An Open Question...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 11:21AM How do we react to the financial meltdown as individual believers and as the church. I don’t want “10 Strategies for Saving your 401k”, I mean, how do we respond? We are on the front lines of a global crisis. 500,000 new unemployed probably means at least someone in our neighborhood is affected. 500,000 foreclosures probably means someone in our congregation is touched.
What are we doing? How are we responding? How are we loving? Trust in our banks is gone, is it appropriate to mention treasures in heaven? The housing market is in freefall, do we talk about mansions in heaven? Our nation sinks deeper into debt, do we share our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills?
We are uniquely positioned to respond in a way that could make an eternal difference. I raise the question, not with pat answers in mind but with a certain urgency of heart. How will we respond? What will be our “Spiritual Stimulus Plan”, even as we reach out to those in need. I am working on finding some answers, I hope you will join me! Please share your thoughts...
Reader Comments (4)
Worship the Lord with all our being, and love our neighbors - sharing the hope that is within us...
What does "loving your neighbor" mean in your context Dennis? I know the Sunday School answer and know you are earnest, but what are we doing?
I love the idea of a "Spiritual Stimulus Plan" ... hope you don't mind if I steal that phrase.
I am sharing an idea that has working in my small community, my hope in sharing it is to inspire others to find or start something in there own town.
One of the ways that the community I live in is responding was set into motion 18 months ago before we really began to see any of these increasing issues. It began in our ministerial association, when a new pastor asked "where do we send people in need of help in our community?" What began as a simple question soon raised the realization that we had huge gaps in our ability as a community and as churches to respond to people in need.
What we eventually began was a community assistance program called "My Neighbor." (www.MyNeighborBrookings.net) It is designed to be a resource for the ministerial to adequately asses the real and underlying needs of people who come to us for assistance, with the hope that we can enable them to avoid or get our of a cycle of need.
We have developed 3 main sources to assist people. First is connection to existing programs that they qualify for. Second is through funds that we raise. Third is by communicating to local congregations the specific need that people have and allow those who have the means and resources assist them directly. ie... a need for transportation, a baby bed, help moving.
I don't have up to date numbers but know that in our first year we connected people with near $20,000 in programs that they qualified for already but did not know about, $20,000 in assistance through grants and $20,000 from the Faith community to pay for operational costs.
We realize that the need will soon increase in our community and hope to continue to look for new ways to help those with needs.
Please post your own ideas and successes.
beautiful idea! et's keep the ideas coming and perhaps Leighton, you can invite others to borrow your model. Why not "redeem" the internet at the same time we put our spiritual stimulus plan into action! Thanks for the great thought!