joining the group

[toby...@fpchs.org]

This is an exciting discussion that I hope involves a wide variety of
folks - lay and ordained - within our presbytery. Thanks to Scott
White for setting this up. I am so concerned about Michigan's economy
and the obvious recession we are in and not likely to climb out of
quickly. We have experienced several foreclosures within our church
family, with people I had always thought were in good shape
financially. In addition we've had a number of people layed off who
have been unable to find new jobs for more than a year now. In a
fairly wealthy congregation like ours, I fear that poverty, as it
descends, brings a form of shame with it that drives people to pull
away from the church instead of open up to us. What can we do to be a
place of welcome and support for folks caught in the downward cycle of
poverty?

[Presbytery of Mackinac]

Dear Toby

Welcome aboard!

[Scott White, Pastor, FPC/Escanaba]

Dear Toby,
I wonder of some of these things might happen:
- Organizations of various kinds that serve directly in poverty become
more familiar with leaders of churches that would like to help.
- And vice versa
- Getting to know each other, trust goes up, success stories are told,
each supports the other, and we find more passion and more follow
through in the churches for giving of dollars, time, energy,
friendship, and advocay in the areas of poverty relief.

One key step is we've got to grow the communications media between the
two, and hopefully this group will play a part in that.
My wife who is the chief grocery shopper in our household tells me
every time she steps into the grocery store the costs have gone up.
She found a gas station in town that does not add ethanol to its gas.
There are some news articles out there that are saying this was a big
mistake.

Here's to a future with more lived gospel,
Yours,

Scott

[Bob McQ]

On Apr 8, 12:18 pm, tobyjo...@fpchs.org wrote:

I appreciate the focus you and the Council have provided for our
Presbytery gathering. Poverty has a variety of faces. It is one
thing to have lived in poverty most of your
life, and look for a way out. It is another to have known "Middle
Class Comfortability" and discover that you can no longer "make it"
financially. Our congregations probably
have more folks in that category - trying to cope with unemployment
and underemployment. I remember a bank president in our congregation
who lost his position, and never did recover because he could not
accept a position that he felt was "beneath him". He was a tragic
figure, in some respects. But his church family gave him an important
place to feel his own worth and dignity. Do we have groups to support
men and women who have lost employment?

Bob McQ