Poverty and a Christian Response
Presented by Tom Hallberg, Pastor of Hickory Grove United Methodist Church
This is from a Presentation I gave on March 10, 2011. Please feel free to use any of this information!
Goals: Understand Causes and Effects of Poverty.
*Begin a conversation on what Christians can do to actively fight poverty.
* Look at Poverty through a sociological and Biblical lens.
What NOT to expect:
*This is not a presentation on World Poverty (That issue needs addressed, but that is not where I have experience)
*There is not 1 way to fight poverty. This is just 1 of MANY ways!
*We won’t save anyone…That’s God’s job. We just point them in the right direction.
Matthew 26:11- “The poor you will always have with you…” is NOT a command!
Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor” (Jesus in Nazareth)
Poverty is a great stain on the “fabric” of our country!
Poverty is a disease: Affects people physically, mentally, and spiritually. If untreated it leads to worse problems including addiction, crime, lack of morality.
Assumptions for this presentation:
*Poverty is relative (What is poor in 1 area is rich in another)
*There will be many generalizations (there are ALWAYS exceptions).
*America runs on the “middle class’ model.
*There is no perfect economic model to eliminate poverty.
Economic Poverty- Not having enough money to meet needs.
Mental Poverty- Don’t know how to get out of poverty, “Survival Mode”
Spiritual Poverty- Thinking God can’t/won’t help, hopelessness
Situational Poverty- Temporary (job loss, unexpected bill, etc.)
Generational Poverty- Passed through generations (This will be our focus)
Progression of [Generational] Poverty:
Survival-Apathy-Don’t’ know how to get help-God doesn’t care-Disease
Results of Poverty: (Go “hand in hand” with Causes of Poverty)
*Addiction as “self medication” *Risky Behaviors
*Family Breakdown *No faith in “the system” *lack of self care
How the system fails: *Education becomes a political pawn.
*Churches refuse to minister to the needy. *Broken Welfare system
Causes of Poverty: *Generational Poverty (doing what you know)
*Family breakdown *Poor choices *Addiction *Location *Age
*Workers not making livable wages *Individualism vs. Brother’s Keeper
*Ignoring the poor *Mental/Physical illness *Economy * “Bad Luck”
God puts us in Communities: *We depend on each other
*The Church is Christ’s Community *Communities solve problems
Misconceptions of the poor: *They are fat *They are Lazy *They abuse the system
*They act inappropriately *They don’t want help *Gangs *Race
(Think WHY the poor are conceived these ways.)
Statistics: *35.9 Million in US below the Poverty Line
*In 27298 (Liberty NC) Zip Code in year 2000 6.8% below poverty line (13+% in 2011) (http://factfinder.census.gov)
National Graduation Rate: 71-75% (25-30% DO NOT Graduate)- That equals the amount of people in the city of Chicago every year (Pedro Noguera, Prof. NYU)
Christian Call: Mark 8- “…take up your cross and follow me [Jesus]…”
Also: Isaiah, Amos, James, and many others!
Please Know: We won’t end poverty, we won’t save anyone, but we can guide!
To re-form our own attitudes: Genesis 1: All are created in God’s image.
Deut. 6 and Mark 12: “Love your Neighbor as yourself”
“There but by the grace of God, go I” – John Bradford (England 1510-1555)
Behind the Scenes Work Christians can do:
*Support Charities, communicate w/ civic leaders, donate
ACTIVE ministry: *Form Relationships (this is most important!) (Meet people where they are, set boundaries, speak truth in love)
*Be Vulnerable, and educate your children to be compassionate
*Teach Life skills (budgeting, parenting, cooking, etc.)
*Keep this a relationship of equals
*Lead them to Christ!
*Encourage self-care
*Love!
*Remind them they are made “in God’s image.”
Reading: *A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne
*There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz
*Star Teachers of Children in Poverty by Martin Haberman
*Fear of Beggars by Kelly S. Johnson
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