Home - ...helping the church to remember the poor...

Welcome to RememberThePoor™

This site is normally updated on a monthly basis - see below for the current issue. The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). If you arrived at this web site via a search, a link, or an email from a friend, please subscribe to the site (free!) to keep informed of our updates on a monthly basis! And after you've had a chance to review the site, please sign our guestbook, and/or contact us to give your suggestions! And then see the bottom of this month's update for a suggestion for how to tell your friends about this site! (Oh, and if you missed the inaugural or previous issues of the site, see below, or click here!)

Volume 1 Number 7 - July 2010

For the past few weeks, we have posted a notice to stay tuned for an exciting announcement. That announcement is finally here, and our four resources for this month all have to do with it. Even though this announcement pertains to a radical new movement involving hundreds of churches in the greater Detroit area, we believe that followers of Christ everywhere who have God's heart for the poor will be excited about what is beginning to happen there. You may even want to pray for the Detroit area, and/or be involved in creating a similar movement in your own area!

To read this issue, please click on the following links in sequence; alternatively, at the end of each item is a link to the next one, so after reading the highlights below, you can just click on Scripture of the month, and follow the links from there! (Each of these links provides information about the resource, as well as the resource itself, so please go to each of the links!)

Scripture of the month: Acts 10:38 (What Jesus was about: Good deeds and good news; physical blessings and spiritual blessings)
Sermon of the month (and the first featured sermon on the site): E.A.C.H. - Everyone A Chance to Hear
Song of the month: God of this City (greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city!)
Quote of the month: an excellent summary of the relationship between faith and works

If you are new to this site, please also check out our primary resource(s) on the Scriptures page, where we provide all of the Scripture verses containing the words poverty or poor (or variations). We want to keep the focus on these Scriptures, in hopes that you would take a few minutes to read through them and get a sense of the heart of God for the poor!

Finally, would you please consider telling some of your friends about this site? Just send an email to anyone in your address book you think might (or should!) have God's heart for the poor. If you want some words to copy and paste, here's a suggestion (but feel free to edit and "make it yours"):

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

Please feel free to cc me if you send out an email - it would be a real encouragement to me!

For Him and them,
Ken@rememberthepoor.net

Purpose, Vision, and Mission

The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in one central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) - to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). In the future it may also serve as a communication vehicle for people and ministries to network with each other, and additional related purposes.

Our vision is to provide a monthly (and eventually weekly) "webzine" for the global church, and become a primary site for Christians who are involved in or are considering involvement in ministry to the poor in any way. We will not try to reinvent the wheel, but rather point people to places where the resources already exist (whenever possible).

Our full mission statement is explained on another page, but here it is:

To glorify God by helping the church to remember the poor,
in justice and mercy, according to the Scriptures.

(We do this primarily via web-based resources that will encourage, educate, and equip the Body of Christ.)

If you would like to stay informed as the site develops, please subscribe to our mailing list (it's free). You will receive occasional email updates (not more than once per week), and each email will give you the opportunity to unsubscribe. (Your email address will not be used for any other purpose without your permission.)

What about our web page design?

Here is some explanation for some of the symbolism in our web site design:

The city: most (but certainly not all) of the global poor live in urban areas.
The bridge: to help us get from where we are to where we need to be; to get resources to the under resourced; sometimes, unfortunately, to provide shelter to the homeless.
Black & white: because that's what the issue of remembering the poor is in Scripture! :-)
Dark: because this is a serious issue! And because, by glorifying God by remembering the poor, we can be a light in the darkness!

