Setting the Economic Captives Free

Survey of Economic Production of Congregation and Community

God commanded us to manage the earth and the resources it produces. This also means to mange wealth.  The following are the beginnings of exploration and discussion to help people move towards productivity.

From Debt to Savings

1.      How do people manage their wealth  in your community? Informal schemes? Banks? Cooperatives? In different countries there are different names - merry-go-rounds, tontines, paluwagans….?

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2.      How do your church members manage wealth?  Is there any difference between your church members and those in the community with regard to debt and management and savings?

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3.      How do people temporarily convert the assets they have (land, jewelry etc) into cash when needed?  Are there pawnbrokers that operate in the community?

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4.      How do people obtain immediate access to sums of money now in exchange for future savings? These are usually known as loans that come through money lenders, cooperatives, banks, savings and credit associations.  What rate of interest do they charge?

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5.      How do people in the community provide for known life-cycle expenses such as births, deaths, marriages etc.?  Is the church different to the community in caring for these events?

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6.      Where do people obtain funds for emergencies?

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Production

7.      How do people in the community find access to money to finance for small economic activities? How do people in the church access such money?

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8.      List the four best ways people in your community actually escape poverty?

a.   What is your church doing to assist them in these four ways?

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9.      Churches help people in the next steps to be successful.  It is helpful to know which steps are most likely to succeed

a.      Describe which were the first businesses in your slum?  Which succeeded? Which failed? Do not encourage your people to do things that fail?

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b.      Which business came next? Which succeeded?

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c.      What businesses are developing now? Which do you think will succeed?

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d.      Considering neighbouring slums, what do you think will be the successful businesses in five years time?

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Deacons/deaconesses:

10. Pastors should never be involved in giving loans to people, because they will not be repaid, for they are trained to be merciful.  Who in your congregation have proven themselves to be good in business, faithful with money, and caring for others? What further steps do you need to take before these people can function as deacons whose task is to help the people with economic productivity, savings and emergency needs?

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© Viv Grigg & Urban Leadership Foundationand other materials © by various contributors & Urban Leadership Foundation,  for The Encarnacao Training Commission.  Last modified: July 2010