This is the book I have been waiting for somebody to publish for years...HOPE for Children in Poverty: Profiles and Possibilities is one of the most essential tools that I would recommend as a must read for anyone involved in youth work in the United States. Edited by Ron Sider and Heidi Unruh, they take us deep into the world of children and youth who are suffering the ravaging abuse of poverty.
The first section deals with the lives of children in poverty. They are not merely presenting quantitative evidence of poverty, but are also amplifying the voices of these children that qualitatively support why poverty is an issue that desperately needs to be addressed in this nation.
The second section explores the special concerns of children in poverty - addressing the difficulties of family life, and need for reform in education-, health care-, and welfare-systems. However, this book is not simply a rant complaining about the problems - it also looks at the possibilities that exist - profiling (in particular) faith-based initiatives that are responding to the cries of today's youth.
In the third section, they explore Biblical reflection on children in poverty. As an evangelical, I appreciate their reminder that our commitment to reclaim children and youth is rooted at the core of our faith tradition. This is not something to be a sidebar of our faith - it is at the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
The Appendices are worth their weight in gold - loading the reader with a ton of recommended resources that help us understand child poverty and mobilize the church to respond to poverty. I was especially encouraged when they quote Railton School's theme verse: Isaiah 1:17 - stating, "God is inviting you to 'learn to do good.' ...Just as the needs are great, the possibilities for ministry are endless. No one can do everything... but we are all called to do something" (p.164). I challenge you to READ THIS BOOK - it is a manifesto truly on reclaiming children and youth.
As I read these articles from youth work giants like Marian Wright Edelman, Jonathon Kozol, and Amy Sherman; I find myself encouraged, challenged, and fueled to continue to do my utmost to be like Jesus. I pray that you, too will experience the fire in the belly I felt after reading this.
Click here to access the study guide that Judson Press has put out to accompany this book.
1 comment:
Thanks, Steve, for providing this helpful review and recommnedation of this book. I found another review of it on EMQ's April 2008 edition. I was also sorry to not find any readers reviews on Amazon's site. Perhaps you could take your blog and enter much or all of it there. Just a thought.
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