5 Ways to Make a Difference in the World!

Being a Christian is about understanding and responding to what it means to be created and loved by God.  We are created and loved by God, redeemed of our faults through Jesus Christ, and inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit.  All of this should move us to respond with love and care toward each other and all of God's creation!  There is much to be done in the world.  Here are 5 ways you can do ministry and make a difference!

You are the body of Christ.  If one member suffers, all suffer with it; if one member rejoices, all rejoice together with it. (1 Corinthians 12:26, 27)

Any religion that professes concern for the souls of (people) but is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a moribund religion, waiting to die.  (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

1 - Battle Poverty and AIDS!  One billion people in the world live on less than $1 a day.  Every three seconds, a child dies from poverty.  12 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Africa and that number is expected to climb to 18 million by 2010.  We have the resources and ability to beat these tragedies, but we must motivate our governments, businesses, churches, and families to help.  Join the Diocesan Youth Council and let your voice be heard by joining the ONE campaign - the campaign to make poverty history.  Visit one.org to learn more and sign the petition.  Watch a one minute video.  Download an info sheet here.

2 - Stand Up Against Genocide!  The emergency in Sudan's western region of Darfur presents the starkest challenge to the world since the Rwanda genocide in 1994. A government-backed militia known as Janjaweed has been engaging in campaigns to displace and wipe out communities of African tribal farmers. Villages have been razed, women and girls are systematically raped and branded, men and boys murdered, and food and water supplies targeted and destroyed. Hundreds of thousands have died. Well over two million people have been driven from their homes, and only recently have humanitarian agencies gained limited access to some of the affected region. If aid is denied or unavailable, as many as a million people could perish.  Visit savedarfur.org to help bring an end to this crisis.  See the devastation firsthand at eyesondarfur.org.

3 - Go Green!  Rapid growth and industrialization are using up the world's natural resources, creating a global warming catastrophe, and putting enormous burdens on people in developing nations.  Become a better steward of God's creation!  Visit greenlivingonline.com to discover lots of easy things you can do to help our environment.  You can also download the following handouts:

10 simple tips for earth-friendly living
ideas for your youth group and church
more website resources for living

4 - Support the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)!  In September, 2000, The United States joined with 188 nations to affirm a set of international development goals in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reflect an understanding of the devastation caused by global hunger and poverty and aim for a world that is free of such suffering. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world's poorest by 2015.  The Episcopal Church (along with many other churches and organizations) has committed itself to the MDGs.  Download a handout.  Watch a short movie on them.  Join the Diocesan Youth Council, the Diocese of New Jersey, and The Episcopal Church in giving your money and/or time to organizations that work to achieve these goals - you can start with organizations on this list!

5 - Support Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD)!  ERD responds to human suffering around the world. They provide emergency assistance after disasters, rebuild communities, and help children and families climb out of poverty. For more than sixty years, ERD has served the needs of the poor and oppressed at home and in over 100 countries abroad.  From the tsumani in Indonesia, to earthquakes in Pakistan and India, to mudslides in El Salvador, to malaria in Africa, to Hurricane Katrina here in the U.S., ERD helps hundreds of thousands worldwide to rebuild their lives after devastating disasters.  They are a terrific ministry to which you, your family, and your church could give money.  Visit their website at http://www.er-d.org/.