I was shocked yesterday to read one of the front page stories in the St. Joseph News-Press about poverty in the area. I believe the story said that 18.9% of children in Buchanan County live below the poverty line. THAT'S NEARLY ONE IN FIVE! Astounding.
According to the census bureau, in 2003 13.2% of people in the county live below the poverty line--a bit higher than MO as a whole.
What this means is that our churdh has a lot of work to do in carrying out Jesus' teachings about sharing the material blessings we have been given and advocating for the needs of the low-income people around us. I'm proud of what we are already doing--the amount of social ministry First Christian does is one of the things that drew me here--but I'm eager to discover what other ways our church can help to lower these statistics.
Reflections on faith, life, love, politics, culture and whatever else crosses the mind of a progressive minister
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