Working at the intersections of anti-poverty work and congregational life, the Religious Outreach Committee of the Poverty Initiative,

• gathers information about congregational and denominational anti-poverty work;
  
• offers workshops and training opportunities to pastors, lay leaders and denominational staff;
  
• responds to requests for guest preachers and speakers on poverty and the movement to end poverty;
  
• connects religious communities with Poverty Initiative resources, such as bible studies, documentaries, Sunday school curriculum and sermons; and
• collaborates with congregations and denominations around poverty issues and the creation of anti-poverty resources 

Examples include:

Impacting Congregations and Denominations – The Poverty Initiative has consulted with major mainline Protestant denominations on economic justice and anti-poverty ministry. This has included day-long seminars with the American Baptist Church, meetings with the moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), joint programming with the United Church of Christ, and afternoon workshops with the United Methodist Church. Poverty Initiative members have also led Bible studies at local congregations including The Riverside Church in New York. The Poverty Initiative presented at a day-long symposium at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia in honor of the installation of Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock. The Poverty Initiative has received support from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Week of Compassion. Students and staff working with the Poverty Initiative have produced sermons, Bible studies, and book chapters for the American Baptist Churches Children and Poverty Campaign and will hold an art reception on poverty at the Biennial Conference of the ABC in Washington DC in 2007.

Poverty in the Parish, Pew and Pulpit Series – Co-sponsored with the Ministerial Formation Caucus, this series includes issues such as, “If not me, then who? Imagining Change in your Context”, “A Sanctuary for All: Addressing Poverty thourhg Preaching, Bible and Worship”, “Beyond the Food Pantry”, “Your Young People Will See Visions: Involving and Empowering Children and Youth”. The Poverty Initiative held an eleven part series in the Spring Semester 2006. The United Church of Christ of Metro New York is also a co-sponsor of this series.

Preaching Academy – In January, Poverty Initiative students attended the University of the Poor School of Theology Preaching Academy held at Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (CHAM) in San Jose, California. The University of the Poor School of Theology is a web-centered, community-based educational arm of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign. At the Preaching Academy, Poverty Initiative members had the opportunity to learn from and share experiences and lessons with the Women’s Economic Agenda Project (WEAP) from Oakland, California, United Workers Association (UWA) from Baltimore, Maryland, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) from Immokalee, Florida as well as students and faculty at Yale Divinity School, the University of Texas and the Graduate Theological Union.