Launching a Microfinance Ministry

Image by davesag via Flickr

This week, as we continue the Epiphany emphasis on identifying who Jesus the Messiah is, we'll be proclaiming the text from Luke 4:14-21 in which Jesus launches his ministry in Galilee by declaring “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
As those called to be the living hands of Christ enfleshing the good news to the poor in our time, we do well to be intentional about helping the poor in ways that point to enduring deliverance from the structures of poverty.
With that in mind, we hope to launch a Life Group at St. Anne's Church that is committed to helping the poor in a way that promises to make a lasting difference over time. As you may know, Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for their pioneering work on microfinance. Our new ministry is aimed at learning how we can lend a hand to the poor by leveraging this important new way of helping the poor help themselves.



The Microfinance Life Group will do two things in parallel. First, we'll read together and discuss some books about poverty and microfinance to educate ourselves on the problem and this new way of being a part of the solution. Also, we'll practice what we are learning by forming a parish microfinance team that is similar conceptually to the old-fashioned investment clubs with which many have some experience. The Microfinance Life Group will review the stories of entrepreneurs in very poor nations and select a portfolio of individuals to whom we will make microfinance loans - usually in the amounts of $25 to $100. On an ongoing basis, we'll get together to review our portfolio, to make additional microfinance loans when it seems right to do so, and to share in the success stories of the entrepreneurs as they repay their loans.
This is sure to be a fun learning experience and a great way for parishioners to enjoy each other's fellowship as they grow together in discipleship by aligning their passions with Christ's ministry to the poor.