wrestling with world-sized issues: christian responses to global poverty and oppression

Wrestling with World-sized issues:Christian Responses to Global Poverty and Oppression

Grace ChapelSpring 2012

Announcements

• Yellow cards

• Treat sign-up

• Soul care mini-retreat

Week 4 agenda

• Table discussion (Job 29:12-17)

• What challenges do Christians in poverty reduction and development work face?

• Virtual visit with Bruce and Cherith Rydbeck

Table discussion of Job 29:12-17

1. What groups of people does Job mention here, and what did he do or accomplish in the lives of people in each group?

2. How would you describe the goals or standards that seem to guide Job in his interactions with hurting or needy people?

3. What actions might Job have taken to accomplish all that he did for these people?

Hearts singing

Hearts singing

Hearts singing

http://worldrelief.org/page.aspx?pid=1843

Hearts singing

http://www.worldvision.org

More generally

•Poverty reduction and development efforts by governments and NGOs have indeed achieved great success over the last 50 years.

More generally

•Development organizations are also getting better at evaluating impact, learning and doing their work better

Of possible interest

Bruce Wydick, “Cost-Effective Compassion: The 10 Most Popular Strategies for Helping the Poor,” Christianity Today, Feb. 2012.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/february/popular-strategies-helping-the-poor.html

Notes:• The title is misleading.• We could debate many of the details, but the article’s larger points are important.

What challenges do Christians in poverty reduction and development work face?

•Good poverty reduction work requires long-term investment in relationships, learning from people, careful thought, many skills

Clean drinking water system example

• It is easy to think that clean drinking water system work is just a matter of engineering, technology, pipes and pumps.

• But what is the goal?▫ Goal 1: Build a drinking water system

▫ Goal 2: Improve the lives of everyone in the community and in a sustained way through water system development

• What more might be involved if you are pursuing goal 2?

Visit with Bruce and Cherith Rydbeck

• The videos will be posted on the class web page.

• The class web page may be found at www.grace.org/adultdiscipleship/article321269.htm?body=1.

Alternatively, you can navigate to it by doing the following:-Go to www.grace.org/adultdiscipleship-Select "Winter/Spring Courses 2012"-Click on the "World-Sized Issues" link