Volume 1 Number 6 - June 2010

Starting this month, we will attempt to feature two or more of the following each month: A Scripture, a quote, a song, a congregation, a ministry, a book, or a movie or video. Often, the item(s) of the month will also be noted on the corresponding page. This month we have added the following items:

Scripture of the month: Matthew 25:37-40 - Then these righteous ones will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?" And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" (New Living Translation; full context: Matthew 25:31-46; click here for NASB.)
Quote of the month: {I am currently reading a book by Richard Stearns (President of World Vision U.S.) called The Hole in Our Gospel (What does God expect of us? The answer that changed my life and might just change the world.) It will most certainly be a future RtP book of the month. Here are a few sentences from page 60.} "... I don't want to suggest that all true followers of Christ must forsake everything to bring comfort and justice to the poor. I only propose that a genuine concern for "the least of these" that finds tangible expression must be woven into the pattern of their lives and faith. That expression might involve small but regular gifts to compassion ministries, advocating on behalf of the poor to government representatives, or regularly volunteering at a soup kitchen, the local nursing home, ... Even Jesus did not spend every waking hour helping the poor. He dined with the wealthy, celebrated at weddings and feasts, taught in the synagogue, and perhaps even did a bit of carpentry. Still, there is no question that His love for the poor found consistent and concrete expression in His life and ministry. The question for you and me is this: will Christ find evidence of our genuine concern for His beloved poor when He looks at the fruit of our lives on that day? Further, what might He be calling you to do today? What new steps of faith might you take to demonstrate your own concern for "the least of these?"
the HOPE that REMAINS - A Photographic Journey to the Heart of Haiti
One of our readers has just self-published an amazing 232 page inspiring look into the lives of the Haitian people - showcasing their beauty, strength, resilience, and hope. Last month we provided a link for ordering it. I then ordered it, and have now received it, and I was NOT dissappointed! Photographer Tony Cece shares his favorite images from travels to Haiti before the tragic earthquake and upon his arrival just 72 hours after the quake struck. The photos are breathtaking, and the meditations by Brook Chalfant are inspiring. This book is powerful and motivating, and will challenge readers to see the people of Haiti through new eyes. Due to the nature of self publishing, it's expensive, but all proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to continuing relief efforts in Haiti. A 39 page preview is available!

Finally, would you please consider telling your friends about this site? Just send an email to anyone in your address book you think might (or should!) have God's heart for the poor. If you want some words to copy and paste, here's a suggestion (but feel free to edit and "make it yours"):

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

And oh by the way, feel free to cc me if you send out an email - it would be a real encouragement to me!

For Him and them,
Ken@rememberthepoor.net

Welcome - Volume 1 Number 5 - May 2010

Welcome to the fifth monthly issue of the RememberThePoor™ web site! The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). If you arrived at this web site via a search, a link, or an email from a friend, please subscribe to the site (free!) to keep informed of our updates on a monthly basis! And after you've had a chance to review the site, please sign our guestbook, and/or contact us to give your suggestions! And then see the bottom of this month's update for a suggestion for how to tell your friends about this site! (Oh, and if you missed the inaugural or previous issues of the site, see below, or click here!)

This month we have added the following items:

We've added a page on the Nashville flood. There is a touching short story about an incident that happened after the flood; a short discussion regarding situational vs. generational poverty; and some information about how you can help - via prayer, money, or time.
the HOPE that REMAINS - A Photographic Journey to the Heart of Haiti
One of our readers has just published an amazing 232 page inspiring look into the lives of the Haitian people - showcasing their beauty, strength, resilience, and hope. Photographer Tony Cece shares his favorite images from travels to Haiti before the tragic earthquake and upon his arrival just 72 hours after the quake struck. Powerful and motivating, the reflections included with his images will challenge readers to see the people of Haiti through new eyes. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to continuing relief efforts in Haiti. A 39 page preview is available!
In hopes of raising $100,000 for Nashville flood relief, Jars of Clay is offering an EP download with five versions of their award winning song Flood for only $1!
We have three new pieces of original artwork created especially for this site by Joanna Hatley. One of them is above, another is here, and the third is here. Thank you Joanna!
Also on the Haiti page is a story about Jon, one of our members who is in Haiti this week. The story contains a link to a video featuring Jon that was on the local news station. It's short and worth watching!
Finally, to whet your appetite for next month when we plan to upgrade the Music section, here is a music video submitted by Aimee, one of our readers. It's a great "Remember the Poor" song, matched up with video from the artists' visit to Cambodia with Food for the Hungry. In the 1970s, 2 million citizens of Cambodia were brutally killed by the Khmer Rouge. In 2009, Leeland and Brandon Heath spent a week in Cambodia with Food For the Hungry. Through Christian love, God continues to bring healing to this nation in amazing ways!

