Episcopal Press and News
Resource Kit Completes Lenten Hunger Materials
Episcopal News Service. January 11, 1979 [79006]
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The final element in a church-wide assault on hunger issues has been made available to Episcopal parishes.
"To Care Enough" is a small group resource kit which was prepared by hunger and Christian education experts from the Episcopal and United Methodist Churches and is designed as part of the Episcopal Church's Lenten emphasis on prayer, study, giving and action toward the alleviation of hunger.
The resource kit was written by the Rev. Charles Cesaretti, hunger staff officer at the Episcopal Church Center and the Rev. David Perry of the Christian education office and by Ms. Beth Adams Bowser an officer of the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. Father Cesaretti and Father Perry have designated their royalties to be turned over to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief for hunger work and an initial check for $500 has already been sent to the Fund.
The Church's Executive Council encouraged the study early last year and many dioceses have committed themselves to it through convention action. Before the end of 1978, a Lenten planning calendar and a ten-unit parish curriculum were prepared and made available and the "Forward Day by Day" devotional pamphlet for the Lenten season was written to coordinate the effort.
This final element, prepared by Winston Press of Minneapolis, is designed to help groups of six people -- family or study groups -- to enhance their understanding and test their involvement in the complex issues around world hunger.
Each resource kit contains a 16-page leader's guide and five complete sets of materials. The materials are five separate color-coded brochures exploring global, national, community, household and personal involvement in hunger. Each contains actual information, stories, recipes, practical suggestions and scripture passages and prayers to help the participants understand and engage the issue.
"The key to 'To Care Enough' is flexibility, as it is with all the elements of the Lenten program," said Cesaretti. "We've stipulated throughout that this is a highly complex and emotional issue and all the elements try to help people approach it personally. The Lenten emphasis is scriptural and prayer-centered rather than programmatic to help Christians find what God is saying to each of us about our responseCesaretti noted that developing the Lenten emphasis had been a joint effort of the hunger and education offices, the Forward Movement Publications, the Boston Industrial Mission and hundreds of Church people who wrote, developed and tested the parts of the program over the last year. The parish curriculum, "Let it Begin with Me," was field tested last Lent and provincial and diocesan training programs have been underway since June to make it as effective as possible. to hunger."
The broad base and careful planning have resulted in a huge response. "About the only complaint we've had," Cesaretti said, "was that some of the materials were too early. We are swamped with orders for 'Let It Begin With Me' and 'To Care Enough,' which was just announced last month, is already back-ordered."
The "To Care Enough" resource kit is based on a covenant commitment that the small intergenerational groups will make at the beginning of their effort. While it is designed as one part of a total effort, it can be used separately and, as with all the elements, need not be done only in Lent.
The resource kit can be ordered from Winston Press, 430 Oak Grove, Minneapolis, Minn. 55403, for $6.95.