Lazarus at the Gate

What does it mean to be a Christian in the wealthiest nation in the world? What does it mean to live as the richest people on earth? (don’t believe us? click here!) Is it possible to reject materialism and over-consumption? How do we remain committed to loving the poor and living justly? What does the Bible say about generosity? 

Luke 16 describes the story of the rich man, living in his mansion while his poor neighbor, Lazarus, lay at his gate, waiting for scraps of bread. The rich man lived a life of great opulence and ignorance, completely unaware of what he was failing to do: use his wealth as a vehicle of mercy. Today, in our consumption driven society, we face the temptation to consume without relent, constantly giving in to the latest fashions or technologies. Globalization has caused many to sit at our gates as Lazarus did. We, just as the rich man, have been given an opportunity to use our wealth as a powerful tool of justice and love and to impact the tremendous poverty in which most of the world lives.

Lazarus at the Gate is a small group, economic discipleship experience, which has been designed to teach Christians about using money as a way to impact global poverty. The Lazarus curriculum is a 12-session study covering Old and New Testament themes regarding wealth and poverty, sharing and reflecting on budgets and consumer habits, living more simply and buying fairly traded products. The study concludes with a giving circle in which each member contributes what they’ve saved from commitments to make a collective global gift. Throughout the study, group members support each other in making four commitments:

• Spend joyfully: Regularly give thanks for the blessing of wealth

• Spend justly: Make one lifestyle change to consume more justly

• Spend less: Make one lifestyle change in order to buy less for personal consumption

• Give more: Make a substantial gift to fight global poverty

After nearly four years, the Lazarus at the Gate curriculum has engaged over 300 Christians, mobilizing participants across the nation to give nearly $500,000 to fight hunger, poverty and injustice at home and abroad in the name of Christ. Here what past participants have said about the curriculm:

“It is the best thing – of many good things – that has happened to me at Hope Church.  It is helping make me uncomfortable … which church should do.”  David, who participated in a LATG group in spring 2010 at Hope Central Church in JP

“I have little [money] but I learned I can use this little wisely,” Bianca Duemling, LATG participant from Emmanuel Gospel Center 2011.

The curriculum has been featured in a number of publications, both Christian and secular. Check out these articles from the Huffington Post, Christian Science Monitor and the Episcopal News Service.

Request a Copy of the Curriculum

Email us for a PDF of the curriculum. Let us know where you are and how you heard about Lazarus at the Gate.

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