If you are new to this site, please also check out our primary resource on the Scriptures page, where we provide all of the Scripture verses containing the words poverty or poor (or variations). We want to keep the focus on these Scriptures, in hopes that you would take a few minutes to read through them and get a sense of the heart of God for the poor!

Finally, would you please consider telling your friends about this site? Just send an email to anyone in your address book you think might (or should) have God's heart for the poor. If you want some words to copy and paste, here's a suggestion (but feel free to edit and "make it yours"):

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

And oh by the way, feel free to cc me if you send out an email - it would be a real encouragement to me!

For Him and them,
Ken@rememberthepoor.net

Welcome - Volume 1 Number 4 - April 2010

Welcome to the fourth monthly issue of the RememberThePoor™ web site! The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). If you arrived at this web site via a search, a link, or an email from a friend, please subscribe to the site (free!) to keep informed of our updates on a monthly basis! And after you've had a chance to review the site, please sign our guestbook, and/or contact us to give your suggestions! And then see the bottom of this month's update for a suggestion for how to tell your friends about this site! (Oh, and if you missed the inaugural or previous issue of the site, see below, or click here!)

This month's edition is quite late because we moved at the beginning of the month, and I have only added two new resources, but they are significant:

Our mission statement talks about remembering the poor in JUSTICE and mercy, according to the Scriptures. The word justice is sometimes used by well-meaning Christians without really defining what they mean by it, much less examining what the Scriptures say about the topic. This month we provide a new section with 314 verses dealing with justice issues. Reading all these Scriptures only takes a few minutes, and it's a great place to start to get a better understanding of justice from God's point of view!
The work in Haiti goes on! I received an email from Living Water International about their ongoing work of rehabilitating wells in Haiti. "Well rehabilitation is the fastest, simplest, most-cost effective way to provide long-term water solutions in Haiti. In this way, our teams can restore water to thousands of people a day. The water trucks and bottled water handouts of the large relief efforts will soon be gone, so long-term solutions are more crucial than ever." I thought the message was so significant, I have added it to our Haiti page. (By the way, the photo above came from their email!)

If you are new to this site, please also check out our primary resource on the Scriptures page (above the justice section), where we provide all of the Scripture verses containing the words poverty or poor (or variations). We want to keep the focus on these Scriptures, in hopes that you would take a few minutes to read through them and get a sense of the heart of God for the poor!

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. Last month I subscribed to it in order to keep informed on a monthly basis. This month, it provided a very interesting section with all the verses about justice in the Bible, and information about rehabilitating wells in Haiti. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

And oh by the way, feel free to cc me if you send out an email - it would be a real encouragement to me!

For Him and them,
Ken@rememberthepoor.net

Welcome - Volume 1 Number 3 - March 2010

Welcome to the third monthly issue of the RememberThePoor™ web site! The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). If you arrived at this web site via a search, a link, or an email from a friend, please subscribe to the site (free!) to keep informed of our updates on a monthly basis! And after you've had a chance to review the site, please sign our guestbook, and/or contact us to give your suggestions! And then see the bottom of this month's update for a suggestion for how to tell your friends about this site! (Oh, and if you missed the inaugural or second issue of the site, see below, or click here!)

This month, we have added five new resources:

Recommendations on Christian organizations that are providing relief to victims of the 2/27/10 Chile earthquake
A mini-commentary on Galatians 2:10 - the passage from whch the name of this web site is taken. The target audience for this brief Bible study is everyone - from the individual believer, to those who are already involved in ministry to the poor, to pastors and other church leaders!
An interview with the pastor of an urban church in Chicago with a significant intentional outreach to the poor. If you are a pastor or other church leader, be sure to check out this feature! While this is not a large church, their ministry to the poor is significant, and Pastor Rand shares some insights on building personal relationships with the poor, that could be applied in almost any church or ministry context.
A song of the month - "Justice and Mercy" by Matt Redman. We provide links to the lyrics and to iTunes. If you have an MP3 player, why not start a "Remember the Poor" playlist so that you can easily listen to music that will encourage, educate and equip you to remember the poor! (We also introduce the "RtP Score" - our rating system to help identify the music that is most relevant to our mission.)
A link on the Articles page to a New York Times article by op-ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, entitled "Learning From the Sin of Sodom." (Thanks Joseph G.) In case you don't know what the sin of Sodom was, here's a hint: Ezekiel 16:49. Okay, here's a bigger hint: "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy."

