Models of Anti- Poverty Ministry – Presentation and Recommended Reading

In the first of the NCC Poverty Initiative’s Pastors Ending Poverty webinar series, Tronn Moller of the Faith and Community Development Institute shared some models of anti-poverty ministry for congregations to consider when planning how to confront poverty as a Christian community. Download his presentation here, and watch the video here.

He also recommended the following resources for reading.

Biblical principles of Christian compassion and transformational community ministry:

Jay Van Groningen, Communities First (CRWRC, 2005).

Ronald Sider, Good News, Good Works: Uniting the Church to Heal a Lost and Broken World (Zondervan, 1993).

Tim Keller, Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road (P&R Publishing, 1989).

Robert Linthicum, Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your Community (InterVarsity, 2003).

Robert Lupton, And You Call Yourself a Christian: Toward Responsible Charity (CCDA, 2006).

George McKinney and William Kritlow, Cross the Line: Reclaiming the Inner City for God (Nelson, 1997).

Bob Moffitt with Karla Tesch, If Jesus Were Mayor: How Your Local Church Can Transform Your Community (Harvest Publishing, 2004).

Bryant Myers, Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development (Orbis Books, 1999).

John Perkins, ed. Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing It Together and Doing It Right (Baker Books, 1995).

Heidi Unruh and Phil Olson, What is Holistic Ministry? Video (Network 9:35, 2003).

Walter Bruggemann, Journey to the Common Good, 2010

 

Planning and mobilizing church-based community ministry:

Ronald Sider & Heidi Unruh, Churches that Make a Difference, (Baker Books, 2002)

Willie Richardson, Reclaiming the Urban Family: How to Mobilize the Church as a Family Center (Zondervan, 1996).

Ray Bakke and Sam Roberts, The Expanded Mission of Center City Churches (International Urban Associates, 1998).

Victor Claman and David Butler with Jessica Boyatt, Acting on Your Faith: Congregations Making a Difference, A Guide to Success in Service and Social Action (Insights, 1994).

Carl Dudley, Community Ministry: New Challenges, Proven Steps to Faith-Based Initiatives (Alban Institute, 2002).

Robert M. Franklin, Another Day’s Journey: Black Churches Confronting the American Crisis (Fortress Press, 1997).

Dennis Jacobsen, Doing Justice: Congregations and Community Organizing (Fortress Press, 2001).

Jan Johnson, Growing Compassionate Kids: Helping Kids See Beyond Their Back Yard (Upper Room Books, 2001).

Robert Logan and Larry Short, Mobilizing Compassion: Moving People into Ministry (Revell, 1994).

Kenneth Miller and Mary Wilson, The Church That Cares: Identifying and Responding to Needs in Your Community (Judson, 1985).

Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson, The Externally Focused Church (Group, 2004).

Amy Sherman, Restorers of Hope (Crossway Books, 1997).

Amy Sherman, The ABCs of Community Ministry: A Curriculum for Congregations (Hudson Institute, 2001).

Ronald Sider, Phil Olson, and Heidi Unruh, Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works (Baker, 2002).

Steve Sjogren, ed. Seeing Beyond Church Walls: Action Plans for Touching Your Community (Group, 2002).

Luther Snow, The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts (Alban, 2004).

Phil Tom and Sally Johnson, Handbook for Urban Church Ministries (Metro Mission, 1996).

Heidi Unruh, Phil Olson, and Ronald Sider, Becoming a Church That Makes a Difference: Ventures in Holistic Ministry CD-ROM (Network 9:35, 2006).

 

Bible study resources on holistic ministry

Justice Now! (Christian Community Development Association, 1992).

Carolyn Nystrom, Loving the World (InterVarsity Press, 1992).

Amy Sherman, Sharing God’s Heart for the Poor: Meditations for Worship, Prayer & Service (Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1999).

Ronald Sider, ed. For They Shall Be Fed: Readings and Prayers for a Just World (W. Publishing Group, 1997).

Reg Parks, Compassion by Command video curriculum (Here’s Life Inner City, 2002).

Best practices ministry profiles:

Robert Carle and Louis Decaro, Jr., Signs of Hope in the City: Ministries of Community Renewal (Judson, 1997).

Barbara Elliott, Street Saints: Renewing America’s Cities (Templeton Foundation Press, 2004).

Nile Harper, Urban Churches, Vital Signs: Beyond Charity Toward Justice (Eerdmans, 1999).

