(Photo courtesy EFCA)

USA (EFCA) — What follows is a response to the controversy of the rectn World Vision announcement. This analysis is being shared by the Evangelical Free Church of America GlobalFingerprints Director, Daryl Anderson:

No doubt, you’ve seen that World Vision USA changed their employment policy, permitting jobs for those in homosexual marriages; a complicated and grievous decision.

However, as the Internet flutters with responses, remember: if you sponsor a child with World Vision, he or she should not suffer due to the consequences of poor leadership decisions.

The decision to sponsor a child is one directed by God the Father. By no means is it an easy road. There are dry spells between letters. There are financial hardships that make it a struggle to continue sponsoring. There are disconcerting policy changes in the organization. All the while, your sponsored child is experiencing a new life and hope for a future they would not have without your prayer and support.

We urge you to remain steadfast in your obedience to the Father and prayerful commitment to your sponsored child. In child sponsorships, there are very key times for children to remain sponsored: namely, until they graduate from their schooling. The benefit of a completed education cannot be underestimated for things like preventing human trafficking and finding sustainable employment. The letters they receive from you nurture an intangible sense of belonging in them that is crucial to their thriving as humans and Christians.

We live in a world of conflicting values creating very difficult choices; these choices often cause great internal frustration and struggle. Being thrust into a situation where you are supporting a child in an organization that you are now not in agreement with puts one in a very difficult position of conflicting values. If you are in such a position I trust you will seek the Father for wisdom and grace on how to respond.

I am so thankful for all of GlobalFingerprints’ leadership and staff around the world that are committed to God’s Word, the integrity of the family, and the Church. For the care and protection of our sponsored children, the entire GlobalFingerprints team is committed to Jesus Christ and the biblical values and principles He calls us to.

Confident in God’s sovereign care of His children,

Daryl Anderson
GlobalFingerprints Director

 

World Vision board reverses controversial
gay-marriage decision.

USA (MNN) — Just two days after a bomb-shell announcement about a change in policy allowing same-sex partners to be hired at World Vision, the organization’s board reverses its decision.

In a letter sent to supporters late yesterday afternoon, President of World Vision Richard Stearns wrote that the “World Vision U.S. board publicly reversed” its controversial policy change allowing the hiring of same-sex married couples.

He writes, “The board acknowledged they made a mistake and chose to revert to our longstanding conduct policy requiring sexual abstinence for all single employees and faithfulness within the Biblical covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.”

According to Stearns, they were confronted by “trusted partners and Christian leaders who have come to us in the spirit of Matthew 18 to express your concern in love and conviction. You share our desire to come together in the Body of Christ around our mission to serve the poorest of the poor. We have listened to you and want to say thank you and to humbly ask for your forgiveness.”

Stearns acknowledges that the organization “failed to be consistent with World Vision U.S.’s commitment to the traditional understanding of Biblical marriage and our own Statement of Faith, which says, ‘We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.‘”

Stearns fielded questions from nearly 20 individuals during a teleconference call yesterday following the board’s decision. “It wasn’t about money,” he said.

He told the group that World Vision was guilty of not seeking enough counsel on its initial decision which he says received overwhelming board support. However, this recent decision which resulted from the huge ground-swell of protest was also overwhelmingly supported.

This is an issue that will continue to be discussed among board members in the weeks and months ahead, says Stearns.

Were board members surprised by the negative reaction from World Vision supporters and friends? “We shouldn’t have been surprised, but we were surprised, yes,” Stearns responded.

Many child sponsors called to cancel their sponsorships, Stearns says, “which really hurts the kids. That’s the hard part of all of this.”

He says the board is “brokenhearted over the pain and confusion” caused to supporters, who saw this decision as a reversal of their commitment to Biblical authority, which he claims was never their intent.

Stearns goes on to say that the organization stands firm on the biblical view of marriage and that World Vision strongly affirms “that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, are created by God and are to be loved and treated with dignity and respect.”

Stearns says World Vision is committed to listening to the wise counsel of Christian brothers and sisters in the days and weeks ahead. It’s yet to be seen how many disenfranchised supporters will respond.

(Photo courtesy Orphan Outreach)

International (MNN) — A major bombshell dropped on the evangelical community Monday: World Vision President Richard Stearns told Christianity Today that his organization, one of America’s largest Christian charities, is now allowing gay Christians in legal same-sex marriages to be hired as well as gay Christians who follow their policy of abstinence outside of marriage.

