Winchester Family church and the poor

Mark's kind reply to my email regarding the poor ...

"Hi Tom

Thanks for your email.

Our whole area of 'Ministry to the Poor' is something that Dave
Lockyer is
commissioned to review and continually develop. We would see 'Poor'
as a
wide-ranging group - not only materially poor but 'poor in Spirit'.
10% of
our annual church budget is set aside to 'give away' - this includes
regular
giving to Newfrontiers projects around the UK and world (as these best
reflect our vision and values), support of local ministries
(Nightshelter,
Basics Bank, Pregnancy Crisis Centre etc.), one-off targeted gifts to
individuals in need or hardship, emergency help for 'disaster'
situations
(e.g. famine, flooding). Naturally, we also encourage Community
Groups to
take an active involvement in situations with which they are connected
through relationship."

Day 2

Gospel to the Poor

Study 2 - Institution or organism?

Matthew 22:37-39 ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and will all your mind'.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it" 'Love your neighbour as yourself'.

IMOW

/The church is not an institution to which we bring the problems around us to be sorted out.  The church is an organism in which we are part, and we, by God's grace, are the means by which the needs around us can be met.  Acting more in this way, we may find release from the materialism which grips the church, brings disappointment, and soaks up our energies and vision.

/"Materialism has gripped th church, yet the pursuit of things had brought not satisfaction but disappointment and a constant craving for something to excite us.  While we race off after personal satisfaction, thousands of desperate people roam he streets.  Shouls we be looking to the government or the social services to meet their needs?  No.  The work should be spearheaded by the church"

To analyse

/Be completely honest and analyse your reaction to someone ou encounter who is homeless.  (Think about a specific occastion in the past).  Write down exactly what you thought about them.

I thought they were a danger to my family and I wanted to keep them away.  I wanted to help them by talking to them and being interested, but I felt as though my attempts were clumsey and that really I wasn't helping at all - probably patronising and seemed fake.  If I had arranged to meet them for a coffee, I wouldn't have expected them to turn up, and would have been worried about giving them any contact details for me in case they got wierd.  On one level I wanted them to just tell me what it was they really needed so I could just give them stuff, but I knew their needs were likely to be a lot more complicated and difficult to resolve, and I didnt know how to help.

To meditate on

We must love others.

/"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfiled the law." (Romans 13:8).

I remember what Terry said about giving money away.  Every time we do it is a demonstration to ourselves and to God that we don't live to the world's tune, we trust that he is the provider of every good gift.

/'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you'. (Luke 6:27,28)

Who do I consider to be my enemies and how do I respond to them?  Must cultivate the practise of praying for these people in devotions.

/'Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds' (Hebrews 10:24).

How can I spur on, and be spurred on myself?  Flow is established through the relationships within which habits grow

To discover

/Look up the words institution and organism in a dictionary.  What do each of these mean in the context of the church?

Food for Thought

/Spend time seeking the Lord about your reactions to the poor.

Ask Him to reveal any hidden prejudices you have.

Ask Him to show you His heart for the poor.

Ask Him to speak to you as you work through this study about what you should be doing to help the poor.

Day 1

The Gospel to the Poor - John Wimber

/IMOW

Paul wrote to the Galatians following the Council of Jerusalem.  In his letter we find the expected reference to the question of the controversy discussed, but we also find an addition not recorded in the Acts 15 account.  Regarding certain key members of the council Paul records "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do". (Gal 2:10)

To ask:

/Why is it significant that they asked Paul to remember the poor?

The perception of the council was that it was a place of division, with some inferring that the key theme is Paul jockying for position with Peter.  Gal 2:10 teaches us that they were all in agreement regarding the poor - a matter of compassion not assertion.

/What significance does this have for Christians today?

Wealth is inreasingly gathered in the hands of the few.  Poverty is passed down generationally showing it's effects through crime, addiction, abuse, and violence.  The poor are often not seen, for example in Winchester, and we forget there is any problem.  Furthermore the policies of our governments assert capitalist behaviour following disasters when people are disorientated and are grateful for any seemingly ordered plan - however again in this model wealth is gathered into the hands of the few, with the overriding objective to increase wealth is their overiding concern, rather than the service of people.  

To meditate on

/Acts 4:34 - there were no needy persons among them.

I wonder how big their community was, was there a big pot from which the poor took, or was the care of the poor the responsibility of larger but still family based households?  How did they know there were no poor - relationally how did this happen - they must have cared and known each others lives very well, and wanted to know each other very well.

/Acts 9:36 - Tabitha was always doing good and helping the poor. 

At a time of life when everything seems so busy, I think that Tabitha's schedule must have been determined over a period of time by her love and desire to care for people.  This is a challenge for me.  To choose inglorious hidden loving service of others as a conscious vocation.

/Acts 24:17

"I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings."

I wonder what kind of gifts these were - what were their needs?  Food, clothing, or more?  What gifts and offerings could I bring to someone like Steve Whittington as he serves the poor in Hull?  What are the needs of people in his church?  I must ask him.

/Romans 15:26

Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

I don't know the geography, but this seems to imply that they gave beyond their immediate location.  I wonder what the connection was - relationships?  

To ponder

/In what ways can we remember the poor?

Be aware of the facts - who are poor, in what way are they poor, where do they live, why are they poor - what has happened, and in light of all this, what is the best way to help them - what gifts and offerings could we bring, and how could this be brought.  Awareness in a materialistic society...

reading books, reading papers, doing research, being involved in caring for the poor, giving to the care of the poor, doing bible studies on what God says and does about the poor and how Jesus spoke and behaved towards the poor.

/What is your church doing in each of these areas?

I don't know.  I am not aware of anything.  I must ask.  

Action - email to Mark.

Hi Mark.  I hope you are well.  I would be very grateful of your help on two points.   

I am currently doing a study book called 'Gospel for the Poor' and I have a question about what my local church is going to care the poor - please can you help me understand what it is we do?  

Many Thanks,

/Tom

Food for Thought

/Begin a research project into:

a) the needs among your community.  (You can do this by gathering information from your local newspaper and through your own observation).

b) how these needs are being met (You could ing or write to any local charities and your local council to find out what programmes are running).

c) Compare your information  Is there a gap between the needs and the programmes?  Begin to think about what you or your church could do about it.

Quote

/Bias to the poor sounds like a statement of political preference  My experience has been that some of the most central teachings of Orthodox Christianity lead me to this position. (David Sheppard).