Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Study Guide

CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE – 2014 HUNGER REPORT

LEADER’S RESOURCE

Notes and Suggestions
1. The 2014 Christian Study Guide includes six smallgroup sessions rooted in the content of the 2014
Hunger Report, Ending Hunger in America. Session 1
introduces the Report’s overall theme; the following
five sessions develop specific topics emphasized in
the Hunger Report. If your group cannot do all six
sessions, we recommend that you do Session 1 and
then as many others as you can.
2. We anticipate that each session will have a facilitator,
but the leader needs no specific expertise on the
report’s content to facilitate the session.
3. 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 Suggestions for Group Leaders, identifies websites for
social policies of different Christian traditions.
4. The guide directs participants to read short relevant
sections of the Hunger Report during the sessions.
Ending Hunger in America and www.hungerreport.
org are filled with detailed analysis, statistics, and
stories; additional reading will enrich your conversation, but it is not required.
5. Each session includes:
• The Word: Biblical reflection materials and
reflection questions.
• The Issue: A summary of the theme as presented in the Hunger Report and reflection
questions.
• The Application: Activities to engage group
members in analyzing current realities, using
content from the Hunger Report and their life
experiences.
• The e-connect: A way to use social media to
engage others in the session’s topic.

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6. The sessions as written may take an hour to 90
minutes each, but should be adapted to meet the
scheduling needs of the group. We invite you to
open and close each session with prayer, especially
remembering those most affected by the topics that
you discuss.

Preparation Suggestions for Group
Facilitators
1. A Bible is required for each session. Participants
could be encouraged to bring additional translations to enrich the biblical reflection.
2. It will be helpful to have a copy of the session materials for each participant and most sessions include
activities using newsprint, a flip-chart, or a whiteboard.
3. Most sessions also include an activity that will
require access to the Internet. If your group will not
have Internet access when they meet, have someone
print out relevant pages or data.
4. After you familiarize yourself with the outline of the
session, adapt the activities to best serve the needs
of your group.
5. To learn more about social policy in your own Christian tradition, visit the website of your denomination
or national group to see if it includes a discussion of
social policies. You might also visit the social policy
websites of:
National Association of Evangelicals
www.nae.net/government-relations
National Council of Conferences of Churches
www.ncccusa.org/NCCpolicies
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
www.povertyusa.org