Since Christians are supposed to help the poor, churches should take up that charge. But how can churches best offer such help? Give a hand up instead of a hand out? Teach people how to fish instead of just giving them fish?

Like a modern day Isaiah, rocker Bono told 70,000 pastors and church leaders at the annual Willow Creek Leadership Summit Aug. 10-12. The famed musician told the crowd that helping the poor is vital—ironic, considering the thrust of Willow Creek's ministry is its upper-middle-class-suburban appeal rather than ministry to the down-and-out.

Still, that's a lot of taxpayers, and some Christians (and others) argue that helping the poor through the government is a moral obligation for Americans. How much to help has been hotly debated, of course, a discussion notable by this summer's 10-year anniversary of welfare reform.

Here is the most recent breakdown from American Radio Works of the impact that welfare reform has had on American poor in recent years. In many states reform created a huge decrease in the number of welfare recipients and a small increase in the poverty rate, begging the question if working poor is better than not working poor.

In The Christian Post, Anthony Bradley makes a compelling case for calling welfare reform a success because of significant decreases in child poverty levels.

Even The New York Times admitted with incredible intelligence that "it's clear that work can help to assuage poverty." But The Times refused to give a victory party for an incomplete solution to a problem that even Jesus knew would always be with us (the poor).

Either way, these poor are in need of more than the average welfare check of about $300 a month, depending on the state. Are the church food pantry, clothing drives and school supply donations good ways to reach out? Is there a better way? What about training in stewardship and financial management? Job training? Free daycare?

Hurricane Katrina showed the unparalleled efficacy with which God's people can help those in need. Down with bureaucracy, up with the Body of Christ.

Long-term, I think the best way to reach out to the poor is more spiritual in nature. Transformation through renewing minds (Romans 12:2) changes the way people think about themselves, what they deserve, what they don't, and how to behave. Making disciples is the work of the Church. So the ultimate goal for the poor is not employment and self-subsistence; it's for the the poor to pay it forward—to be devoted to one another in love (Romans 12:10).

Once a poor person has come full circle to reaching out to a poor person and making another disciple, the work of the Church has been accomplished. That's sounds simplistic and is easy to write. It's quite another thing to actually do.

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