A Partial Analysis

I am taking one graduate school class this semester. It is a course centered around analyzing the needs in different communities. For our big project we have partnered with a local church in the far southwest reaches of Chicago to help them assess the neighborhood and needs that exist within walking distance of the church building.

So, for 3 hours each, two days in a row, we knocked on doors and asked people what kinds of needs exist in their communities. Where are they hurting? Where might the local church step in to help them in their most dire need? Is it teen pregnancy centers? Food pantries? Teaching English? Counseling? Bible Studies? In addition to being cold and feeling inadequate for the task, several of us purposed to find answers to these questions...

And while the answers are still being tabulated and the stats have yet to come in, my overwhelming feeling was one of helplessness. When asked to rate certain needs on a 1-to-5 scale, most realistic people gave me a look as if I was crazy and then said, "Well, these are all pretty big needs... do you want me to name some more?"

I am now trying to figure out what to do in light of this experience and these Scriptures:

Matthew 25
Acts 4