Study Guide Contents and General Process Suggestions
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The 2011 Study Guide includes six small-group sessions rooted in the content of the 2011 Hunger Report, Our Common Interest: Ending Hunger and Malnutrition. Session 1 sets the context, while the following five sessions develop particular themes emphasized in the Hunger Report. If your group cannot do all the sessions, it is recommended that you do Session 1 before any others.
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It is anticipated that each session will have a facilitator, but the leader does not need to have specific expertise to facilitate the session.
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The study guide is designed for Christians of many theological and political viewpoints. You should feel free to adapt the guide to enhance the experience for your group. The section below, Preparation Notes for Group Leaders, steers your group to websites relating social policies to different Christian traditions.
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It will add to the sessions if participants have read the relevant pages of the 2011 Hunger Report—but it is not essential. It is expected that small-group participants will contribute their own life experience and knowledge to the discussion. However, Our Common Interest is filled with detailed analysis, statistics, and stories, so the conversation will be richer if several members are familiar with the contents of the report.
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Each session includes:
- Biblical reflection materials and questions.
- A summary of the theme as presented in the Hunger Report, along with reflection questions.
- Activities to engage group members in analyzing current realities, using content from the Hunger Report and their life experiences.
- An invitation to pray and act in light of the discussion.
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The sessions as written may take an hour to 90 minutes each, but should be adapted to meet the scheduling needs of the group.
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Scripture passages have been taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, but you may use other versions. Comparing text between Bible versions may enrich group discussion.
Preparation Notes for Group Leaders
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At least one Bible is required for each session. Participants could be encouraged to bring additional translations.
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It will be helpful to have a copy of the session materials for each participant.
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After you familiarize yourself with the outline of the session, you may adapt the activities to best serve the needs of your group.
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To learn more about social policy in your own Christian tradition, you should visit the website of your denomination or national group. Sometimes these include a discussion of social policies. You might also visit:
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Most sessions include activities that use newsprint or a white board.
Ideas for Action
Each session of the Study Guide invites participants to consider how they might take action in response to the issues discussed. Here are suggestions for activities to engage your whole group. The size and nature of your group may require you to adapt the activities, but the descriptions below provide a template.
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Learn from firsthand experience
Find a way for your group to spend time with someone whose life experience has given him or her personal knowledge of development or U.S. foreign assistance. Your denomination might have mission personnel, a relief and development agency network, or a network of mission volunteers who would be willing to send a speaker. Local universities and nonprofit organizations may also be a source of speakers if members of your church or group do not have their own connections.
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Write about “getting to good news”
a. Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters
Each year, Bread for the World invites churches and campus groups across the country to take up a nationwide Offering of Letters to Congress on an issue that is important to hungry and poor people. The Offering of Letters enables individuals to see their concerns translated into policies that help hungry and poor people improve their lives. To learn more about Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters this year, visit www.bread.org/OL2011
b. Write to your state or local representative
Write letters to your representative in the city council, state assembly, or Congress to share your thoughts and concerns about development and U.S. foreign aid.
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Fair Trade Market
A fair trade market can be arranged at your campus or church to restore the relationship between producer and consumer. For products to be considered fair trade, the workers who produce them must be paid a fair wage for their labor.
Visit these websites to find fair trade vendors:
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