Resources & influences
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ― Mother Teresa
The following list of books, websites and other resources have influenced our ministry in a substantial way.
Physical Poverty
20% of the world’s population consumes 80% of the world’s resources, leaving the other 80% of people to survive on the remaining 20% of material goods and services. Extreme poverty is a complex and multifaceted global issue with many factors. Over the last decade, grassroots initiatives have proved to be the greatest agent of change and we believe that partnerships and micro-development is necessary to break the cycle of extreme poverty.
Books:
- Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (20th Anniversary Edition) by Ronald J Sider
- Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope by Brain McLaren
- The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities For Our Time by Jeffery D Sachs
Websites:
Church & Society
We are intimately concerned that the Church has lost her voice of credibility and influence in our culture. More and more people are among those who do not attend a local church, and the drastic contrast between the twenty-first century church and the first century church is causing those who continue attending weekly services to question if their experience of God is really what He intended.
Books:
- Revolution by George Barna
- Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why it Matters by David Kinnaman
Spiritual Poverty
We are convinced that churches and individual Christians in North America have the opportunity and responsibility to affect unprecedented change in response to global social justice. The Church has been given the power of God and the resources of the kingdom to be a force of love and compassion; however it will require a radical abandonment of our comfort, security and safety.
Books:
- Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
- The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
Inter-cultural Issues
We understand that effective aid and substantial improvement for the world’s poor is best accomplished through international partnerships with community leaders. Knowledge and understanding are crucial to communicating cross-culturally in a way that is sensitive, productive, and Christ-centered.
Books:
- Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for the Twenty-First Century by Harris, Moran & Moran
Websites:
- Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions
- Bibliothequer religion student articles and dissertations