Rationing Resources

I appreciate that everyone is not into numbers the way I am, but I am going to there any way.

There are roughly 71,500 people in Hancock County, 43.15% of Hoosiers identify as Christian.

If Hancock County Christians tithed their waking hours that would make 345,545 hours per week available for Hancock County churches and non-profits.

If believers in this country were to tithe, there would be enough in five years to relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases, eliminate illiteracy, solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, fully fund all current overseas mission work with roughly $100 billion left over.

I pause to let those two statistics soak in.

Reality check – Hancock County churches and non-profits, like those in the rest of the country, are falling behind in their efforts to meet the need – due to a shortage of resources.  The percentage of unmet needs is increasing.

This is not intended as a guilt trip. Hancock County has been very generous in their support of missions work. My point is to demonstrate the importance of an organization like Love INC. With limited resources available to meet the need there is, by definition, rationing of those resources. They can either be rationed by who gets to them first or through a planned, prayerful discernment of where they will do the most good.

You see, the primary purpose of Love INC (#loveinc-ghc) is not to feed the hungry, house the homeless or clothe the naked. Rather our charge is to be a resource to the churches in Hancock County to help make their efforts and those of the agencies and non profits in the county more efficient and effective so that the limited resources we have available go to those in most need, with a stated mission of transforming lives in the name of Christ.

We practice, and equip the churches to practice, Redemptive Compassion which is far different than charity compassion. Let me be quick to say that I am not criticizing Charity Compassion – the feeding of the hungry, housing the homeless and clothing the naked. This is a necessary and important part of serving our neighbors. But that is not, nor can it be (with the limited resources) the permanent solution to meeting needs. Meeting the immediate crisis need must lead to a means of getting the family the right kind of support in order to get them back to being self-sufficient. That is Redemptive Compassion and that is where Love INC’s calling is.

Redemptive Compassion core principles:

• See everyone’s value.
• Invest relationally in others.
• Help everyone achieve their God-given potential.
• Require mutual contribution and participation.
• Respond with wisdom and discernment.
• Serve in ways that transform.

 How do we do that?

Clearinghouse volunteers listen to the stories of those who call in, pray with them, try to get them connected to a church and connect them to resources to meet their immediate need. Those resources might be one of our volunteers to give them a ride to the Dr or a job interview, someone to fix a leaky faucet or to one of our gap ministries – furniture & appliance, h20, clothing pantry or our newest gap ministry, the Giving Ministry at Trinity Park that has baby items available. We will also encourage them to register for one of our Transformational ministry resources and tools – Job skills training, Cooking on a Budget classes or setting them up with a mentor to work with them to better manage the money they do have.

Where might you fit in?

Complete a talent tithe

Add your name to our database of available volunteers to be on call

Donate

Furniture or appliances

Baby items

Support us financially on Match Day July 24.