This is a research-based course designed to help people better understand how socioeconomic class has affected them. Bridges covers the “hidden rules” of class (poverty, middle, and wealthy) and helps people from all walks of life to better understand and communicate with people from a diversity of backgrounds.

Bridges also assists participants with understanding how to suspend their assumptions so as to begin building meaningful relationships across socioeconomic lines.

Whether you are serving an hour a year or 10 hours a week, in our community or elsewhere, this training is for you!

This is required training for Circle Allies.

Led by nationally certified facilitators through aha! Process, Inc. (www.ahaprocess.com)

Upcoming Date: Postponed, Date TBD

Time: TBD

Location: TBD

Fee: TBD

Facilitators: 
Mariam Mengistie*, Executive Director of Missions
Lynette Fields*, Executive Director of Community Transformation

*nationally certified trainers through aha! Process, Inc. (ahaprocess.com)

The Cost of Poverty Experience is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live as a typical low-income family in the U.S. It is a two hour simulation and debriefing that provides a brief glimpse into what it feels like to walk for a month in the shoes of families trying their best to just survive with incomes between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level. C.O.P.E. is an invaluable experience for people who, instead of merely talking about poverty as a problem, choose to be part of the solution to end poverty. This training is appropriate for middle school age and older individuals and for everyone serving locally.  

Led by nationally trained facilitators through Think Tank, Inc.

Upcoming Date: TBA

Time: TBA

Location: TBA

A recent Cost of Poverty Experience was featured on the Project Community Program on WESH 2. Click the link below to view.

Participants will cover the “hidden rules” of class (poverty, middle, and wealthy) and help people from all walks of life to better understand and communicate with people from a diversity of backgrounds based on the work of Ruby Payne. Participants will also gain a better understanding of our community transformation vision, how St. Luke’s understands mission from a United Methodist perspective, what the Bible says about poverty, and asset-based development.

This class will meet the requirement for Circles Allies, Family Advocates and others interested in serving in relationship-oriented mission ministries.

Bob Lupton, the author, has more than 30 years of community transformation experience in Atlanta. He wrote this book with the hope of offering tools and inspiration for the development of healthy, community driven programs that produce deep, measurable, and lasting change – transformative charity that produces community development.

To get a copy of this book, contact Amy Winslow at awinslow@st.lukes.org                                                                                                                                           

CQ is the capability to function effectively in a variety of cultural contexts—including national, ethnic, organizational, generational, and many other cultures. Enhance the multicultural understanding and effectiveness of your ministry with this only evidence-based assessment of Cultural Intelligence (CQ). This is for anyone wanting to participate in a global ministry team or serving locally in a cross-cultural setting.

Upcoming Event Date: TBA