Toolbox For Faith

According to Ruby K. Payne in her book “A Framework for Understanding Poverty,” there are three basic classes in America - poverty, middle class and wealthy. Each “individual brings with him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised. Even though the income of the individual may rise significantly, many of the patters of thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies, etc., remain with the individual.” (pg. 3) Knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of these hidden rules helps identify someone as a part of a group. Payne illustrates these hidden rules using three checklists that assess your ability to survive in poverty, survive in middle class and survive in wealth. Here are samples from each list:
“I know where the free medical clinics are.” - Poverty checklist (pg. 38)
“I repair items in my house almost immediately when they break - or know a repair service and call it.” - Middle class checklist(pg. 39)
“I support or buy the work of a particular artist.” - Wealth checklist (pg. 40)

Payne sums up her discussion of the hidden rules by saying, “The key point is that hidden rules govern so much of our immediate assessment of an individual and his/her capabilities. These are often the factors that keep an individual from moving upward in a career — or even getting the position in the first place” (pg. 44).

As I read Payne’s work, I began to wonder what role these hidden class rules play in congregational hospitality. Do wealthy or middle class congregations understand how to properly welcome people in poverty? Many congregations provide assistance to people in poverty. I know our congregation, for example, interacts with several hundred people in poverty per year. Of all those people we meet, however, almost none become a part of the worshiping community. Even when I feel like we have made a solid connection with people we are helping, they still don’t seem comfortable in the community. Could it be that everything from style of worship to the attire of the congregation to the focus of the preaching is so grounded in the middle class rules, that people from poverty quickly and perhaps even subconsciously determine that they are out of place? The issue could also arise for a middle class family who visits a wealthy congregation. When it comes to hospitality, perhaps the question we should be asking is ‘Does our church exhibit the clear characteristics of a particular social class?’ and ‘Is it possible to create an environment that welcomes and includes people of all classes into a congregation?’