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Charity is best
for immediate situations or incidents of need, but people need real change in
their circumstances. Some problems are
systemic, an individual may be part of a whole group of folks who all
need a similar kind of help. A
congregation may be in economically depressed area and the members need
jobs. Groceries might help, but that
wont really change the situation.
Housing may be a problem, and new housing or housing renovation is a
systemic solution. Creating home
ownership in order to capitalize people, and give them equity, is a systemic
solution.
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Churches need to develop tools by which
they can analyze and even foresee what kind of economic problems folks
will have. If we keep giving groceries
when people need homes we are missing the mark. Soup kitchens feed people, and we need to
do that, but we should not be feeding the same people year after year.
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Churches can help themselves if they can
analyze folks as groups. They can structure
and program ministry under officers or committees. If they have the resources they can hire
staff for mercy ministry. New
organizations can be birthed out of churches such as community development or
economic community development corporations
In addition churches can expand their resources through coalition
building, using their denomination, local networks, foundations, and even
government as coalition partners.
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