Broken Bread Newsletter of Social Ministries for Peace & Justice, Des Moines Presbytery Volume 28 Number 1 SHARING RESOURCES, CHANGING LIVES Assistance each receive 32%. This issue: One Great Hour of Sharing This special offering funds three very important ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): The Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self- Development of People, serving people here in the presbytery, the state of Iowa, the nation and around the world. How much do you know about the many and farreaching programs supported by OGHS? ---------------------- EDITOR: HAE Nancy Lister-Settle PRESBYTERY OF DES MOINES 2400 86 th Street, Ste. 20 Urbandale, IA 50322-4306 www.presbyteryofdesmoines.org ---------------------- from www.pcusa.org/oghs Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God s love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities. Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future. The Presbyterian Hunger Program receives 36% of undesignated One Great Hour of Sharing gifts, while Self Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster HUNGER IN A WORLD OF PLENTY from Church World Service Facts Have Faces There is food enough for all, yet hunger persists. 1.02 billion people are hungry worldwide. Simply put, one in seven people doesn t get enough to eat and as many as half of them are children. In fact, hunger is increasing dramatically in many parts of the world, due in part to a pervasive world food crisis and rocketing food prices that have pushed another 100 million into poverty. For millions of the poorest people, food has become unaffordable. Most live in the so-called developing world. But hunger haunts us at home, too, and the number of poor and hungry among our fellow citizens
continues to rise as a result of severe economic recession. The world has made great strides in the struggle against hunger, but we re a long way from realizing the benchmark of the Millennium Development Goals to cut in half by 2015 the proportion of people who suffer hunger. The roots of hunger are found in persistent poverty, war, corrupt governance, ignorance and disease and more recently in inequitable trade patterns and the effects of climate change on water resources and local food production. The causes are interrelated and they combine to produce increasingly critical levels of hunger, like the twisted roots of a weed choking the life from a tender plant. There are solutions. Working together, we can build a world where there is enough for all. if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noon day. Isaiah 58:10 THE PRESBYTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM from www.pcusa.org/hunger The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) is a ministry of the PC(USA) working with congregations and partners around the globe to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes. To achieve this ambitious mission of the church, PHP works in partnership with programs that address hunger and its causes in the United States and around the world. Through your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing PHP is able to support projects in our five program areas. Direct Food Relief 925 million people in the world suffer from chronic hunger (www.fao.org/hunger). While malnutrition and starvation affect more people in developing countries, hunger also stalks the poor in the U.S. As Christians we demonstrate our love for sisters and brothers by supporting programs which ensure that food is available to those in need while also working on longer term solutions. In the United States, PHP supports congregational food pantries, soup kitchens and church gardens that provide fresh produce for those in immediate need. Internationally, PHP builds grain banks, provides local seeds to small farmers and helps establish food sovereignty in developing countries. Development Assistance Acknowledging that we have much to learn from sisters and brothers, PHP encourages and supports land ownership by the poor, appropriate agricultural technology, rural community development, cooperative economic development, effective soil conservation, water resource development, equitable food distribution, community organizing, and nutrition education. PHP grants support food cooperatives, job training, agricultural development, micro enterprise and micro credit, community organizing, nutrition education and water projects.
