Shaping Families

A Safe Place to Live

“Forty-four percent of all homeless people work, have jobs, and yet can’t afford housing. So this is wrong, it’s just simply wrong from a biblical point of view.” —Jim Wallis

Jim Wallis is no stranger to advocating strongly for the poor and homeless. He’s spent the better part of his life putting his faith in action for those who need a voice.

Listen - Transcript - Study Guide

Potluck

Rebecca Thatcher Murcia

When I took my sons to live in a low-income neighborhood in small-town Colombia two years ago, the last thing I expected to find was that Colombia is ahead of the United States in some areas.

Video
Building on Faith: Making Poverty Housing History
A Third Way Media documentary exploring how faith groups and others are working to bring decent, affordable housing to all. 

Books
Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street — A Moral Compass for the New Economy, Jim Wallis

Online
DOOR Urban Service Organization
Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) is a faith-based network of urban service-learning programs that expose, educate, challenge, and motivate participants to respond to the issues and concerns facing an increasingly urban world.  Program offerings range from a weekend to a year and include opportunities for individuals and groups.

Habitat for Humanity

Video
ABC News Nightline “America’s Working Poor”

Book
Invisible City: Poverty, Housing, and New Urbanism, John Gilderbloom

For Someone, Their Path out of Poverty Crosses Mine

Burton Buller

It’s perhaps a parent’s worst nightmare to realize a child has gone missing. Imagine the desperate search when it happened to Wilma, our guest next week. Hear about her struggle to forgive after the tragedy of her child’s abduction.

Desperation Chili

In her "My Turn" column this week, Rebecca Thatcher Murcia describes a year living with her family in Colombia. When she discovered an unusual bean in the market, she remembered her late husband's rule that "everything starts with frying garlic and onions, and created this chili dish.  Her then 12-year-old said, "I'm the authority on chili.  It passes." 

• Shaping Families Update - May 12
• Shaping Families Update - May 5
• Shaping Families Update - April 28
• Shaping Families Update - April 21

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