What Can Literacy Do? by Jere Mahaffey According to the latest National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 30 million adults (14% of the US population) have no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills. Rev. Karen Rohrer is co-director of Beacon, a new church development in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. "This is a community that is often under-represented in the public sphere," says Rohrer. "Developing literacy is a matter of communication and education that is pivotal to giving a community its voice." Beacon is taking on a literacy specialist intern in the fall to expand educational offerings. Churches like Beacon understand that community transformation begins by empowering individuals and tackling challenges that are often overlooked, like illiteracy. Does your church deal with literacy issues? If so, tell us how. Send an email to the Holistic Ministry editor. Check out more holistic ministry at the Word & Deed Network.
EvangelicalsforSocialAction.org/ePistle