Contact: Jon Hirst, The Well, 719-362-5235, jhirst@dotheword.org
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- October 17th marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the U.N. recently released this year's theme of "Children and Families Speak Out Against Poverty." House church leader of The Well, Ken Eastburn, agrees with the focus of this year's efforts saying that programs addressing poverty do not make the biggest difference, "Programs help to bring awareness, but it is the actions of individuals and small communities that matter the most in fighting poverty and addressing injustice."
The day is set aside for people from every background, belief and social origins to gather together and show solidarity with the world's poor, according to their website. It was first declared the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by the U.N. in 1992 with a resolution encouraging and inviting governmental and non-governmental organizations to assist in organizing national activities for the observance of the day.
"Programs, no matter how efficient, cannot adequately address every person's need," says Eastburn, "Programs allow people to fall through the cracks. The only sustainable solution to poverty is individuals and communities banding together to address the needs of those in their surrounding areas. Every person needs to play a part -- children included."
Eastburn is a leader with The Well, a network of home-based churches in California and Colorado. Since selling their building in 2005, members of The Well have sought a more organic and effective approach to meeting needs in their community.
Eastburn notes, "Small, seemingly insignificant acts done by caring people make more of a difference than most of us realize. The math is simple: if you take even a small number and multiply it by itself over and over again, it grows exponentially and before long you have a number so significant it becomes difficult to comprehend. Small acts work the same way particularly when empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we get that and put it into practice, we will see poverty eradicated before our very eyes."
The Well challenges Christians from every background to address needs in their community by acting in small ways and inviting others to do the same. For ideas, Eastburn encourages individuals to visit their website at www.leavethebuilding.com and locate their list of "Small (Big) Ways to Address Poverty" under the Resources section.
The Well hosts 10-15 members on a weekly basis at each of its five locations, including some individuals who also continue to participate in traditional church settings. Eastburn and other members post their experiences on a blog maintained by the church, www.leavethebuildingblog.com, for the purpose of interacting with individuals from traditional and house church backgrounds.
