of Passage Program for community youth.
2. Start an entrepreneurial program to teach youth business principles.
3. Plan and implement summer programs for youth that focus on math, science and technology.
4. Develop a community based Parent Leadership Academy.
5. Organize church membership to adopt a community school.
6. Start a book club that reads critical life sustaining books.
7. Develop a voter education campaign that will address all aspects of grassroots politics.
8. Mobilize men in the church to start a ‘Fatherhood Network” to address issues related to fatherhood and child rearing.

Community development must extend outside of the pulpit!

10 Point Plan for Developing Faith-Based Violence Prevention Projects

10 Point Plan for Developing Faith-Based Violence Prevention Projects for African American Males

1 - Meet with congregation and key church officials to determine interests around developing a faith-based, community-focused, violence prevention project with African American males.

2 - Develop needs assessment (survey community residents, school officials and community leaders & parents) for a violence prevention project.

3 - Educate congregation on the impact of violence on the greater community.

4 - Decide on how large or small the project will be.
5 - Review the Dare To Be King Model and other models specifically designed to address violence among African American males.

6 - Explore funding for violence prevention projects (grants, donations etc.).

7 - Recruit and organize church volunteers.

8 - Arrange the Dare To Be King Train the Trainer workshop/conference for church staff and volunteers.

9 - Contact local Universities and Colleges to determine availability to evaluate violence prevention project.