If you are new to this site, please check out our primary resource on the Scriptures page, where we provide all of the Scripture verses containing the words poverty or poor (or variations). We want to keep the focus on these Scriptures, in hopes that you would take a few minutes to read through them and get a sense of the heart of God for the poor!

Finally, would you consider telling your friends about this site? Just send an email to anyone in your address book you think might (or should) have God's heart for the poor. If you want some words to copy and paste, here's a suggestion (but feel free to edit and "make it yours"):

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. Last month I subscribed to it in order to keep informed on a monthly basis. This month, it provided constructive suggestions on how I could respond to the Chile earthquake. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

For Him and them,
Ken@rememberthepoor.net

Welcome - Volume 1 Number 2 - February 2010

Welcome to the first monthly update of the RememberThePoor™ web site! The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10). If you arrived at this web site via a search, a link, or an email from a friend, please subscribe to the site (free!) to keep informed of our updates on a monthly basis! And after you've had a chance to review the site, please sign our guestbook, and/or contact us to give your suggestions! And then see the bottom of this month's update for a suggestion for how to tell your friends about this site! (Oh, and if you missed the inaugural issue of the site, see below, or click here!)

Change of Plans - Haiti

This month, we are postponing the plans we had announced last month, in order to focus on the January 12 Haiti earthquake. I recently heard someone refer to individuals having "disaster ADD" - our hearts and minds are initially overwhelmed by all the media coverage, we maybe give a contribution to the Red Cross, and then we are back to our lives as normal. But for the Church, this is not the case. As an example, many American churches are still sending money and groups to the New Orleans area - years later - to provide ongoing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina!

Below, I will provide some recommendations on how best to help the quake victims financially. Then I will ask you to do one very important thing that will not cost you a penny. But before I go any further, let me tell you about why it has taken me this long to get this Haiti update on the site.

When the earthquake occurred, I was on a 2 week business trip in Cape Town, South Africa, working 90 hours a week, so I did not have time to update the web site. However, I did notice that hits on this site peaked on January 13, so I'm sure people were looking for Haiti information. I apologize for the delay!

Back to Haiti in a minute, but first a word about Cape Town. While I was there, I was able to witness not only the natural beauty and cosmopolitan feel of the city and surrounding area (and the World Cup fever), but also the "townships" I had often heard about from my friend Gil, who was born and raised in South Africa. These are areas where thousands of shacks and shelters have been erected, wall to wall, by the poorest of the poor in Cape Town (and other South African cities). Townships were created as living areas for non-whites under the old political system of Apartheid. Townships are still home to a large percentage of Cape Town's population today - you see them repeatedly as you drive along roads and freeways on the outskirts of Cape Town. In a future issue, I hope to have more about this.

Well, the living accommodations in those townships in Cape Town are very similar to many of those in Haiti that were so easily destroyed by the quake. So you have people who were already living in poverty beyond what most of us have ever seen, and now even their shacks have been destroyed.

Also while in Cape Town, there was a very poignant contrast in the front page headline stories in the local newspaper - Cape Times - on 3 successive days:

"Matric success ... and days later he was dead" - a story about one 18 year old boy who was stabbed to death on the way to his aunt's nearby home to get milk as his father wanted to make tea.
"I saw a fin and blood" - a story about one man who was attacked and killed by a great white shark on a crowded Cape Town beach, just metres from other beachgoers including his girlfriend.
"100 000 feared dead" - the first day story about the Haiti quake.

I initially realized that, while the tragedy in Haiti was horrific, each of those "ones" the two previous days was just as precious to their families and to God as those untold thousands in Haiti. But the converse is also true - each of those untold thousands in Haiti is just as precious to their families and to God as those "ones" in Cape Town!

