Posted 340 days ago
An invitation to join the Conspiracy, join the Conversation:
By Tom Sine
Join the conspiracy…join the conversation.
Do you know of any churches that give a damn about our neighbors who are losing jobs, homes and resources to feed their families in this deepening recession??? We aren’t finding many congregations who have created new ways to reach to those in need near and far…but we are still looking. What are you seeing?
Would you join me in a conversation about why the church is doing so little to respond to our neighbors who are being devastated by this global economic meltdown and share any examples of those churches who are creating ways to reach out???
As I write unemployment has reached a 25 year high of 8.1% here in the US. In many urban communities it is approaching 15% and thousands are losing their homes. Robert Barro, an economist at Harvard, estimates that there is a 30% that this global recession could become a full blown depression.
Of course it is much worse for our neighbors in congested cities of the two thirds world and those economies in Eastern Europe who are struggling with being able to afford food for their families. Since those agencies that reach out to those in need locally and globally are also experiencing declining giving we are headed for a perfect storm.
Thankfully President Obama and the congress are taking steps to stimulate the economy in the US and governments in other countries are taking similar steps. But local governments across our country, in many others, are cutting back social services to those in need because revenues are declining and none is stepping up to help.
We are alarmed that we are finding so few churches reaching out to those being hammered. Do you share our concern?
We held a brainstorming session recession readiness here in Seattle on September 7, before the meltdown began, and participants came up with some positive ways that we can in our lives and congregations increase our capacity to be God’s compassion to those in need. You can read some of those ideas in this article in Leadership Journal and learn about a few churches that are reaching out.
In The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time I urge that all of our churches to learn from the young innovators that are focusing much more outwardly on the needs of the poor locally and globally. Do you know of any churches who are who are creating new ways to reach out to those being devastated by this deepening recession.
I want to hear from you. I want to invite you to join me in a conversation about how to faithfully follow Jesus in these turbulent times.
Are you as frustrated as I am that many of our churches seem to be missing this historic opportunity to be God’s compassion near and far? Are you seeing churches create job support groups for those losing their jobs or creating online “craigs” lists where people in you church are listing resources they have to share from cars to rooms in their homes? Where do you see congregations joining these new conspirators and focusing much more outwardly in caring for those outside the building?
So here is how it works. Every week in Join the Conspiracy…Join the Conversation…I will post a conversation starter. Anyone on the planet can respond. Once or twice a week I will respond to your comments or questions individually or in clusters. Waiting to hear from you.
Join the Conspiracy here!
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