Survey: Are Churches Doing Enough to Help the Poor?
April 23, 2008
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April 22, 2008
Most Americans believe their church is doing enough to help the poor but recorded increases in the national poverty level indicate that Christians are disconnected with the reality of people in need.
A national survey, released Monday, showed 67 percent of Americans – over half of whom attend church at least once a month – agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "My church already does enough to help the poor in my community." Less than half (42 percent) said their church spends more money on itself than on the community.
But Steve Haas, vice president for church relations at World Vision, believes Christians are just "scratching the surface" when it comes to serving their communities.
Pointing to the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics that show the national poverty level increased from 11.7 percent in 2001 to 13.3 percent in 2005, Haas highlighted the discrepancy between what Christians believe and what's really happening.
The reason for the disconnect, he says, is ignorance and a level of fear.
"The definition of outreach typically of the church is proclamation. [But] outreach is my reaching out in some form of compassion that could be listening or an act of service," Haas told The Christian Post. "Actions speak much louder than words."
Giving churches an impetus to take church outside the buildings, World Vision partnered with two other Christian organizations – Outreach and Zondervan – to launch Faith in Action two years ago. The campaign, which takes place on April 27 this year, invites churches to take a "time out" by closing their doors on Sunday and mobilizing on service projects within their communities.
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