Responsive Communities: Faith at Work in Indianapolis 1999-2001
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Responsive Communities was intended to present new ideas for ministry by highlighting local, faith-based responses to important social issues. Responsive Communities, was part of the Project on Religion and Urban Culture.
This newsletter was published from July 1999 to March 2001. Each issue has a topical title.
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Item Congregations and Homosexuality(2001-03)Homosexuality is an increasingly divisive issue for congregations and denominations. Through dialogue, some congregations are trying to better understand—and reconcile, if possible—the polarized positions. This issue represents the last in our series of Responsive Communities: Faith at Work in Indianapolis.Item Hunger Relief(2001-02) Slutz, TedMillions of Americans live with the threat of going hungry. Congregations and religious organizations provide food to the hungry, promote self-sufficiency, and lobby for public policies to relieve hunger.Item Congregations, Spirituality, and Health(2001-01) Slutz, TedBoth medical science and cultural trends have focused attention recently on the connection between faith and healing, a subject about whch congregations have had conflicting opinions. Congregations are reclaiming spirituality’s role in health care through religious services and programs intended to promote health and healing.Item Congregations and 12-step Recovery(2000-11) Slutz, TedEach year, millions of Americans seek help for addictions of all kinds. Some congregations host 12-step groups, and other congregations form their own recovery support groups.Item Congregations and Community Banking(2000-10) Slutz, TedLow-income communities often have no access, or only limited access, to banking services and investment capital. Congregations have started credit unions to leverage the economic resources of their members and neighborhoods.Item Youth Mentoring(2000-09) Slutz, TedMany children have few positive adult influences and limited opportunities to learn fundamental social skills. Congregations have established mentoring programs to instill discipline, transmit values, and provide positive role models to the city’s most vulnerable youth.Item Prison Ministry(2000-07) Slutz, TedA large number of U.S. residents are in jail or prison: a situation that burdens the imprisoned, their families, and society. Faith-based organizations are working to reduce recidivism and to serve the imprisoned in various ways: by seeking their religious conversion, by reaching out to their family members, and by promoting legal reforms.Item Congregations and Non-member Weddings(2000-06) Slutz, TedCongregations are often approached by non-member couples seeking to have a church wedding. While many congregations desire a more visible presence in their community, these weddings can be problematic. Many congregations decline all such requests by non-members, while other will host such weddings only under certain conditions.Item Urban-Suburban Partnerships(2000-05) Slutz, TedUrban congregations often have great needs, but lack the human and financial resources available in suburban congregations. Partnerships between urban and suburban congregations match resources with needs and create opportunities for interaction among people of diverse backgrounds.Item Ministerial Alliances(2000-04) Slutz, TedCongregations often have little information about the activities and programs of other congregations. Ministerial alliances provide clergy with an opportunity to share information and a forum for addressing common concerns.