hope

1. hope

2. WMU New Hope Publishers Birmingham, AL 1998

3. Theological Basis • Old Testament References • Exodus 20-23, Leviticus 17-26, Deut 12-26 • Believers in Yahweh make provisions for the poor and the dis-advantaged • Hebrews introduced a proactive caring into a world that defined caring as “not doing someone harm” • Laws founded on this kind of caring; designed to provide essentials for daily life for those destitute and disenfranchised, offer them an opportunity to become self-sufficient • Testify to the nature and character of God

4. Theological Basis, p. 2 • Seventh-year release of debt Deut 15:1-2 • “If there is a poor man with you, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving to you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks”, v 7-8

5. Theological Basis, p. 3 • Loaning of Money: Ex 22:25 interest free “If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest” • Profit on the Sale of Food: Lev 25:35-40 do not profit from the sale of food to their fellow countryment who were poor • Harvesting rules for the poor: Lev 19:9, Ruth

6. Theological Basis, p. 4 • Seventh Year – the fallow year Ex 23:10-11 poor could gather what grew in the 7th yr • Terms of payment for work; Deut 24:14-15 “If you hire poor people to work for you, don’t hold back their pay …” clear note of empathy for the poor • The Year of Jubilee Lev 24:25-28 relatives could redeem the land; buy it back, auto revert during Jubilee

7. Theological Basis, p. 5 • Harvest rights of sojourners, widows, and orphans Deut 24:17-22; reminded of Egypt, leave the forgottenolives for the poor; olive tree shhaken once, not twice, so the poor could shake it the 2nd time; grapes missed left for poor • Cities of refuge: Num 35:9-15; set aside 6 cities for refuge where a person who unintentionally kills someone can flee for safety from avengers • Tithe of the produce: to priests, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow Deut 26:12-15

8. Life and Model of the Ministry of Christ • Brought good news to the poor Luke 4:18 • Luke 14:13-14 “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” Matt 11:5, “… the blind receive sight , the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them…”

9. Life and Model of the Ministry of Christ, p. 2 • He had Serious conversations with the outcasts • Women, tax collectors, children, marginal of society • Showed concern for the hungry people Mark 8 • Compassion for the sick and mercy for those in need • New way of treating people, especially the poor, vulnerable, and the oppressed

10. Life and Model of the Ministry of Christ, p. 3 • Called into question the structures and institutions of His society which declared some people unclean, which ignored human need, and which placed religious traditions ahead of the needs of people Revolutionary!

11. There are 8 degrees of Charity • Give with reluctance or regret; gift of the hand not the heart • Give cheerfully, not proportionately • Give cheerfully and proportionately, but not until solicited • Give cheerfully and proportionately, but unsolicited • Give secretly – so that you don’t know who’s taken it • Give so that you know but they don’t Maimonides, theological philosopher and physician, 1135-1204 AD

12. 8 degrees of Charity • Give so that no one knows who the other is • Anticipate charity by preventing poverty • Assist the reduced fellowman, by money, by teaching him a trade, putting him in business, so that he doesn’t have to hold his hand out for charity Maimonides, theological philosopher and physician, 1135-1204 AD

13. His Was a Holistic Ministry Addressing Needs • Physical • Emotional • Social • Financial • Spiritual • Grow in self-confidence as they move to self- sufficiency • We gather resources of time, money, spiritual gifts, and people from their church and community

14. July 7, 1994 • The first CWJC National Task Force • Exe Director of S Carolina WMU • Exe Director of Texas WMU • Exe Director of Illinois WMU • Exe Director, National WMU • Director Texas River Ministry • Staff, Texas WMU • National WMU President • Staff, National WMU • Director of Missions, National • Staff, Florida WMU • Staff, San Antonio Baptist Assoc

15. Urban Plunge: Needs Assessment • Observed and experienced life in Chicago • Greatest need was Christ of course • Realized that the welfare cycle will continue to be operative in our society until and unless someone begins to intervene in individuals’ lives • Unable to extricate themselves from the grip of poverty without help; few skills little or no work experience, no hope of breaking out of the welfare cycle

16. Universal keys for any site • Operate in a Christian context; leadership would be drawn from local churches • Curriculum would include Bible study • Each participant would be assigned a mentor; spiritual and personal guide; special training provided

17. The purpose of Christian Women’s Job Corps, a ministry of Woman’s Missionary Union Ò, is to provide a Christian context in which women in need are equipped for life and employment, and to provide a missions context in which women help women.

18. 4 things to get someone out of poverty • A stabilizing force; meet the needs • Resources; financial assistance and human resources • Hope; someone cheering you up from the sidelines to meet challenging goals • Personal initiative; must take advantage of help and become accountable for himself

19. Objectives of CWJC • To build healthy self-esteem for women • To challenge women to define life goals • To encourage women to move toward those goals by developing life skills • To offer women opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel • To render emotional and spiritual support through a mentoring program

20. Objectives, p. 2 • To provide opportunities for completion of basic education • To furnish job training that will prepare women for the job market • To identify potential employers; and • To extend opportunities for each woman to give back to Christian Women’s Job Corps

21. Eight key program elements • Mentors: a tutor, guide, counselor, nurturer, spiritual encourager, and facilitator of dreams for someone trying to break the cycle of poverty (personal, functional, relational, and spiritual guidance to a participant). • Covenant: identifies the expectations that the mentor and client have for one another; an agreement that identifies responsibilities in the relationship that a client and mentor share.

22. Eight program elements, p. 2 • Bible study: an integral part of the mentor/client relationship; customized to fit the spiritual development of the participant. • Networking: CWJC does not desire to duplicate services that already exist; helps coordinate those resources • Assessment of each participant’s physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs; ongoing

23. Eight program elements, p. 3 • An advisory council guide: serves as a resource and sounding board for volunteers as they strategize for effective ministry. • Certification: each site has one person who has gone through CWJC certification/training through the state or national WMU. • Evaluation: refinement of the ministry to meet the changing needs of participants.

24. Assessments to be made • Statistics/metrics • Study the job market • Identify job skills women might need • Social services available • Qualities and characteristics of volunteers • Support systems women themselves might need • Spiritually mature mentors • Ongoing Bible studies for the participants

25. In 1997 the law changed • Welfare reform required that those who had lived off checks from the government would now have to be employed • Single parents, no job skills, lived in areas where there were no jobs, little public transportation, no affordable child care And has since been changed

26. Discipling is more than a job • Christ offered His followers abundant life • Allows us to be the bearers of this good news • Experience countless women coming to know Him and embracing His gift of abundant life through CWJC

27. Matthew 28:19 19“Therefore (as you) go and make disciples of all nations…..” teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you *italics note of author