Ronald J. Sider, Cup of Water, Bread of Life (Zondervan, 1994).

Samuel G. Freedman, Upon this Rock: The Miracles of a Black Church (HarperCollins, 1993).

Web resources for church-based compassion ministry:

Alban Institute, www.alban.org

Center for Renewal, www.centerforrenewal.org

Center on Faith in Communities, www.centeronfic.org

Children’s Defense Fund, www.childrensdefense.org

Christian Community Development Association, www.ccda.org

Communities First Association,  www.communitiesfirstassociation.org

Evangelicals for Social Action, www.esa-online.org

How Wealth Inequality Hurts Churches

Have you seen the video on wealth inequality that went viral this week? The video is based on a study by Harvard Business professor Michael Norton. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out here.

Millions have been passing it around and dropping their jaws when they see the dramatic difference between the average person’s perception vs. the reality of wealth distribution in the United States. The dramatic spike in inequality and decrease in social mobility in the United States runs contrary to everything we are told to be proud of in a country that is supposed to hold opportunity for those who work hard — the American Dream. Our country also has a unique tradition of charitable giving and volunteerism, something we cultivate and take pride in. Yet, as income inequality dramatically grows, all these great traditions that built opportunity in the United States are being undermined.

Neighborhoods in the United States are rarely integrated across income levels, and churches typically draw their base of support from the nearby area. When wealth inequality was not so dramatic, churches and church organizations could circulate a larger percentage of the nation’s wealth. Church funds have traditionally helped bridge gaps for families in need so they would not slip into poverty, and churches were the first in the United States to create anti-poverty ministries such as food pantries and homeless shelters. Today, the bottom 80 percent of income earners bringing in their envelopes and putting money in collection plates circulate a total of LESS THAN 50 percent of the nation’s entire wealth. This means that unless they have members in the top 20% of the wealth bracket or they win generous foundation grants, most churches have a severely limited amount of wealth to work with.

Sometimes people argue that if we cut federal government spending on the social safety net programs that alleviate hunger or offer shelter, churches will pick up the slack. This kind of thinking comes from an era when wealth inequality was not so dramatic. The way our country is structured now, a government made by and for the people is an essential partner to fill that role. A Bread for the World study found that if the federal government cut nutrition aid as dramatically as the 2011 Budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, each congregation in the United States would have to raise an additional $50,000 to meet the hunger needs in the community. In fact one in every 24 bags of food aid comes from charity. The rest comes from government.

We do have a someone we can look to who has considered questions of scarcity and abundance, poverty and inequality in his ministry: Our God incarnate. Jesus’ miracle of loaves and fishes is interpreted by some to not have been made possible by a magic zap from heaven, but rather by a compelling appeal from Jesus to his followers about the importance of sharing for the good of the greater community. When the miracle of the loaves and fishes happened, food that was once hidden and inaccessible was shared. The hidden abundance was discovered. This is an important story. It appears in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). In the story, as in many modern Christians’ lives, Jesus draws out each person’s best self by orienting them toward loving and serving one another. He supports a sense of community and concern for the common good. Today, such sharing would indeed take a miracle. In our budget and deficit negotiations in the United States, God can use us to make this kind of sharing of wealth happen again. We need a balanced approach to deficit reduction, and from those to whom much has been given, much will be required (Luke 12:48). Those in our nation who have most benefited from our economy can share the hidden wealth so all can realize abundance.

Weigh in: What role do you think the Church should play in ensuring there is enough for all? Comment below or post to our Facebook page.

Models of Anti-Poverty Webinar – March 13th 4:30pm EST/1:30pm PST

I’m excited to announce a great learning opportunity coming up next week: a webinar called “Models of Anti-Poverty Ministry.” Sometimes, churches have a hard time explaining how or why the ministries they do in the name of Matthew 25 took the shape they did. Having tools to clearly name and evaluate “the why and how” behind a ministry can strengthen it tremendously. On March 13 at 4:30pm EST, join in deepening your understanding about roles of a congregation’s anti-poverty ministry in a community.  Click here to register.

The webinar presenter Tronn Moller of Faith and Community Development Institute will share insights on the practices and impacts of a congregation’s anti-poverty ministry. Tronn’s presentation is rooted in years of experience coaching clergy and lay leaders in confronting poverty in their communities. Afterward, participants will have an opportunity to think together about how a congregation in Durham, North Carolina that wants to start a new anti-poverty ministry could discern what next steps to take in their planning. I hope you can join us for this engaging online learning opportunity. I hope to see you online next Wednesday! Register here.