Influencing Public Policy PHP recognizes that Presbyterians must stand for justice in those arenas where the voices of the poor are not heard. It supports organizations and coalitions which advocate for public policies that provide food for poor and hungry people and empower their selfdevelopment. PHP grants and partnerships support advocacy for child nutrition programs, welfare reform that provides real opportunity, foreign aid directed toward the needs of the poor, sustainable agricultural practices and the survival of family farms, trade policies which protect the most vulnerable and debt relief for the poorest nations. Lifestyle Integrity How we live our individual and family lives is a very personal matter, but it also has global implications. In this world where some go hungry because other consume too much, PHP encourages families, church groups, and institutions to evaluate their own needs and develop new ways of being more caring and sharing of the world s resources in obedience to the Gospel. PHP provides resources for simpler lifestyles, simpler observance of Christmas, spiritual development and sharing resources. Education and Interpretation Learning about hunger and our response to it begins with the Bible. The Old Testament abounds with stories, prophecies, and psalms about God's concern for justice for those who are oppressed and about God s desire that God's people will be instruments of that justice. Likewise, the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament affirm his special love and ministry for the poor, the hungry and the downtrodden. As his disciples we are called to follow him in this love and ministry. PHP provides resources for studying these scriptures, educates the church about hunger-related issues, and shares stories from programs supported by PHP grants. Through these efforts, it nurtures the connections between Presbyterians and God s people around the world. PHP provides funding and staff support for a national network of Hunger Action Enablers, the development of Bible study resources, educational resources for congregations, programs educating the public on the reality of hunger and education and action resources for youth. PHP PROGRAMS PHP provides educational, mission and action programs for Presbyterians passionate about living out God's call to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. PHP staff coordinate each of the following programs which address many or all of the five areas above. Joining Hands Joining Hands is a holistic international hunger ministry. The program builds bridges of solidarity between coalitions of churches in the United States and networks of overseas churches, grassroots groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The focus of the program is to address the inequities and suffering resulting from the
spread of globalization, through community education, advocacy, alternative The Presbytery of Des Moines has been partnered with the Egyptian Joining Hands network, Together for Family Development, since 2000. If you are interested in learning more about the goals and accomplishments of TFD and how to join the Presbytery of Des Moines Joining Hands Team contact HAE Nancy Lister-Settle: 515-992-3639, neitherthecat@gmail.com. economic activities, lifestyle changes and spiritual grounding. It aims at restoring the wholeness of God's creation and the healing of the human family across faiths, races and cultures through prayer, mutual visits, humble accompaniment, repentance and mutual transformation. Enough for Everyone Enough for Everyone is a lifestyle integrity and education program. It focuses on the big picture of our economic lives and asks not what our dollars do in the offering plate, but what our dollars do at the market place. It helps Presbyterians ask themselves questions like: Does my coffee provide good wages to small farmers or does it enrich CEOs at the expense of the producers? Are our Palm Sunday palms damaging God s creation? Is my savings account supporting development and women s rights or fueling human rights abuses? Were our youth group T-shirts printed in a sweatshop? Campaign for Fair Food The PC(USA) Campaign for Fair Food addresses farm worker rights and human trafficking in the United States. The campaign specifically calls upon retail food corporations to end the poverty, forced labor and other human rights abuses faced by Florida tomato pickers by establishing socially responsible purchasing practices. Working in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and other supporting organizations, the campaign has been successful in achieving landmark agreements with some of the largest food corporations in the world: Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC), McDonald s, Burger King, Subway, Whole Foods Market, Bon Appétit, and food service providers Compass Group, Aramark and Sodexo. These agreements are changing the very structure of the food system so that it ensures the well-being of the men and women who harvest. Food and Faith Initiative Food and Faith explores the relationship between our food sources and how they relate to our moral beliefs. It examines the physical and spiritual aspect of nourishment. The initiative exists online as a blog, but it weaves its way into nearly everything that PHP does. Much of PHP s funding is allocated towards food justice for poor people in the United States and food sovereignty for developing nations worldwide. Presbyterians can learn about Food and Faith through educational resources like the Just Eating Curriculum and by participating in special events such as the 12-month series of 40-hour fasts in response to the global food crisis. Hunger Action Enablers PHP supports more than 50 Hunger Action Enablers (HAEs) in Presbyteries across the country. HAEs
