"Those who oppress the poor reproach You, our Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors You" (Proverbs 14:31)
"Those who are kind to the poor lend to You, Lord, and You will reward them for what they have done". (Proverbs 19:17)
We probably don't think of the wisdom of giving to the poor, but clearly that's what the book of Proverbs is pointing out. I ask again - what percentage of your church's budget goes to the poor? I'm wondering if there's any research on this topic, from Barna or another top church researcher? There should be.
There's a great opportunity for giving to the poor. Central Dallas Ministries, CDM, has been awarded grant funding for re-developing an old Dallas downtown building into an apartment for the truly poor of Dallas. I believe every church in Texas should give to this cause. Why? Simply because it's a ground-breaking endeavor and opportunity for churches to step up in a big way and do something for the poor. Here's the link for giving through Larry's blog:
Central Dallas Ministries - Larry James, CEO
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I don't have the exact figures on hand. But I think Barna said that the average church spends something like...85% on itself (buildings, maintenance, salaries, etc) and the other %15 on something missions oriented...which may be related to the poor.
Some churches were more like 98%/2%.
I can't remember if I read this in his bok Revolution or in another report.
Kent,
I am with you on this. But I think your observation merely scratches the surface. How about Christians willing to go live in a poor neighborhood as a mission service of spiritual revitalization? Jesus was into DOWNWARD mobility, see Philippians 2:5+. It is the Socio-Economic Global Empire of the West that so enslaves the church's imagination that practially no one even entertains the thought of practicing downward mobility as the way of following Jesus.
Giving more to others is key and vital, but it is only the start.
To skew the topic just a bit, let me tell that I went into the Cricket Court apartment complex here in Lubbock last week around sundown. I have been in that complex many times, and usually and the only non-black when I am there. It is a gov assist/low income facility. Very nice, attractive complex, and very HUGE.
I was struck by all the children I saw. There were hundreds. They ranged from diapers to high school age. The older kids all looked so tough. I saw mama's too. A lot of them. Some of them very young. One of them in particular was shouting at children in the foulest language. (And I am not squeemish about foul language, but it is a trip to see a mother of children in diapers carry on like this woman.) She was put on notice that "the preacher" was there: me. She did not even excuse her self. She just went on talking foul.
I did not see a single full grown man. Certainly no old men. No father figures. No shepherds. Just chaos, with small children running around in the midst of it all.
That is just my initial observation. Perhaps I interpreted some things wrong. Perhaps men, fathers etc were all indoors. Perhaps they were all at a church retreat somewhere for the weekend. I need to spend more time in that complex to find out. But I am betting they are in jail and/or mostly divorced from these women. I think I was witnessing the divorce dump of society: women and children dumped in this facility when they have no one else.
My heart went to the little kids. The environment felt very tough to me. I felt the urge to try to personify a tough guy image. I felt like it was the first day of school in the 7th grade where I did not know anyone, and I did not want anyone to think I was a punk.
And that made me think of what it is like to grow up from diapers in that environment.
I won't go blathering about what I did there, but these are things I observed. And I wonder what the church in Lubbock is doing for that place. I wonder how many pew warmers have been there and seen it. And if the body of Christ were intimately connected to the head, where would He be? What would He do in this town? Worship in comfort far removed from these people? or be among them?
Just my meandering thoughts...
Hey, thanks for the post, and the blog. Thanks for constantly putting light on this realm of darkness. I am with you.
Many blessings...
Thanks agent b for the stats, and to you and Mike for being a blessing of support to me.
Kent,
I hate to pry, prod or add to any pressure here, and I am often guilty all the same, but I miss when you don't post more often.
No pressure, really. Family first etc etc. Dont get bogged in blogs. But your missed anyway.
Many blessings...
Yeah,
I diddo that!
Adios & Shalom...
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