Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response (Catholic Version)
Catholic Programming Series
Find a group & registerHow can we help tear down the walls that trap our neighbors in poverty?
The third program of the JustFaith Catholic series, Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response, introduces participants to the systems and structures that perpetuate poverty in their communities.
This third small group program of the JustFaith Catholic series introduces participants to the systems and structures that perpetuate poverty in their communities.
Participants awaken to the systemic barriers that keep certain people from escaping poverty, as these barriers are often invisible to those of us who don’t have to face them. This faith and justice program gives special attention to communities of color who are disproportionately and unjustly affected by poverty. In addition to the readings, group members engage in prayer and reflection around Catholic social teaching throughout the week between sessions. Participants emerge from this program with the courage and tools to lead their parishes and communities in working for systemic justice on a local level.
For more about the JustFaith Catholic series, check out Faith and Poverty: A Biblical Response and Faith and Poverty: A Solidarity Response.
JustFaith Catholic is also available in an ecumenical version.
Goals for Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response (Catholic Version) include:
To learn about the experiences of people in poverty
To have a better understanding of dynamics that make it difficult for many to move out of poverty
To discern personal and social actions to address poverty in your local community
Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response consists of eight 2-hour sessions and an immersion experience.
Recommended group size is 8-14.Framework & Session Topics
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Session 1: Talking about Hard Things
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Session 2: Systemic Racism 101
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Session 3: Mass Incarceration
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Session 4: Immigration and Poverty
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Session 5: The Wealth Gap
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Session 6: Poverty and the Environment
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Immersion Experience in the Local Community
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Session 7: Preferential Option for the Poor
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Session 8: Local Advocacy 101
Sessions include:
Prayer and reflection
Discussion of reading
Videos & group activities
Spiritual practices
Integration of faith
Want to know more?
An overview, sample session, and program booklet are available for free download.
What you'll need for this program
There are two books used in Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response, all available through the JustFaith Ministries bookstore.
Need help inviting people to your small group?
This program promotion kit contains a program booklet, a program image, a promo video, and other materials. These will be helpful in inviting participants who have taken the first and second programs in the JustFaith series to continue on to this third program.
We believe strongly in making our programs inclusive and available to everyone
There are two registration options:
Option 1: Participants in the group pay their own registration fees: Participants pay individually based on a sliding fee scale of $35, $55, or $75/person. (There is no charge for up to two facilitators.) A minimum of 8 participants is strongly recommended. Scholarships are available for individuals.
Option 2: A church/organization pays the registration fee for all participants: When the group is set up, a church or organization will automatically be billed a flat rate of $280, covering up to 8 participants. For groups with more than 8 participants, the organization will be invoiced an additional $35 for each extra participant when the group begins.
The registration fee includes:
- Comprehensive materials for each session
- Facilitation scripts, guidance, and training resources
- Retreat and immersion guidance
- Adaptations for virtual groups
- Direct access to program staff for support
Books are an additional cost and available for purchase in the bookstore.
To ensure our programs are not cost-prohibitive for anyone, all programs are offered on a sliding fee scale ranging from $35-$75.
We ask you to choose the registration fee tier that best aligns with your current financial situation. Paying on the higher end allows us to keep the program affordable for all.
If the $35 tier is difficult for you, please consider the program anyway. We ask that you decide what amount you can contribute as a commitment to the program, and send us an email at info@justfaith.org to learn about partial scholarship opportunities for the remainder amount.
What our program participants are saying
What is different since I completed JustFaith? The way I pray; the way I eat; the way I shop; the way I parent; the way I serve; the way I view community; the way I view neighbor; the way I view enemy; the way I participate in church and community; the way I participate in policy issues; the way I begin and end my day.
JustFaith was a major conversion in my life. The lens through which I look at the world—politics, economics, relationships, etc.—changed. I now see the world through the eyes of those who live on the margins, and ask myself how I can better serve my fellow members of my human family. Every segment of JustFaith awakened something deep within me that helped to form me in new ways, ways that were noticeably more compassionate than what I had previously been living.
JustFaith Catholic Overview, Sample Session, and Program Booklet
To get access to this program's overview, sample session and program booklet, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloadable materials.
JustFaith Catholic Promotion Kit
To get access to this program's promotional materials, complete the form below and you will receive an email with the downloads.