are individuals dedicated to hunger ministry in their local region. Congregation-Based Community Organizing Four percent of the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering is designated for Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO), a strategy for rebuilding communities, revitalizing congregations and developing individuals into effective leaders and change agents. The office of Small Church and Community Ministry, together with the Presbyterian Hunger Program support CBCO through scholarships, trainings, organizations and networks. HUNGER ACTION ENABLER OWNER S MANUAL Operating and Service Instructions Please read carefully before using your HAE Thank You for Choosing Your HAE If you are a member of a church in the Presbytery of Des Moines, you have selected a dedicated Hunger Action Enabler (HAE) created to give you years of service. The HAE is designed to be user friendly and can be activated with an email or telephone call. How to Start Using Your HAE This Owner s Manual describes the ways you and your church can put your HAE to work: Invite the HAE to speak Ask for help with hunger activities Use hunger resources Promote special offerings Operating Instructions SPEAKING The Hunger Action Enabler is available to speak at your church. The presentation can be designed to fit your needs, from worship to workshop, for adults to youth. HUNGER ACTIVITIES If your church would like help creating a hunger committee, or if your church s hunger committee would like help planning a local hunger awareness or assistance activity, call on the Hunger Action Enabler. If you need ideas for your church school, Presbyterian Women or deacons, simply call on the HAE to get started. The HAE works directly with the Social Ministries Task Force, but is also available to work on activities with other presbytery committees. RESOURCES The newsletter Broken Bread is published four times a year to inform churches and subscribers about timely hunger, peace and justice issues. The newsletter is free and you can become a subscriber simply by contacting the Presbytery Office. You can choose to receive Broken Bread electronically or in paper form. If your church has an active hunger program, tell the HAE so she can share your story and learn from your successes.
The HAE has a file cabinet bulging with resources for hunger programs and she is eager to share them. And the Iowa Religious Media Center has books, videos and other materials useful to education and planning in your church. SPECIAL OFFERINGS Major funding for the Presbyterian Hunger Program is provided by gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing. Grants from the Presbytery of Des Moines Rural Partnership Offering fund development and assistance projects and programs within the presbytery and in El Salvador and Egypt through our international partnerships. The HAE can help your church interpret and promote these offerings with creative and useful resources. Parts Identification Initially funded by the PC(USA) Women s Birthday Offering, our original Hunger Action Enabler Network served as a model for the hunger programs in other denominations. From the original 14 enablers in 1973, the number of HAEs has increased to over 100. Most work on a part-time basis for presbyteries. The Hunger Action Enabler s goal is to involve an increasing number of Presbyterians in the elimination of hunger. The Presbyterian Hunger Program lists five program areas: Direct Food Relief, Development, Public Policy Advocacy, Lifestyle Integrity, and Education and Interpretation. For Service HAE Nancy Lister-Settle Presbytery of Des Moines P.O. Box 333 2400 86 th Street, Suite 20 Dallas Center, IA 50063-0333 Urbandale, IA 50322-4306 515-992-3639 515-276-4991 neitherthecat@gmail.com pbydesmoines@presbyteryofdesmoines.org PARTNERSHIP FOR DISASTER AID AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT from www.pcusa.org/pda Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is an active member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance. By working together with and through our ACT partners, PDA is able to extend its reach and work more quickly and efficiently to respond to human suffering. Just before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ prayed: My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one --John 17: 20 22 For this reason, it is always a great source of joy and delight when Christians and churches join together in the unity of the body of Jesus Christ. Our unity is an expression of love, and it is love that will change this world to make it a better place for all humanity. What Is ACT Alliance? ACT Alliance is the coordinating office that brings together a worldwide network of Protestant and Orthodox churches and their related agencies for long-term development and humanitarian assistance. It was formed in March 2010 by joining together the ministries of ACT International and ACT Development.
