Leaning Into Poverty

TCS 8th grade students have been learning about the issue of poverty in Bible class. As Christians, God has called us to serve the poor, but how is that done in a way that will truly alleviate poverty and not just treat the symptoms? In this unit, Mr. Davis and the 8th grade students have been doing the hard work of answering that question. This lesson included a look at homelessness and what is being done locally in Orlando. The students also learned about poverty on a global scale through the award winning film, PovertyCure. This lesson took into account what Jesus said about serving the poor, the root causes of poverty, the effects of international aid, the roles of the church and government, and how business can transform communities from impoverished to thriving. The students enjoyed having Dr. David Swanson, Senior Pastor at FPCO, as a guest speaker in their classroom to discuss homelessness in Orlando and the end of the year service trip to the Dominican Republic. The students had a lot of questions and heard insights that come from first-hand experience of his leadership in this area. Overall, this was a fruitful time learning more about God’s word and how that leads us to love him and love others.