So You Are Looking for Channels to Help the Desperately Needy of the World?

When you are eager to help worthy causes in the far parts of the world, or even closer to home, but where help is most desperately needed and the laborers and resources are few, here are some channels to explore.

1. “World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential to tackle the problems of poverty and injustice.” More Info on www.worldvision.org on sponsoring children or program donations.

2. “Mennonite Central Committee endeavors to share God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice.” They work with disasters and in community development to help impoverished people help them selves for their basic needs. More info on www.mcc.org/identity/vision.

3. Compassion A ministry especially for sponsoring children living in poverty around the world working with over 65 denominations and working local church partners in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean in one to one relationships with over 2 million children. Visit Compassion at www.compassion.org for more info.

4. Every Orphan’s Hope, Sponsoring children left behind by Hiv/aids in Zambia.

Orphan sponsorship works directly through the local church to reach children and minister directly to their needs. One approach there is to set up a widow with a number of aids orphans in a home and persons can contribute to this or sponsor a home. Zambia rates in poverty with Haiti and has about a million orphans. See everyorphan.org for more info.

5. Christian Aid Ministries, An American relief and mission organization with many programs throughout the world, distributing the Bible and Christian literature, food, clothing, medicines, seeds, working in self-help projects, disaster areas, an orphans' home in Romanian, and church plantings. There is a clothing collection in Shipshewana and much information there. Ph. In Ship. 260 768 4855`

6. Eastern Mennonite Missions, Salunga, PA. See emm.org for how you can be involved in world missions in many countries.

7. “Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicraft and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. This income helps to pay for food, education, health care and housing. Ten Thousand Villages is a non profit program of Mennonite Central Committee.” In Goshen, MCC has a store at the Whistle Stop by The Depot and Ten Thousand Villages has a store at 206 South Main in Goshen.

8. “Revolution In World Missions”, a book by K.P. Yohannan, director of Gospel for Asia, a ministry with HQ in Texas that seeks supports for native pastors in Indian at a cost of a fraction of sending an American Missionary. They have thousands of pastors in support. Book from Amazon.com, $5.95. Visit Amazon’s K.P. Yohannan Page.

9. Ministry of the Gospel and feeding the hungry in Kenya and Uganda, and other countries. Seen on WHME; info on feedthehungry.org. Or call 1 888 832 6384. $30.00 feeds 5 children for a month and gives them the Gospel, and also helps them in education. Address: LaSEA Global Feed the Hungry, 530 Ireland Rd. South Bend IN, 46614.

10. Nearly every local congregation has some outreach to local and world wide needs through which individuals can contribute in various ways. Each person should search out God’s will for a personal calling to meet the needs of persons for the Gospel in all its aspects. Our participation in these endeavors should be balanced with the conviction of helping in other world wide ministries such as the above listed as well as with local needs to be personally involved with, hands on. In all sharing of the total Gospel, we need to respond according to the full conviction God’s Spirit places in our hearts as we learn of the opportunities and needs.

11. Food for the Poor. A brighter future for destitute families across the Caribbean and Latin America through food distribution, housing improvement, and micro-business opportunities with a record of very efficient operation of services per contribution. More info at FoodForThe Poor.org

The following are Scriptures that indicate God’s deep concern for the Spiritual and all needs of the whole world, as well as the next door neighbor and how his people also share that concern.

Proverbs 14:31, 41:1-4 To show kindness to the needy is to honor God, with blessings.

Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will be blessed; he shares his food with the poor.”

John 3:16 This familiar Scripture tells us just how much God loved the world of needy people including both us and those with least access to his love; and the cost to him of that love- his Son. As his children we should have that same love for the world.

Luke 4:18 Jesus accepted that he was anointed to preach good news to the poor.

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commissioned his followers to go into all the world with the good news of the Kingdom.

Matthew 25:31-46 How we deal with the poor and disadvantage will be criteria of our eternal judgment and destination. whether we have done it for Christ, or not.

Matthew 5:7 Merciful to those without the Gospel and their basic needs as well.

II Corinthians 8:9 Jesus became poor for our sake. Should we do this also for the least of His?

I John 3:17 John questions whether anyone having material possessions can see his brother in need and not help him and still have any claim to have God’s love in him.

Luke 5:38 Jesus commands us to give, with the promise that we will be blesses overflowing.

Jesus gave more credit to the widow who gave her last penny than to the rich who had a lot and gave only a small percentage.

II Corthinians 8-9 Paul gives much encouragement to give to those in need, including the saying, “God loves a cheerful giver”.

Psalm 41:1-4 God blesses in many ways those who have a concern for the weak and the poor.