Lenten Blessings,

Shantha

Remarks by Rev. Michael Livingston at Circle of Protection press conference

Circle of Protection leaders share about poverty and the election at the National Press Club in Washington, DC before they release videos made by both presidential candidates that explained, from a faith perspective, what they would do to form a circle of protection around people living in poverty.

Remarks by Rev. Michael Livingston at Circle of Protection press conference upon release of videos made by the presidential candidates explaining how they will form a circle of protection around the most vulnerable.

September 12, 2012 – National Press Club

By the end of July, over 1 billion dollars had been raised, and most of it spent, by the presidential candidates, their respective parties, and just one primary Super Pac supporting each candidate.  Fifty-five days from the election that number is much higher.  Over a billion dollars!  And our candidates have not been talking about helping the people of our nation, over 12 million of them children, living in the most desperate conditions.

Since the recession began in 2007 two congressional districts in the entire nation have seen poverty decrease significantly.  In 388 congressional districts poverty has deepened.  Our congress, our candidates are not talking about this.  It doesn’t seem to matter.  Shame on us.

Children and families living in poverty don’t have a Super PAC representing their interests, buying commercial airtime, making back room deals to improve their lot.  Well, their interests are our interests.

People of faith in our congregations can’t compete with the shadowy contributions of millionaires hiding behind bad campaign laws. We can and do stand with people living in poverty and lift our voices on their behalf.  And today we are asking the 350,000 congregations we represent in the U.S. to make hunger and poverty a core issue when they go to the polls in November.

Rev. Michael Livingston, former president, National Council of Churches and Director of National Public Policy, Interfaith Worker Justice

A Labor Day Sermon by Rev. Michael Livingston: Best Seat in the House

Best Seat in the House

James 2:1-10, 14-17

Rev. Michael Livingston; Director of Public Policy, Interfaith Worker Justice

Delivered at the United Methodist Chapel at 100 Maryland Ave NE Washington, DC on September 5, 2012

I’ve got a new friend.  Her name is Vernell Livingston.  I met her last October at the fall mobilization for Fighting Poverty with Faith.  It’s an interfaith effort to eliminate poverty as soon as possible—to engage people of faith across the religious spectrum in understanding the dimensions of the problem and more importantly—doing something about it.  There is always a “Take action” component:  You know, like the text—“Faith without action is nothing.”   The focus of the mobilization was on hunger and we decided to issue a Food Stamp Challenge, to people of faith across, the congress, to religious leaders.  The center of the event was an experience shopping at the Capitol Hill Safeway grocery store.

We invited members of Congress, religious leaders, and a White House representative to shop with food stamp recipients in the District of Columbia on the $31.50 for a week of groceries provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—that’s what we call food stamps now. So, I met Vernell. We talked first about the coincidence of having the same last name and tried to figure out if we were related but her North Carolina clan didn’t seem to have any connection to my Louisiana/Texas bunch.  It was instructive watching her make decisions about what to buy based on what she had already and calculating what she’d need for other necessities during the month.  That’s no longer my reality.

I got in touch with her after the event wanting to write an article about her, telling her story.  So we talked by phone and we met and I got to know her better and I learned about her life.  Vernell was one of the oldest of 12 children in South Carolina.  What were you doing at 12?  I was playing little league baseball and learning the Clarinet; I was in the Boy Scouts and praying the Lakers would one day beat the Celtics and Elgin Baylor and Jerry West would win an NBA championship.  Vernell was picking cotton and tobacco alongside her father in sweltering heat.  After he suffered a debilitating stroke, Vernell’s fate was sealed.  She never went back to school and spent what would have been her junior and senior high years in those fields inhaling the deadly fumes of tobacco plants and pesticides sprayed with farmworkers in the fields.  She’s not much older than I am.

As a young woman she was sent to Washington DC to keep the children of an aunt while the aunt worked and she soon began domestic work in DC homes and that led finally to work as a maid in the motel industry in for most of her life.  Disability following hip replacement surgery ended her days on her knees cleaning bathtubs and toilets and dusting under beds in motels and she lives today in government subsidized housing on $885 a month Social Security.  Earlier this year her nearly $200 a month SNAP benefits were cut, without explanation, to $31.  She’s still trying to understand what has happened.