What Was ACT International? ACT International, a global ecumenical organization, was formed in 1995 as a result of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, when churches and their related agencies around the world responded to the disaster through a mechanism that was ACT's precursor the then Church Action Aid. A key purpose ACT was to have an entity to ensure an appropriate standard of humanitarian assistance was provided to families adversely affected by disaster. ACT International and its members (as are current members of ACT Alliance) are signatories to the Code of Conduct in Disaster Relief and aim to uphold the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, known as the Sphere standards. What Was ACT Development? While ACT International was working to coordinate ecumenical work in emergency relief; there was a need for a similar mechanism for collaboration once the immediate emergency was over. ACT Development was formed in 2006 as a means to address the then changing context of development work and sought to enhance collaboration and mutual accountability between churches working in the field of development and to increase the visibility of ecumenical work. Better Together The merger of ACT International and ACT Development provides the opportunity to better link emergency humanitarian assistance and sustainable development. When the emergency is over, and the funds donated for emergency response run out, churches continue to be present; they are the organization at the end of the street or village, which remains when all others have gone. SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE from www.pcusa.org/sdop Mission of SDOP Self-Development of People is a ministry that affirms God s concern for humankind. We are Presbyterians and ecumenical partners, dissatisfied with poverty and oppression, united in faith and action through sharing, confronting and enabling. We participate in the empowerment of economically poor, oppressed and disadvantaged people who are seeking to change the structures that perpetuate poverty, oppression and injustice. Foundation of SDOP Presbyterians have traditionally valued selfdetermination. It is a concept deeply rooted in the Christian Church s philosophy and in the pioneering spirit of the United States. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), through the Self- Development of People ministry, considers the application of this concept a crucial element in turning the tables on despair here and abroad. It affirms the concept demonstrated by Christ and His mission. By His actions, Jesus demonstrated His belief in people as children of a loving God. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues that mission by exercising the same belief in the practical terms of our own day and age. Christians recognize their own need for independence and self-respect. Through the work of the Self- Development of People ministry, Presbyterians have the opportunity to be partners in development so that others may grow with dignity. That some of our sisters and brothers are forced to beg for human dignity is absolutely scandalous to the Kingdom to which we have been called to witness. May God provoke us to give our money, our time and our talents to programs of selfdevelopment as an evangelical witness to the
good news of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ. "I want to remind you that God cares, God cares about injustice, about oppression, about exploitation." Bishop Desmond Tutu SDOP IN IOWA Self-Development of People has provided grants to a number of Iowa-based projects over the years. One example is The Positive Enhancement of People: Eastwood Resident Association in Ames. This community is a HUD housing development for low-income people. They are isolated from the Ames community and even from each other within the four buildings of the housing development. There is no public transportation in the area. Through planning, training, community activities and a Wheels to Work program, this community can now proactively address the issues of isolation. They received $25,000 from SDOP to initiate the program that helps people to help themselves. WHAT MAKES SDOP DIFFERENT? Self-Development is not charity. Rather, it is a ministry in which people join together to share and use the human and material resources God has provided. Self-Development is the freeing of a person to be the kind of person God intended, because all humanity was created in God's image. It is human dignity and worth; it is justice; it is spiritual, social, political and cultural freedom. It partners with those oppressed by poverty, who have decided what they will do to change their situation. It is the Church in action made possible by the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. WATER AND LIGHT from The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, Stories That Make a Difference In its efforts to increase the number of communities which benefit from Self- Development grants, it partners, for up to threeyear periods, with other organizations whose criteria are similar to its own. The Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS) is one such organization. CEOSS, located in Egypt, is divided into five sectors, one of which is The Comprehensive Development Program. It is designed to lead toward a single goal of self-reliance in developing a village s ability and desire to help itself. It is this program which acts as an intermediary for the Self- Development of People to become a positive force in restoring hope in very depressed situations and as a channel for expediting the funding of projects. Two such programs are: Abu Gelban Clean Water Project The majority of residents in the province of Minia who received funding are poor landless farmers, seasonal workers, and daily laborers, with an average family income of $200 annually. Most live in areas lacking sanitation and other facilities needed for survival clean water and basic services. Education, health services, and other essentials are severely lacking or non-existent. The Abu Gelban Clean Water Project benefited over 6,000 persons in the province. Through this undertaking, the village people installed latrines, connected their homes to a clean water supply, and dug deep wells which provide uncontaminated water for their
