Ending poverty

The St. Paul area synod of the ELCA has been working for a while now on its “Ending poverty initiative,” which is seeking to ensure that no person is forced to live in poverty in the St. Paul area by 2010. Last night some of their leaders gave a presentation at Luther on various elements of this initiative, including their “audacious expectations.” I was really moved, and also energized by the stories and analysis they shared. In particular, I found the analysis that Jodi Pfarr presented compelling and insightful. I haven’t been introduced much, prior to this, to the work of Ruby Payne, but I think there are pieces here that are unusually important right now in the context of the US. Pfarr works with Dr. Payne, and builds on her work to help local communities understand some of the cultural dynamics of class in the US. The St. Paul ELCA is doing some of this via online courses, which should be a great resource for other people, too.