Thursday, November 03, 2011

Where are the Good Shepherds?

I encourage you to read today's John Fountain column in the Chicago SunTimes. It is titled "In time of crisis, where are the good shepherds?"

It starts out with "I hear you, man. . . . But the people perish. And yet, the clergy flourish." It concludes with "I pray, dear pastor, that you will be part of the promised wind of change and restoration. For the people perish."

Between Jan 2008 and March 2011 I was able to create a set of maps showing the location of faith groups in the city and suburbs. I have maps for each different denomination. This one shows them all. Staggering how many there are and we only mapped some of the major denominations.

Our purpose was to provide a tool that faith leaders might use to support the growth of mentor-rich non-school tutor/mentor programs in high poverty neighborhoods. I created this PDF guide for Faith Leaders with the goal that one or more would adopt it and set an example that others would follow.

Here's an article I wrote several years ago for the Ecumenical Child Care Network.

We have a conference in Chicago tomorrow, Nov. 4. at the Metcalfe Federal Building. If you're interested in becoming an apostle who helps carry this message to the faith leaders, please attend. You can find details at http://www.tutormentorconfernce.org

The faith community has one of the most powerful communications networks in existence. If we can encourage and nurture the growth of learning circles and study groups at different churches, synagogues and mosques those groups can take ownership of the Tutor/Mentor Connection strategy and carry it to new levels of impact in future years.

I would love to enlist Mr. Fountain to help me evangelize this message so leaders in different faith groups adopt it. Perhaps in future Tutor/Mentor Conferences he could give awards and recognition to faith leaders who begin to adopt this strategy. I'd also love to enlist the Cardinal and other faith leaders.

There is a 'promised land' and with the help of a few prophets we can show others a path to get there.

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