animals and irrigation for their crops. The people of Abu Gelban have been so inspired by the difference the water project has made in their lives, they are now training other community people to take leadership roles in working towards solutions of other problems, such as housing for the poorest of the poor, education, health issues, veterinary concerns, and economic development of the community. Beni Mohamed Sharawi Electricity Project Electricity, as a safe source of lighting, has been installed in homes of 50 poor and low income families, which consist of 400 people. The small village of Beni Mohamed Sharawi, in the province of Minia, is inhabited by 3,500 persons; the majority are poor landless farm workers. Before electricity, the source of lighting was kerosene lanterns, which produced waste that led to health problems. Also, kerosene use often resulted in fires. Electricity now provides a healthy and safer method of lighting. Its installation has eased the economic burden, since it is cheaper than kerosene. A further benefit of electricity is the opportunity provided poor families to use electrical equipment, such as radios and television, which connects them with the outside world. A local executive committee comprised of the owners of the houses needing electricity, electricians who work in the community, and a specialized electrical technician living in the village contracted with the governmental authority responsible for installing electricity to make the examination of each home. The committee also was responsible for collecting 50% of the cost of installation. Through the efforts of this executive committee, the villagers were organized to contribute the labor, electrical tools, and other materials necessary to carry out the project. The remaining amount of the funding came through the partnering of SDOP and CEOSS. As a result of the experience gained by the committee in organizing, in contracting with governmental authorities, in learning to work and pool their resources, they have begun to implement other projects to improve life in their community. [CEOSS is a member of the Together for Family Development network Joining Hands partners with the Presbytery of Des Moines.] PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE from www.pcusa.org/pda Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. PDA is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The core budget, including staff and administrative costs, is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing, and its program work is additionally funded through designated gifts.
REBUILDING IN EASTERN IOWA Two years have passed since flooding devastated much of eastern Iowa, and for cities and towns throughout the area, rebuilding continues. More than 3,900 volunteers have served in Iowa, helping families to rebuild what the water destroyed. Volunteers served by helping clean up and rebuild more than 625 homes. Last spring, PDA participated with Church World Service in hosting a 6-week ecumenical work project in Cedar Rapids. In partnership with two local organizations, the Linn Area Long- Term Recovery Coalition and Block-by-Block, volunteers worked toward getting families back into their homes. Dan and Sandy, displaced from their home for nearly two years, thought they would never be able to return to their home of 40 years. In the spring of 2010 they celebrated a dream come true. They were one of 14 families who received assistance from about 400 volunteers during the special weeks. from Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, Bound Brook, NJ Remember your earliest lessons about sharing? At the time, sharing may have seemed like a burden, a needless sacrifice giving up part of what you believed was rightfully yours. Over time, however, we come to realize that all of our gifts come from God, and that sharing actually enriches us. In blessing others with our gifts, goodness and love flow from our hearts. And blessing returns to us, subtly but surely changing us, building that desire to respond even more generously to God s call to do good and to share what we have. One Great Hour of Sharing offers an opportunity for each of us to share with people in need around the world giving them much more than a handout. When we share our resources, we help to ensure that children suffering from disease not only receive treatment, but enjoy the benefits of a community made safer with proper sanitation and clean sources of water. We partner with a family living in hunger, offering them not just food, but the tools and training to build a sustainable source of income for themselves improving their world and ours. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. Hebrews 13:16A When we share our resources through One Great Hour of Sharing, we make a difference in the lives of others. We reach around the world, giving shape to the heart of Christ. And when we understand how the blessing of sharing changes lives, our own lives are never again the same. SHARING BRINGS JOY to Others, to God, and to Us.
GRAINS OF TRUTH Go to the people Live with them Learn from them Love them Start with what they know Build with what they have But with the best leaders When the work is done The task accomplished The people will say We have done this ourselves! Lao Tsu (700 BC) If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together. African Proverb
Broken Bread Presbytery of Des Moines 2400 86 th Street Urbandale, IA 50322-4306 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1689 Des Moines, Iowa Return Service Requested IN THIS ISSUE: Sharing Resources, Changing Lives Hunger in a World of Plenty The Presbyterian Hunger Program Hunger Action Enabler Owner s Manual Partnership for Disaster Aid and Sustainable Development Self-Development of People Water and Light Presbyterian Disaster Assistance One Great Hour of Sharing Grains of Truth