Posts filed under ‘Poor’
Reaching Union Bridge with Christ
Uniontown Bible Church’s Missions Team has been intentionally involved in reaching Union Bridge since 2001.
2001-Live Nativity-just off the square in UB.
2002-Thanksgiving Outreach-door to door meeting people and handing out light bulbs-Why light bulbs? They are a practical gift everyone can use-attached gospel tract.
2003-Live Nativity-Sharon and Doug Little’s back yard.
2004-Christmas Outreach-on Main Street in front of the pharmacy. Handed out rolls of tape. (Have you ever run out of tape while wrapping your gifts?) The pharmacist welcomed us and offered anything we needed including hot coffee.
2005-The UBC Outreach Team prayerfully stepped out in faith and started the A Little Love food pantry ministry. A.L.L.-for 5 years served out of the Fellowship Hall of the Union Bridge United Methodist Church on Main St. In the year 2010, God nudged again and in obedience the team stepped out to ask our friends we serve, if we could come and deliver to their home. We would go out in the weather and serve them in their homes. Only 1 of the 24 families said they did not want us to come. We were tremendously encouraged that the trusting relationships we had built were real, and we received addresses and phone numbers. A.L.L. currently serves 30 homes. Now under Brian Chapline’s oversight, God is leading to begin a Bible study for our A Little Love friends. Pray with us for God’s timing and we have a clear plan for the study, where, when, etc. Serving in Nov 2011 each home was told about the study and there was a great response. People are bending their knee and acepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Today-Dec. 13 there is a meeting with a A.L.L. family where members are interested in baptism at UBC. Praise the Lord.
Outreach to Stambaugh’s-During the winter and spring months Stambaugh’s Inc. worked on the new church building the Missions Team provided hot chocolate/iced tea and snack for the workers every Friday. Invite cards and gospel tracts were given and the staff followed up with serving them a lunch at the farmhouse.
2010-Shriner Court-is a low-income village in Union Bridge. There is an income requirement to be accepted, but is not subsidized housing. The Missions Team learned about Shriner late 2009. A resident there told us that they were promised by management that there would be activities, and other social events and those promises were not followed through. We asked, what kind of activities would you like? Simple gatherings, games, fellowship. Every Thursday night Bingo in the very small ‘activities building’, began in Jan 2010. No cost, no fees to play. Prizes are practical-postage stamps, food, fresh produce, note cards, toiletries…of the 20 residents, there are usually 10-12 participants for Bingo. All residents are visited regularly. Word got out about Shriner, and Bark Hill Bible offered a weekly Bible study. 5-6 residents attend on a regular basis. Finishing Genesis a field trip to Lancaster to Sight and Sound to see Joseph was a great follow-up. There have been a few trips to Lancaster to visit a huge farm market and farm for homemade ice cream. After months of fun together, our S.C. friends asked ‘what can we do to serve’? Keep in mind-median age of the residents is 70+. For several months we volunteered at Serrv in NW. Once a week we took 6-7 residents to pack health kits. The Union Bridge Church of the Brethren became aware of Shriner, and offered their M&M gathering. Once a month the ‘Modern and Mature’ meet on a Thursday and have lunch together. They invite someone to speak, could be on travel, gardening, health care, and each month the local retired Dr gives health tips as well. Several are attending and look forward to the fellowship each month. The greatest testimony of the this ministry is the real community, the real ‘caring for each other’ relationships that have developed among the residents. They are friends, they care for each other, look out for each other through family issues, health concerns, etc. Getachew has visited with Shriner Ct. as a group a couple of times. Many of the ladies wanted to give back, in appreciation for the things done for them,(a couple dollars for gas money or tip for lunch-things like that). None of the servers want to be ‘paid back’ at least in the world’s terms. So, our Ct friends together (outside of any server knowlege) to come up with a way to give for all they have received. They bring a quarter or dollar or what they can afford to Bingo and with their offerings they are sowing into Getachew’s ministry. You have to know that there are many subsidized homes in UB. There can be a great stigma attached to that way of life. It is the same with the Ct. It is low-income, there is a worldly stigma, and these dear ones were deemed ‘outcasts’, tucked away. Image what a few activities and encouragement does to a body, the emotional, and physical being when gathered with friends to laugh, and have a good times, to forget about struggles for a while. Prayer is part of our gatherings, prayer requests are made and Jesus is made known. A few residents have home churches. A couple have began attending Bark Hill Bible, and a few have visited UBC a few times. Praise the Lord.
