Creating a New Flourishing Neighborhoods Initiative

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B Johnson declared a ‘war on poverty,’ that set in motion a series of bills and acts, creating programs such as Head Start, food stamps, work study, Medicare and Medicaid, which still exist today. The programs initiated under Johnson brought about significant results, reducing rates of poverty and improving living standards for many of America’s poor. Unfortunately, in many instances, welfare programs targeted at the poor also created debilitating dependency instead of creating a lift out of poverty, as was the goal. 

 

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B Johnson declared a ‘war on poverty,’ that set in motion a series of bills and acts, creating programs such as Head Start, food stamps, work study, Medicare and Medicaid, which still exist today. The programs initiated under Johnson brought about significant results, reducing rates of poverty and improving living standards for many of America’s poor. Unfortunately, in many instances, welfare programs targeted at the poor also created debilitating dependency instead of creating a lift out of poverty, as was the goal. In fact, the poverty rate has remained steady since the 1970s, and today, Americans have allowed poverty to fall off the national agenda. Just think about how little we heard about poverty in the last two presidential elections, where almost all of the focus was on the middle-class and the wealthy.

While many would argue that empowering the “haves” would lead to the rising of the economic ship for everyone (including those hanging on in the margins of our economic system), the poor have been invisible in the national debate.

In the church, we too have struggled to know how to put those who are on the margins in the center of our ministry and missional efforts. We have often gotten caught up in a spirit of growth and prosperity at the expense of prioritizing involvement with the poor.

This week, President Obama put in motion the new ‘Promise Zones’ initiative in five cities, with fifteen more to come, to help empower vulnerable neighborhoods by creating jobs, bettering education, improving housing and implementing other community-led efforts to create flourishing neighborhoods.

Maybe at this crucial time in our nation’s history, it is time for CCDA and the church to declare our own renewed commitment to address poverty in our nation and across the world.

This year’s conference theme, Flourish, from Jeremiah 29, gives us a clear glimpse of God’s ‘Flourishing Neighborhoods Initiative.’

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  (Jeremiah 29: 4-7 NIV)