What has happened?  It is a good question for all of us.  We listen to lie upon lie from candidates running for every political office and that has become normal discourse barely commented upon by mainstream media and fodder for ridicule on cable stations that reach a few million people a night.  Our great (?) nation has the most unequal income distribution among all major industrialized nations on the planet.  In the last 40 years our economy doubled in size and yet the average income for 90% of us fell by 6% while annual income of the top 1/100^th of 1% grew by nearly $20 million.  We’re talking about 16,000 households here.    Vernell’s isn’t one of them.

What has happened here?  Forty-nine million Americans living in poverty; 12 million of them are children.  There are only two congressional districts in the entire nation that have had a statistically significant decrease in poverty since the recession began in 2007.  145 have stayed the same 388 have seen a significant increase in people living in poverty since 2007.  And we keep electing people to congress who don’t work to lift people out of poverty.  Dr. William Barber is the President of the NAACP in North Carolina.  A friend sent me a video of his remarks from their recently concluded annual gathering.  He put words in the mouths of political candidates today:  “Elect me and I’ll take your health care, I’ll take your voting rights, I’ll take your social security, I’ll re-segregate your schools, I’ll ignore your poverty”—and he said, “…they still get votes.”

What has happened?  Workers are fighting to bargain collectively, to be paid fairly, to afford health care, to send their children to college and hope they graduate without crushing debt, to expect that they will be able to afford to live comfortably in the last years of life. Labor Day is a hollow shell, just another not so long weekend in a hard year. President Eisenhower said in 1956 that the right of workers to organize would be a permanent part of the platform of his administration and that anyone who opposed it would be, his word, “stupid.”  Times change.

This text from James has been the occasion for the ages old debate—what is more important, faith or works?  There is no choice here and I think James makes that clear.  This is not just about remembering the poor in our prayers, not about having our consciences pricked or raising the level of our awareness.  This goes beyond sending money to organizations that serve the needs of the poor.  It is more than sophisticated political advocacy on Capitol Hill of the kind we are engaged in here.  It includes but is deeper than addressing the root causes of poverty, the structural impediments to a fundamentally just society that is vigilant in its opposition to racism and effectively guards against the unfettered greed that so infests our system, turning corporations into people and money into speech while grinding real people into dust.

All of this is essential; we had better attend to it, but not at the expense of missing the deeper truth.  Wherever we are on the spectrum of human life, whatever our age, level of education, whatever our status, class, place of work, sexual orientation, age, race, color, or creed; if we don’t have a job or a safe place to sleep, if we’re the elite of elites or the last among the lost, whether we’ve inherited riches or are rich in our humanity alone– We are all one people; all in this together.  No one is better than any other, more worthy, closer to wherever heaven might be.  James reminds us that building relationships of mutuality and respect, that treating people—whether rich or poor is the measure of our grasp of the divine among us: the image of God on every face.

So James says “If Donald Trump comes in your church and a poor person in dirty clothes comes in and you seat the Donald and make the poor person stand—your mind is poisoned with sin and the whole weight of moral law falls on your head.”  We know that in early Christianity in Syria, this teaching took root. If a poor person showed up, and no seats were available in the congregation, the bishop had to give up his seat.

We are living in a nation at a time when the wealthy get all the good seats:  Jack Nicholson on the floor at the Laker games, the Royal Box at Wimbledon, the legacy admissions at top colleges…and on and on and on.  James says:  Vernell gets the best seat in house, and doesn’t she deserve it?  Amen.

One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All, By: Mark Robert Rank

One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All by Mark Robert Rank. Recommended by Shantha Ready Alonso, NCC Advocacy and Outreach Specialist.

I was lucky enough to study social work at Washington University in St. Louis, where Professor Rank teaches. Consistent with his lectures and articles, this book is sure to enlighten and surprise.

This engaging and well-researched book provides surprising information about who is living in poverty when, and why. Rank engages questions about why the United States has the highest poverty rate among all industrialized countries. Based on his longitudinal research, Rank makes a case for why poverty in the United States is less about individual failure than flawed economic and public policies. He also offers innovative evidence-based strategies for lifting more families out of poverty.

This book is a must-read to inform the work of anyone working to end poverty. If you’ve read it or you want to, comment on the blog to start a discussion, or tweet us @NCCEndPoverty