July Newsletter

The July issue of the National Council of Churches Poverty Initiative newsletter is here. 

God asks us to put the dignity of all people at the center of our decision-making. Yet, in our national debates about the federal budget, many politicians are speaking the language of “shared sacrifice” while threatening to cut government programs that provide basic sustenance for the most vulnerable members of our society.  I trust you are among the people of faith across the nation who make sacrifices every day to sustain homeless shelters, nurture our education system, feed hungry people, care for tornado and flood victims, advocate for moral budgets, stand up to predatory lenders, form job clubs and employment ministries, and support just work conditions for all. If the programs for the most vulnerable receive significant, or worse yet, devastating budget cuts, the work of the faith community and people of good will who participate in this work will get harder, and many will suffer.

Another principle of our faith must contribute to our common understanding of “shared sacrifice:” to whom much has been given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Paying for tax cuts for the wealthiest members of society with the dollars that sustain the poorest of the poor is not what God intends for us. May our nation seek the wisdom and will to find a “shared sacrifice” that does not violate the dignity of God’s people by depriving them of basic needs. Let’s join together to form a circle of protection around the most vulnerable.” But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24

Please read our newsletter at http://www.nccendpoverty.org/Newsletters/July2011.php

Grace and Peace,

Michael Livingston

Director, National Council of Churches Poverty Initiative

Inside the July 2011 Edition of the Poverty Initiative Newsletter:

News

More than 2,500 organizations from all 50 states and DC urge Congress and the White House to protect SNAP and Food Stamps.

Churches stand up to predatory lenders and seek responsible investments.

Faith communities continue relief work in Missouri.

Take Action 

Join the Circle of Protection around programs for the most vulnerable in the budget debate.

Ask President Obama to re-commit to poverty reduction.

Events

Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis hosts national conference call on “The African American Labor Force in the Recovery.” July 7, 1:30pm EDT

Webinar: Introducing the Hunger-Free Communities Online Network. July 13 2-3pm EDT.

Resources

Download the NCC’s “Eradicating Poverty: the Call of the Church.”

Faith Advocates for Jobs offers congregations a toolkit for forming job clubs and employment ministries.

Promise Neighborhoods Program Now Accepting New Grant Applications.

Book of the Month: Ministry With Prisoners and Families: The Way Forward, by W. Wilson Goode, Charles E. Lewis Sr., & Dean Harold Trulear.

Work and Pray for a Faithful Budget

An interfaith coalition has been holding daily prayer vigils since July 11th to protect federal programs that serve people living in poverty. This coalition has formed the “Faithful Budget” campaign. Click here for worship, action, and news clip resources from the campaign.

Faith leaders met with President Obama to ask him to protect “the least of these” (Mt 25) in the budget and deficit debates leading up to the debt ceiling deal. The coalition brought religious leaders to Capitol Hill on July 26 to meet with the offices of Congressional leadership.

On July 28, it became clear we had to bring our prayers to the heart of the Capitol. Eleven faith leaders prayed there until they were forcefully removed and arrested.

Watch a video about our campaign here:

Sign our petition here.

Ministry with Prisoners and Families: The Way Forward, by W. Wilson Goode, Charles E. Lewis Sr., & Dean Harold Trulear.

Ministry With Prisoners and Families: The Way Forward, by W. Wilson Goode, Charles E. Lewis Sr., & Dean Harold Trulear. Recommended by Robert Brand of Solutions For Progress.

This book brings history and data about the U.S. criminal justice system into conversation with the hope of our faith. With an emphasis on the African American community, this book calls the church, and especially the Black church, to take a stronger role in supporting prisoners and their families, pre and post release.

Robert Brand says,”This is a wonderful practical approach to changing the way the faith community responds to incarceration and the way congregations and families welcome people who have been incarcerated back into their homes and communities. The Benefit Bank, an online tool developed by Solutions For Progress, with substantial support from the NCC in its early development, is an excellent tool that provides access to critical resources in the transition from incarceration to reentry into society.”

If you’ve read it or you want to, comment on the blog to start a discussion, or tweet us @NCCEndPoverty.

Do you have a book recommendation? Send it our way at info@nccendpoverty.org

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