“Once a person enters [poverty] it is extremely difficult to escape. There are more hindrances to getting out than getting in,” said Laurie Sexton, volunteer staff member of Starfish Ministries, a group that helps churches and their members become engaged with low-income members of their community.

Government regulations, a lack of support from family systems or friends, being surrounded by people with similar problems, and ongoing financial challenges make it hard to break out of the cycle, Sexton said.

“Despite the intentions of the Welfare to Work push of the mid-’90s, most families who are receiving help from the government end up being penalized when they begin earning more,” explained Bonnie Smith, coordinator of Starfish Ministries.

One example would be a parent who has an entry-level job and qualifies for childcare assistance

“He/she has to pay for childcare on a sliding scale—generally totaling around $2,000 per year. As his/her income increases, he/she soon exceeds the income levels that allow such supports,” Smith said. “Although his/her income may have only gone up a few dollars, once they hit a certain threshold, they are on their own paying for childcare, which can easily exceed $14,000 for one child per year.”


Starfish solution
Starfish Ministries was formed in 1995 when the deacons of two Christian Reformed Churches in the Twin Cities wanted to “see ministry happen that went beyond the church,” according to Smith, who has been with the ministry since its beginning.

Today, Starfish Ministries facilitates programs to help churches and their volunteers coach struggling families in the areas of: budgeting, employment, housing, education, parenting, spirituality or any other area of their lives families indicate they want help with. The Starfish Adopt-A-Family program trains coaches and pairs churches with local families requesting assistance. Generally, multiple coaches are assigned to a family, depending on self-identified goals.

“Families are in the program because they want to be. Generally they have had to wait several months, and some even years, for a church to adopt them,” Smith said. “And, they are working toward the goals they have set for themselves, which ensures a higher level of motivation.”

Some examples of the types of coaches needed include: a life coach who helps the family focus on long-range issues and brainstorm solutions, a financial coach who helps them develop a budget and stick to it, a parenting coach who helps the family find better ways to parent, or a job coach who helps them brainstorm strategies to find the right job.

Often other volunteers from the church also become involved with the congregation’s adopted family by providing transportation, childcare, teaching family members a skill, simple home repairs and a variety of other tasks.

The Starfish Adopt-A-Family program screens potential families to asses their needs and gauge their level of motivation to change. The ministry then provides a 2- to 3-hour orientation and initial training for coaches. Workshops are offered for coaches, and Starfish coordinates quarterly meetings with coaches and the family to monitor progress.

“Our greatest challenge is finding churches who are willing to get involved in relational ministry. It is risky business. The families we work with do not always make good choices, and sometimes the volunteer coaches are disappointed and feel like they have ‘failed,’” Smith said. “We try very hard to make the volunteers understand that the family must be in charge of their own lives. All we can do is walk alongside and, by listening and asking good questions, help them come to a better understanding of their situation and thus make better choices. It’s risky but when good choices are made, the joy of being part of the solution is great.”

“This is a nonprofit that believes we have a responsibility to help others find their footing on solid ground, recognizing not everyone will be successful,” Sexton said. “It sees each person as an individual created by God in need of the body of Christ surrounding them and pointing to a better way out, recognizing that the road is a long one. [Starfish] makes no promises of success or riches, instead it provides hope through relationship, listening, and learning.”


ACTION POINT:
To learn more about Starfish Ministries, visit http://starfishministries.blogspot.com or contact Bonnie Smith at (651) 457-2477 or bonnie@starfishmn.org.


How God uses Starfish Ministries
by Stacy Golden

I first heard of Starfish Ministries a few years ago. I wanted a car so I contacted them to see how I could be eligible for the free car program. I am a big believer in God’s perfect timing. I just had to learn that my perfect timing is not the same as his perfect timing.

I connected with Bonnie Smith and she explained the Starfish Adopt-A-Family program, which I needed to participate in in order to be referred for a car. It wasn’t what I thought I needed or even wanted to do but I agreed.

The most significant learning I gained was through my financial coach. We met at my house once a week for the next several months. I learned a lot about budgeting and credit.

But more importantly, I learned about money the way God sees it. After that initial training with my financial coach, it took me about 18 months to get out of more than $6,000 worth of debt. The amazing part about it was that I did it while being unemployed!

I was receiving a $387 cash grant from the county and served two years in Ameri-Corps receiving a monthly stipend. Through obedience and faith, God truly blessed me and directed my footsteps. I have been debt free since February 2005!

God has since used me to teach others about budgeting and the importance of tithing even while in debt (I learned that debt stands for Doing Everything But Tithing). Go figure!