The Poor Will Always be with You: A Biblical Vision for Living in God's Realm and into the Life of Jesus

1. The Poor Will Always be with You A Biblical Vision for Living in the Realm of God and into the Life of Jesus An Overview of the Day Opening ourselves to the Other – Greeting A short study in God’s economic standard … Rendering the Jubilee Thinking about poverty – a complex reality of multiplicity Individual – a case study (Video) Reaching in our community Living on the edge, the power of relationship

2. Community Offerings • Covenant • Prayer • Greeting • How do we talk about the poor?

3. Deuteronomy 15:1-11Redistributive Worship as Holy Relationship • To whom are the writers writing and what is significant about their current circumstance? • What does this “voice of God” say about the land? What does it say about God? What does it say about their common relationship? • How is security provided? With regard to the seventh year, how does that impact the relationship with the needy brother? • What happens when someone is in trouble financially? How are people to lend? What does this say about God? About the relationships to God and one another? • What is the connection between blessing and giving?

4. How do we describe poverty? • Federal Poverty Description – the government's definition of poverty is not tied to an absolute value of how much an individual or family can afford, but is tied to a relative level based on how much the average individual makes. Most Americans (58.5%) will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.There remains some controversy over whether the official poverty threshold over- or understates poverty. • The most common measure of poverty in the  United States is the "poverty threshold" set by the U.S. government. This measure recognizes poverty as a lack of those goods and services commonly taken for granted by members of mainstream society.

5. How do we describe poverty?

6. How do we describe poverty? • What is the North Carolina Living Income Standard (LIS)? • The Living Income Standard (LIS) is a powerful analytic tool for assessing the economic well being of North Carolina’s families. This measure is a bare-bones budget, specific to family composition and geographic area, that tells how much income these families must bring in to meet their most basic needs. Using the LIS, we are able to determine not only what it truly costs to live, but also to identify who is not earning enough and, ultimately, to judge how well the state’s families are adjusting to the new economy. The LIS sheds light on the economic security issues that millions of our fellow residents face each day as well as on the policies that could be used to address these persistent challenges. • Food, Clothing, Basic Transportation, Basic Housing, Basic Medical Care, Education • For a family of 4 in the Burlington Area the LIS is between $35K & $40K

8. Where do we See the Poor? • Where do you see the poor in you community? • Everywhere? • In the E.R. • In public schools • At Roses • Autozone – car parts • On the overpass and at intersections • Agri-supply • Small store-front rootsy churches • Library • Not quite … • Not at banks • Not in places of high commerce • Not in high-steepled churches

9. What are SOMEof the issues in poverty? • Poor Education … access to quality education • Funds matter – Savage Inequalities by JonothanKozol • Lack of literacy • Lack of good nutrition • Substance Abuse • Lack of relevant job skills to the communities needs and availability • Domestic Violence – break down of family structures • Divorce • Teenage pregnancies • Community Violence – Community breakdown/Community Blight • Lack of jobs • Non-mobile population • Lack of affordable housing • Lack of or limited access to health care • Recession • Physical and Mental Illness • PTSD

10. What are SOME of the issues in perpetuating poverty? • Lack of Capital • Lack of Transportation • Lack of Affordable Housing • Lack of child-care • Lack of Role Models • Lack of Affordable Education paths • Loss of Hope • Apathy

11. When I meet the Poor • Describe a time when you experienced conflict helping someone who was poor or meeting someone who was poor? • Cue up Video • How did Kim respond to Willie & Myrtle? • What was Kim doing for them? • What happened to Willie and Myrtle? Did Kim help? • What was the “need” that Kim was trying to address? Was their relationship honest? • How did you feel about what Beth Templeton offered us as solutions? On the surfac, what do you believe is Beth’s perspective of “our” relationship with the poor?

12. Organizing a Response • Service Related Response: Cue Video • Church and Community Centers/Bethlehem Centers/Urban Ministries • Child Care Centers • Senior Care Centers – Senior Citizen Services • Job Empowerment Center • GED Center/Community College • Refurbishment of Older Vehicles – Transportation Systems • Community Health Clinics – Community Health Days • Food Pantries/Food Banks/Back-pack buddies • Soup Kitchens • Temporary Housing • Transitional Housing • Addiction Center/AA Halls/Churches • Literacy Training/Literacy Tutoring • Street Preaching – Street Worship Services (Renting a bar/club/center) • Thrift Stores • Community Parties/Picnics/Sings • Big Brother/Big Sister/Mentoring Programs • Community Education/Resource Days • Income Tax Preparation • Community Personal Care Days (Community Salon/Haircuts) • Youth Services – After School Care – Homework Tutors • Sports Leagues/Teams/Scholarships

13. Organizing a Response • Advocacy & Solidarity • Pushing legislation – budgets • North Carolina Council of Churches – Advocacy Days • http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/2010/12/legislative-seminar-2011/ • Conversation/letter/email to your state and federal representatives • United Methodist Social Principles - http://www.umc-gbcs.org • Be part of advocacy groups who lobby for the poor • NC Justice Center - http://www.ncjustice.org/ • The Fitzsimon File - chris@ncpolicywatch.com • The Institute of Southern Studies - http://www.southernstudies.org/

14. Organizing a Response • The issue of capital - how you and your congregation can respond? Cue Video • What is Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)? • What are the legs of the SRI stool? • Can you think of ways to use share-holder activism? • What is Community Development Financial Institutions? What is the prime way that poor communities build wealth? • How can you invest locally into the lives of poor folks?

15. Organizing a Response • Christian Community Development Association • The Eight Components of Christian Community Development • Relocation: Living Among the People • Reconciliation • Redistribution (Just Distribution of Resources) • Leadership Development • Listening to Community • Church-Based • Wholistic Approach • Empowerment Cue Video

16. Final Reflections • Let’s decompress. • Were you disturbed about Bart’s story?    • What were the things that troubled you?    • What did you learn about the hard work of relationship with the poor?   • What did you learn about you?   • Where did you see Jesus?