August 2009 - Pray for Plan to Combat Poverty
Pray for Plan to Combat Poverty
By Jackie Campbell, WPAUMC News
Engaging in ministry with the poor is mandated by Jesus and is part of our Wesleyan heritage. It’s also one of our United Methodist Church’s Four Areas of Focus.
We are challenged to address not only the immediate symptoms of poverty, but its root causes, locally and globally. At our annual conference in June, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton called on each congregation to develop a plan to engage in ministry with the poor in their community.
“More people need to become aware of the poor who live in each of our communities and more of our churches need to explore active ways of engaging in ministry with the poor throughout this region, specially in light of the economic conditions we are facing,” he said.
“There is enormous potential which exists in every congregation to identify and actively engage in ministries with the poor. The poor are all around us and with casinos and other arenas of gambling emerging, we can be guaranteed that the poor will only grow in numbers,” the Bishop added. “Each of our local churches are mission outposts which can become gathering points for all of God’s children, especially those who need a helping hand of grace and love.”
What’s needed are both ministries which address the symptoms by providing food, shelter or health care, and those that address the root causes – poor education or lack of opportunity.
To inspire and help you as you pursue the call to be in ministry with the poor, our Conference Poverty Team has developed a directory of ideas, opportunities and resources. It’s available on the new www.WPAUMC.org.Type “poverty” in the search box at the top right. District superintendents also have a printed copy for each church.
The Poverty Team recommends that you familiarize yourself with the situation in your community today as you consider ministry needs and ideas. For demographic information on your area, contact the Rev. Lisa Grant, our director of Connectional Ministries, at dcm@wpaumc.org or 800-536-9242.You can also contact government or social agency officials to find what needs exist and how you might help.
Begin and continue with prayer.
Pray for Plan to Combat Poverty
By Jackie Campbell,WPAUMC News