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Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities (RISC) is an interracial, interfaith, nonpartisan organization which brings congregations together to build the power to meet God's call to “do justice.”

With 1,000 present, RISC leaders obtain commitments that will increase access to primary care for the low-income uninsured.

In the books of Micah and Matthew, there is a clear requirement to do three things: faithfulness, mercy & justice. Most congregations are very good at encouraging our walk with God (faithfulness) and they are often strong at demonstrating kindness (or mercy) with “direct service” programs like soup kitchens, tutoring programs, etc. But when it comes to doing justice – changing the systems in our community that often put people in a position of need – most of those same congregations fall significantly short.

No one congregation or small group of people has enough power by itself to make those systems change But by coming together with congregations from across Greater Richmond, we can take “direct action” to hold responsible officials accountable for justice and fairness in our communities.

And since RISC's member congregations understand that they need the power of more and more organized people to redeem the systems of Greater Richmond – and that God requires all of us to “do justice” – each member congregation is accepting the challenge to turn out its average weekly worship attendance to the annual Nehemiah Action. The member congregations of RISC are building powerful justice ministries so that they can get beyond the symptoms and solve serious community problems.

RISC's accomplishments have a had a significant impact on the community. In total, for every dollar of RISC's 2010 budget, RISC leveraged $23 in community improvements.

What problems does RISC address?

RISC develops its issues through a listening process. Each congregation forms a team which meets with other members of the congregation to meet and discuss their concerns for the community.

As a result, hundreds of problems surface and are brought to an assembly in the fall. At this assembly, leaders vote on problems they consider to be the most urgent.

Members of our congregations then conduct four months of research about the problems, meet with experts, and look for specific, measurable solutions with a track record of success in other places.

How does RISC take action on those problems?

Members of RISC's member congregations will then meet with public officials to present them with a reasonable, well researched solution, and invite them to the Nehemiah Action Assembly.

At that Assembly, hundreds – or even thousands – of people from the member congregations of RISC participate in a face-to-face meeting with decision-makers and public officials, who are asked to make specific commitments for action. RISC monitors actions taken after the direct action assembly to assure that the commitments are met. There were 1,044 people present and signed in to the 2011 Nehemiah Action.