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. For years it has struggled with political greed and corruption. In addition, its embedded beliefs in Voodoo have left it covered in a pall of spiritual darkness. As much as anywhere, they need help that addresses not only their physical needs, but spiritual as well! So, we have taken a little different approach and added a Haiti page with information on how to give to charities that are currently on the ground in Haiti, but focus on wholistic help (physical, social, spiritual) to the quake victims. Over the next few months, we plan to continue to update this section with information to help us not forget the ongoing needs in Haiti.

So please, go to the Haiti page, review the short list of quake giving opportunities, and prayerfully consider giving to at least one of them today - even if it's only a $5 text message. Then, consider how you might adjust some of your finances in order to give regularly over the next few months!

Now, for that one very important thing that will not cost you a penny:

Right now, in Haiti, there are tens of thousands of children who have been orphaned by the January 12 earthquake. Breakdown of rule of law across the country in the wake of the disaster has left many Haitian children vulnerable to violent human rights abuses, including human trafficking and sex slavery. I hope you’ll take just a few minutes of your time to join International Justice Mission in asking President Obama to address the critical needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
I don't think I have ever seen something that is so important and valuable yet so easy and quick as signing this petition. Many Haitian orphans will be kidnapped or "adopted" into sex slavery or household slavery. This is a huge injustice that breaks God's heart, and should break ours as well. Signing this petition seems like the least we can do!
(RtP is all about helping the Church to remember the poor. The overwhelming message of Scripture is that this is the job of the church - not the state. But there are some things the church can not do, but must instead petition our leaders to do, on our behalf, what only they can do.)
Just click on the link and sign the petition - now - PLEASE - for these helpless orphans!

And finally, would you consider telling your friends about this site? Just send an email to every one in your address book you think might (or should) have God's heart for the poor. If you want some words to copy and paste, here's a suggestion (feel free to edit and "make it yours"):

I recently found a web site that is helping me to better understand God's heart for the poor, and what I can do about it. Last month I subscribed to it in order to keep informed on a monthly basis. This month, it provided constructive suggestions on how I could respond to the Haiti earthquake. I urge you to check it out, and subscribe to it! Here is the link: http://www.rememberthepoor.net/.

For Him and them,

Ken

Welcome - Volume 1 Number 1 - January 2010

Welcome to the inaugural version of the RememberThePoor™ web site! The purpose of this site is to gather and provide resources in a central place - primarily to encourage, educate and equip the Church (i.e., the global body of Christ) to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10).

This month, we introduce the web site. We're attempting to provide enough structure and content in this prototype that you can get the flavor of what we are trying to do, and so that we can continue adding to the content. Each month, we plan to provide a few additional resources. RtP™ has no staff - this is done on a volunteer basis in our spare time - so please be patient!

The primary resource content for January is on the Scriptures page, where we provide all of the Scripture verses containing the words poverty or poor (or variations). For the first month, we wanted the focus to be on these Scriptures, in hopes that you would take the time to read through them and get a sense of the heart of God for the poor! Most of the other resource pages are just "stubs" for now, to give you an idea of what we plan to provide in the future.

In our February edition, we hope to provide an interview with the pastor of an urban Chicago church which has significant intentional ministry to the poor. (In fact, they have just returned from a repeat trip to Puerto Rico where they were able to minister to a large number of poor families.) We also plan to feature a ministry organization which has an incredible vision for fighting injustice on a global scale in the name of Christ. Finally, we plan to provide a few other misc. resources (stories, songs, etc.)

After viewing this home page, please browse the other sections of the site - the purposes of the resources (encourage, educate, equip), the categories of resources (Scriptures, Bible studies, ..., Churches, Ministries), and the pages about us and our mission; then, please subscribe to our site so that you can receive updates as we add resources and other content!

Then, grab a cup of coffee and read over the Scriptures!

Copyrights

RememberThePoor™ and RtP™ are trademarks of rememberthepoor.net.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the
NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (http://www.lockman.org/)