The Lutheran Church in UB has a weekly food pantry that has begun serving dinner the 4th Monday each month on their serving evening-5pm. A.L.L. friends attend this opportunity as well the residents of Shriner Ct. Shriner Ct friends have helped to serve at this pantry. Bark Hill Bible now serves regularly, and the Brethren church has provided food and servers from time to time. This pantry does a Christmas ‘adopt a family’. This year the Lutheran church will provide a Bible for each child served. This is a huge step for this ministry. God is working.
Bridges-a Union Bridge Youth outreach made up of a few UB residents under the Community Foundation of Carroll County. The focus of this organization is to provide opportunities for young people and their families in UB. Twice a week there is a computer lab at the Community Center. Once a month activites are planned for all ages-year round. Servantsof A Little Love attend the annual Christmas party, a family event. We provide 15-20 food bags containing an entire ham dinner and other food items. Great opportunity to tell of Jesus, and invite to UBC Christmas opportunites and connect with A Little Love.
Reaching out to our neighbors. Serving and partnering with the local churches. Impacting a community that they might know Jesus Christ.
How Do the Poor Describe Poverty?
Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.
This description of poverty includes lack of access to social services, “fear for the future,” “powerlessness” and “lack of representation.” This description shows a broadening of the World Bank’s understanding of poverty, but it does not replace or contradict its own $1.25 per day standard for extreme poverty.
The World Bank has also developed indicators to assess non-income dimensions of poverty. These indicators include education, health, access to social services, vulnerability, social exclusion, and access to social capital.
During the mid to late 1990s, Robert Chambers, research associate at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, and others questioned the definitions of poverty and asked who should determine those definitions. The argument was that the poor themselves should define poverty.
How Do the Poor Describe Poverty?
A survey conducted in Niger in 2002 by the Office of the Prime Minister asked the poor of that country to describe poverty. Their answers provided the following:
- Dependence was mentioned by 40 percent of the respondents, with some noting that a poor person always had to “seek out others” or to “work for somebody else.”
- Marginalization was noted by 37 percent, who defined a poor person as one who was “alone,” had “no support,” did “not feel involved in anything,” or was “never consulted.”
- Scarcity was included in the poverty definitions of 36 percent, who used statements such as having “nothing to eat,” a “lack of means to meet clothing and financial needs,” a “lack of food, livestock and money,” and “having nothing to sell.”
- Restrictions on rights and freedoms were associated with poverty by 26 percent of the respondents, who stated that “a poor person is someone who does not have the right to speak out” or “someone who will never win a case or litigation against someone else.”
- Incapacity was mentioned in connection with poverty by 21 percent, including the incapacity to make decision, to feed or clothe oneself, or to act on one’s own initiative.
Only 36 percent of the poor in this survey described poverty in terms of material lack [scarcity]. Here, the poor described the experience of poverty primarily in terms of suffering relationships and lack of belonging, dignity and freedom. Similar descriptions were found in a major World Bank study published in 2000, Voices of the poor: Can anyone hear us?
The poor describe poverty in terms of suffering relationships. Relationships are central to a person’s belonging, identity, affirmation and other socio-emotional needs.
The relational fabric of a person is his or her means for navigating social norms, accessing resources and mobilizing the skills of others toward common goals. “Whom you know” matters a great deal in any context, including that of a poor man [or woman] navigating his way out of poverty. Courtesy of Compassion International
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