About Us

This blog is a part of a bigger project - the Heartland Episcopal Lenten Study 2017 - and is a joint effort between Episcopal Social Services in Wichita, KS and Episcopal Community Services in Kansas City, MO. Both agencies are tied with the poor in our communities, often serving those who others would cast aside, and founded & supported by the Episcopal Church. We work with the Dioceses in which we live and work and know that many Episcopalians and other people of faith want to be good Christians, following the example of Jesus Christ in welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, and caring for our neighbors. Often however, it's very uncomfortable work and we don't always understand why or how to deal with that discomfort.

For Lent this year we are mailing out copies of this book to each Episcopal Church in both dioceses:

Dr. Ruby Payne has offered some insight into the cultures of class and how difficult it can be to understand the unspoken rules of each group. Her seminal work is A Framework for Understanding Poverty, but with help from Bill Ehlig, that information has been adapted into a guide for church people to understand the concepts and share practical ways to apply them to life in their congregations.

Our hope is that the clergy will at least look at it, share it with their vestry and congregations and pass along the link to this blog. In addition to this blog, we'll be posting on social media (links in the column to the right) and sending out emails every Sunday evening to outline what's ahead for the week. We encourage you to share this link with anyone who may be interested - Episcopalian or not, church members or not, from any economic class. All we ask for is honest engagement and civility in the ways we engage with each other.