Preparing for your SOWER Work Mission trip

Sharing Our Witness Enriching Relationships

Biblical verse to consider Give justice to the lowly and the

orphan; maintain the right of the poor and the destitute! Rescue the lowly and the needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked!

Psalm 82:3-4

Why? Consider this…

We reach out to our neighbors in need

because it is what Jesus calls us to do.

We ask that you come to the Epworth Center

as a servant, willing to reach out to

those who need help.

A little bit about the area…

There are so many things we could share

about the area that Epworth Center serves.

Here are just a few statistics and some info about Belmont County,

Ohio and this Appalachian area.

Belmont County Under Poverty %

Population: 70,151 (2011) From 2007-2011 the poverty % was

14.2% This means that out of the population of

Belmont County about 10,000 people live in poverty

US Population and Poverty % Population is 311,800,000 Poverty % is 15.0% This means 46,200,00 people are in

poverty

Poverty is a real concern.

Unemployment Rate

2012 – 8%

Union Local School District (Bethesda area) - Free & Reduced Lunch Program

Number of students in UL= 1,500

% of students on Free or Reduced Lunches=

48%

Number of students on program=

720

What does living in poverty mean?

Poverty is the state or condition of having little/no money, goods, or means of support. “Generational

poverty is defined as being in poverty for two generations or

longer. Situational poverty involves a shorter time and is usually caused by circumstance (i.e., death, illness,

divorce). Sometimes generational poverty began with situational

poverty. There may have been a series of life events that created a

spiral-down effect.” [Bridges out of Poverty]

Did you know?

Most Americans (51.4 percent) will live in poverty

at some point before the age of 65.

Eighty-four percent of low-income families have at

least one working family member.

But why?People do not always end up

in poverty because of poor choices or lack of work ethic. Sometimes people and areas

are taken advantage of by others. Sometimes it is a lack

of jobs or education. There are many reasons for poverty.

Regardless of the reason, we are working to reach out and make a difference to those in

need.

The Bible tells us to…

Love the least and the lost [Matthew 25]

Love our neighbors as ourselves [Mark 12]

Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly

[Micah 6]

Appalachia

The Epworth Center is in Appalachia – a region in the

United States (see picture on following slide)

MAPBelmont County

Appalachia

Appalachia / Bethesda area

There may be different mindsets. Remember, we don’t

all have the same life experiences and ideas.

People are generally private.There may be some who have a

hard time receiving help. Sometimes people think that “we take care of our own” so

they wait to ask for help.

This is rural poverty. There aren’t necessarily

sections of poverty– you may have impoverished homes in between middle/upper class

homes.

Appalachia / Bethesda area

Not everyone we help is in poverty.

Some people are above the poverty level but are struggling

to make ends meet; they may make a decent wage but are

unable to afford a home repair.

Some people are on a fixed income.

This may make it difficult for them to afford repairs on their

homes.

Sometimes it’s about lack of resources.

Tragedy or crisis can hit, making something like a handicap ramp a

necessity, but a family has nowhere to turn for help.

“Unspoken / Hidden Rules”

People in the middle or upper class sometimes make

assumptions that people in poverty do not make.

Consider this for an example of mindsets: Some people in

poverty would know how to...

keep clothes from being stolen at the Laundromat; look for problems in a used car; live

without electricity and a phone; use a knife as scissors;

entertain a group of friends with stories; move in half a day.

What would Jesus have us do?

Remember, we meet people where they are. We may not

agree with some of the things they do, but we show them the love of Christ anyway. We may

not understand the how or why of what they do, but we reach

out to them as we are able. We are the hands, feet and smile of

Jesus. Many of our neighbors need more than a building

repair – they need relationship. They need relationships with

others and, most importantly, with Jesus Christ.

Having a servant’s heartWhile we work together to make real life change, we know this cannot happen overnight. Sometimes the best we can do is reach out and take a step to make a difference… And that’s okay! Remember that we

aren’t all the same, and it’s important to meet people where they are – showing them the love of Jesus Christ through our words and actions. Allow God to work in and through you – and you can and will make a difference in someone’s life through

SOWER [and you will find that through reaching out, God will work in your life too]!

Resources used http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poverty http://

www.ahaprocess.com/files/StudyGuide_BridgesOutofPoverty-012012.pdf

http://www.ahaprocess.com/files/Quiz-HiddenRules.pdf http://www.ministrywith.org/learn/us_poverty.html http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39013.html http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/OHBELM0URN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Ohio http://www.wvablue.com/diary/3664/

A special thank you to Becki Smith, a deacon candidate in the Ohio Valley District UMC, for her help in pulling together information and statistics!