Poor education, deficient nutrition, unsuitable clothing and inadequate love combine for great problems within our community; especially when elementary and middle school aged children are burdened with these issues. Who can help - the government? I’ve seen how well government programs work, especially with the “wonderful self-imposed” limits the liberals have placed on our government agencies’ abilities to partner with Christian organizations. I hardly think they are effective at helping. The good news is there are private, non-for-profit, Christ-based organizations out there that exist solely to provide the answers and ability to conquer the problems I’ve listed; and they do it without “stealing from the rich.” (Violating one of God’s commandments to implement another is neither honorable nor helpful.)
LifeBridge Community is a faith-based, nonprofit organization that instills a sense of hope in the lives of children and families living in poverty on the Southeast side of Indianapolis. Through Christ-centered, creative programming and nurturing relationships, we provide tools that empower children and families physically, academically, emotionally and spiritually to achieve a brighter future.
LifeBridge is one of the few organizations I know of that is trying to improve the whole-health of a child and the community by addressing the 3 most important areas; the mind (education from tutoring), the body (nutrition, food, clothing and exercise), and the spirit (through Christ’s redemptive message). Most of the kids involved in this program come from very low income homes and broken families. The CEO of LifeBridge, Mike Crosley, is a good friend and I greatly respect the work he is doing. Mike is living out the teachings of Christ and doing more to improve our community than a liberal activist or government agency could ever hope to do.
Study after study and poll after poll show the same results: People who said they were "very conservative" gave 4.5% of their income to charity, on average; "conservatives" gave 3.6%; "moderates" gave 3%; "liberals" gave 1.5%; and "very liberal" folks gave 1.2%. Liberals often wonder why conservatives, especially Christian Conservatives, are “anti-tax” and “anti-big government.” The simple answer is embedded in this truth: No one can do the work of Christ better than a Christian who is unrestrained by the government; whether the restraint is from burdensome taxes or burdensome regulations and laws. The desire to be taxed and governed less comes from a desire to be more selfless with ones resources and not a selfish desire like most liberals would have you believe. People will criticize me for linking charity and politics, but the painful truth is they are inextricably linked. Politics certainly affects the ability of an INDIVIDUAL to be charitable, especially when those politics result in an obtuse invasive government. If our readers take one thing away from this article, let it be this simple message: In spite of our foolish government, please continue to give your time, money and resources to organizations like LifeBridge Community. They are actually making a difference; I’ve seen it with my own eyes! Isn’t it amazing how God can use a small Christian organization like LifeBridge to change peoples’ lives for the better (from the inside-out); but large, over-funded, government programs that claim to be helpful only perpetuate the conditions of the poor? Continue to be charitable while you continue to try and change the broken and unhelpful government that currently exists.
Please support LifeBridge if you are able and willing.
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