Safety Nets

Trinity Institute in January 2015 will present Creating Common Good, a practical conference for economic equality.  In the second of a series of video segments examining the economic condition of the nation and the world, author and blogger Rachel Held Evans takes us to her small rural community, introducing us to people who are working hard at their jobs---and still struggling.  Learn more about Trinity Institute here. 

Advent Questions for Reflection

Learn more about the curriculum here. 

Set aside 50 minutes with your small group. Watch the video together. Then discuss questions such as the following, or others that feel relevant to your community. 1) Can you think of and describe circumstances in your community that, as Rachel puts it, “grieve the heart of God”? 2) In the video, Carla says her personal struggles help her to empathize with people she encounters. When have your own struggles made you more able to help others? 3) Walter Ring’s philosophy is, “If you want to help people, make sure you’re helping them in a respectful, responsible way that empowers them to take care of themselves.” What does this mean to you? 4) Rachel says that “Christians are called to be one another’s safety nets.” Are there ministries that your faith community is involved in that do that, or ones you could create? What would be needed to get those ministries started or to take them to the next level? 5) Before you finish in prayer, ask what new possibilities you see, based on today’s discussion.