Study guide Poverty: Lutherans ready to help
By Robert C. Blezard L
utherans are joining Christians nationwide to help people hurt by the economic downturn. Con- gregations are finding creative and exciting ways to care for their neigh- bors in need.
Exercise 1: ‘I’ve been poor’ Describe a time when you were struggling financially. What were your fears? Dreams? Hopes? Who helped you? What help do you wish you would had received? Did that experience shape how you view the poor today?
Exercise 2: ‘The least of these’ Hundreds of Bible passages com- mand us to care for the poor, but Matthew 25 makes it especially clear. Carefully read Matthew 25:31- 46 and explore: Why have people been gathered together? What is the significance of “sheep” and “goats”? What are the criteria for judgment of both? Who are “the least of these”? In 2012, who are the least of
these? Who are the least of these in your community? Is your congrega- tion more sheep or goat? How about you?
Blezard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Arendtsville, Pa. He has a master of divinity degree from Boston University and did subsequent study at the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia.
Exercise 3: Community snapshot If you had to guess, what are the poverty and unemployment rates of your community, county and state? What do you base your guess on? Now get the facts. Through an online search engine (type in “poverty for” your state, county, then community) or other means, get
the statistics. Are they worse or bet- ter than your estimates? What does it say about the needs of people? How can you help?
Exercise 4: Community resources How would your congregation handle this: a down-and-out family comes to the church office looking for help with shelter, food, clothing or work. What resources, services or referrals does your congregation offer? What community organiza- tions do you partner with to help? What agencies in the area could pro- vide assistance? Does your congre- gation have a ready list of such help? Is it up to date? For action: Compile (or update) a comprehensive list of services and agencies where poor families can get help. Give copies to your church office and congregational council. Suggest forming partnerships with the agencies.
Exercise 5: Asset-based help Whether it’s land for farming, avail- able meeting space, or folks who can tutor or mentor families, con- gregations have assets and strengths they can use to help others. What resources or assets does your con- gregation have, both tangible and intangible? What would it take to put these things in place?
Exercise 6: Suddenly poor The economic crunch has impov- erished many people who were recently self-sufficient. Maybe they are now unemployed or have taken jobs that pay much less. Savings drained, they can’t pay their bills and may be losing their homes. Do you
know people who are suddenly poor? If you lost your job, how long would you get by on savings and unemployment benefits? What changes would you have to make? How would you get by if your new job paid 60 percent of your old one? What if you wanted to downsize but couldn’t sell your house? How long would it take before you were poor? What can you and your congrega- tion do to help the suddenly poor?
Exercise 7: Are churches the answer?
Churches—locally, synodically and churchwide—are doing much to help, and more are stepping up all the time. But is that the answer to poverty? Will the problem be erased as soon as enough churches open soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, job banks and training centers, etc.? Do churches have that capacity? How much can your church help? What else needs to be done?
Exercise 8: Why are people poor? It’s vital that people of God assist the poor, but isn’t it as important to question why—in the world’s rich- est economy—so many people are poor? Our church helps not only in direct assistance but also in orga- nizing and advocating for public policies that will help bring fairness and prosperity to the poor and disad- vantaged. Isn’t this as holy a work as offering food and clothing? Is your congregation involved in Lutheran advocacy? For action: Learn more about
ELCA Poverty Ministries and get involved (
www.elca.org/justice).
This study guide is offered as one example of the more than 300 that are currently available on The Lutheran’s website. Download guides—free to print and Web subscribers—at
www.thelutheran.org (click “study guides”).
26 The Lutheran •
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