Governor Invites Churches, Faith Leaders to Participate in Pilot Program to Address Poverty in Arkansas

Religion, ,

On Monday, Governor Sanders announced a pilot program that will partner with Arkansas’ faith and business communities to address poverty and other challenges in Arkansas.

The 10:33 Initiative by Governor Sanders’ Office of Faith-Based Initiatives is designed to “lift Arkansans out of poverty and improve their long-term self-sufficiency by connecting them with faith and community partners who can meet their immediate needs and help guide them toward a prosperous future.”

The name is taken from Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:33.

The 10:33 Initiative will start with a 12-month pilot program in Pulaski, Union, and Pope counties.

The initiative will utilize Restore Hope’s HopeHub, which is a data-sharing platform that connects people in need of assistance with faith and community partners who can help meet those needs. The program will also help meet long-term goals like connecting people with job opportunities, training, and career guidance.

In a statement, Governor Sanders called the 10:33 Initiative “a groundbreaking project carefully curated to give Arkansans a hand up, not a handout.”

We have written many times how Americans often do not fully appreciate how much churches do for their communities. Nationwide, researchers estimate that churches, ministries, and religious charities provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services every year. We are glad Governor Sanders recognizes that churches and faith leaders are a resource that can help address many of the problems our communities face.

Arkansans interested in knowing more about the 10:33 Initiative can contact Morgan Warbington at the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives by emailing morgan.warbington@governor.arkansas.gov.

A one-page informational flyer about the 10:33 Initiative is also available here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Bible Sales Jumped 22% in America This Year

Religion,

The Wall Street Journal reports Americans are buying more Bibles this year.

From January through October of 2024, book tracker Circana BookScan found that Bible sales were up 22% compared to the same time period last year.

Overall, sales of printed books have risen 1% this year — meaning people are buying more books, but Bible sales far outpaced the sale of other books.

According to the article, the increase in Bible sales has been driven by factors such as rising anxiety and a search for meaning, noting:

“People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” said Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.”

The article also noted that this jump in Bible sales comes despite evidence that Americans are growing less religious:

The Pew Research Center found that about 28% of adults in the U.S. now consider themselves religiously unaffiliated. Yet Bible sales rose to 14.2 million in 2023 from 9.7 million in 2019, and hit 13.7 million in the first 10 months of this year. Readers are also stocking up on related titles that provide guidance, insights and context—even sets of stickers to flag particularly meaningful passages. 

By most accounts, the Bible is the bestselling book of all time and the single most widely-read book in the history of human civilization. The Bible has had such a profound impact on American society that in 2013 Arkansas lawmakers passed Act 1440 letting public schools offer elective academic courses where students may learn about “the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics.”

It’s good to see more Americans turning to the Bible for the answers to life’s challenges. Of course, it isn’t enough simply to own a Bible. The Bible is meant to be read, learned, and lived out in daily life. Still, buying a Bible is a great start.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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The Multibillion Dollar Socioeconomic Benefit of Churches and Charities in America

Religion

We have written over the years about the socioeconomic impact of churches and charities in America.

Nationwide, researchers estimate religion contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. In fact, between churches and charities, religious colleges and universities, and so on, people of faith may provide as much as $1.2 trillion to America.

A 2022 economic impact study on United Methodist churches in rural North Carolina found the churches were responsible for more than $735,000, on average, in economic benefits to their local communities each year.

Most of the benefit comes from the goods, services, and support that these ministries provide, including:

  • Community service
  • Healthcare services
  • Education
  • Childcare
  • Unemployment programs
  • Local economic development
  • Recovery programs for addiction and substance abuse
  • Disaster relief initiatives

Churches and charities are a valuable resource in every community. We want to help Arkansas’ leaders and policymakers understand what these ministries can do for our state.

That is why Family Council launched the Church Ambassador Network initiative earlier this year. The Church Ambassador Network builds relationships between church leaders and elected leaders regardless of their political leanings. We believe churches and elected officials can work together to address many of the problems our communities face.

If you help lead a church or similar ministry in Arkansas, we would invite you to join the Church Ambassador Network for free today.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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