NIC Children and Poverty Report

"How are the children?" opens each meeting of the North Indiana Conference Bishop's Task Force on Children and Poverty, as we share about children touching our hearts, whether in Indiana or in other parts of God's world. The churches and communities of our conference responded passionately this past year, as they gave time, money, and prayers.

• Year 2003

  In April over 400 United Methodists from across our state, joined under sunny skies to walk from Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, to the State Capitol. "United for Children" was co-coordinated by Kim White and the committee from South Conference, and sponsored in part by Clarian Health Partners, Inc. and Indiana United Methodist Churches. Governor Frank O'Bannon was among several leaders who raised issues facing our children and families, as we stood together on the steps of the Capitol, adults and children, diverse races and ethnicities, supporting a common concern.

  "Blankets with a Blessing" brought in truck loads of blankets, estimated over 2,300 that were collected during North Indiana Annual Conference Session last May. Recipients of the shared blessing of blankets were children in Appalachian Henderson Settlement, Native Americans of South Dakota, and African refugees through Operation Classroom. Monetary donations amounting to $8,815.09 were also received at Annual Conference for the Surviving Orphan Children of Murewa, Zimbabwe.

• Year 2004

  The church delegates to Annual Conference this year were encourage to bring towels, bar soap, and diapers for: Wash 'n' Dry. The 2004 recipients will be Red Bird Henderson Settlement, Midwest Distribution Center, Operation Classroom, and Native Americans of South Dakota. Monetary advance special donations will go to Haiti's school hot lunch program and Grace Children's hospital in Haiti.

  In addition, generous donations received in special offerings have also increased the money in the Children and Poverty budget to allow us to donate $2000 back to Camps and Conferences earlier this year. That division will award the camperships based on need to children attending camps this summer.

In 1995, the Bishops of the United Methodist Church began this initiative that calls the church to study and action. The Children and Poverty initiative has three goals:

1. To reshape the church so that we can evaluate everything we do in light of the effect it has on children and those who are in poverty;
2. To provide resources to help the church understand the crisis that children and the poor are facing and to examine ways that the Church can respond to this crisis; and
3. To proclaim to and with children and those oppressed by poverty the good news of God's redeeming, reconciling, and transforming grace through Jesus Christ.

The Book of Resolutions has two sections specifically related to Children (57), and Poverty (147). As people of faith and religious commitment, we are called to stand with and seek justice for people who are poor. We have not done enough to lead the local churches in this advocacy effort. We could never do enough to eliminate the systemic problems that harness the lives of children and the poor. The task force now hopes to follow-up on the issues that were raised at the United We Stand" March into the next quadrennial, under a new Bishop. We will embrace the efforts of Campaign for Hoosier Families, an alliance of faith-based organizations in support of Indiana's children and families and several members of this task force will lead us in this effort. Another focus for 2005 shall be to discern the best use for offering monies donated toward children and poverty projects to benefit the most.

Finally, we offer a sincere thank you and best wishes to retiring Bishop Woodie W. White and Executive Assistant to the Bishop, Dr. James Jones who have led us to be compassionate, advocates in community with Children and the Poor. We pray that God can use us to make a difference and we hope that that difference will allow some child to sleep without fear, live without hunger and experience God's love, in our local communities and across the continent and oceans.