The organization, known for their child sponsorship programs worldwide, is now dealing with the fallout.

The reality: it will be children who will suffer the consequences because of dropped sponsorships or programs that may suffer due to diverted giving.

(Photo courtesy Orphan Outreach)

Meanwhile, over 1.4 billion people in the developing world live below the poverty line (USD$1.25 per day).    Children under age 18 make up nearly 48% of the population of the world’s least developed countries, compared with 21% of the population of the world’s industrialized nations.

This begs the question: does child sponsorship make a difference?  There’s about $3.3 billion going into child sponsorship every year, compared to the $2.9 billion that goes for development assistance from the U.S. government. Up until last March, no one had done a study on child sponsorship to see if it is effective.

According to a peer-reviewed study released last March by the University of San Francisco, the message does make a difference. In that study, published in the University of Chicago’s Journal of Political Economy, researchers concluded that sponsored children are more likely to graduate both secondary school and college, have salaried employment, and be leaders in their communities.*

The study notes that programs from other organizations–including World Vision, Plan USA, and Save the Children–that “use funding given in the name of a sponsored child more broadly to create village-level public goods” are “less-targeted nature” and “more difficult to assess.”

The one-on-one impact of sponsor to child in the name of Christ helps shatter the cycle of poverty. Tiffany Taylor with Orphan Outreach says, “It’s one thing to have humanitarian aid and to be able to help the children with their physical needs, but obviously, the key for these children is for them to have a lifelong personal relationship with Christ.”

(Photo courtesy Orphan Outreach)

Sponsors are encouraged to engage their child, because even though they may be worlds apart, it makes a difference to a child to know that someone cares. “They know that there’s someone who is praying for them, who is writing them, who is caring for them. We also have the opportunity for people to go on short-term mission trips and actually meet their children.”

Orphan Outreach’s sponsorship programs provide funding that will allow a child to remain part of a vital Christian program in their community. Taylor says their staff makes no apologies for a biblical worldview. “What’s key to us is that these programs involve Christian discipleship of the children, that they are run by Christians, and that these children are exposed to the Gospel on a daily basis.”

Sponsorships with Orphan Outreach are just $36 a month. Orphan Outreach cares for orphans and at-risk kids (in Christian schools) in Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Latvia, and Russia.

Actual details of what a sponsorship covers can vary from project to project–from monthly tuition to food and clothing. But the investment is transformational for both the sponsor and the child, adds Taylor. “Their sponsors also can be totally open with them about their love of Christ. And that is why they are sponsoring these children and giving them their financial and prayer support directly, to transform the lives of these children.”

You may ask what the connection is between the World Vision announcement and the vision of a sponsorship program by Orphan Outreach. For Orphan Outreach, who they are directs what they do.

Orphan Outreach is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to glorifying the Lord through reaching out to the millions of at risk children throughout the world. Since our founding in 2007, we have acted as instruments of Christ impacting the lives of those we serve. Ministering primarily in Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Latvia, Russia, and the United States, we support a variety of programs designed to offer a better chance to children in dire living conditions. James 1:27 is the inspiration of our mission and the motivation and passion towards attaining our vision.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

Editor’s note: All this week, we will be contacting MNN partners and ask them to be a part of this dialogue. Check back often as this discussion continues.

*Peer-reviewed, independent study on the viability of international child sponsorship led by Dr. Bruce Wydick, professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, reveals large and statistically significant impacts on life outcomes for children enrolled in Compassion International’s Christian child sponsorship program.

Volunteers who work with AIDS victims in Swaziland and other African countries will receive Caregiver Kits assembled by 16,000 attendees at Urbana 12. Urbana 12 is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's triennial Student Missions Conference, which is being held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, December 27-31, 2012.

The kits include medical and hygiene items for the compassionate care of AIDS victims in a part of the world that has borne the brunt of what has been called the largest humanitarian crisis of all time, and where access to basic health care is greatly limited. "The Caregiver Kits provide practical materials which bring dignity and comfort to those living with AIDS," said Steve Haas, Vice President of World Vision, which is partnering with InterVarsity on this project.

Over the past year, World Vision saw 40,000 kits assembled. During this one Saturday night at Urbana 12, another 32,000 kits will be added to that total. Each Urbana attendee will pack two kits and enclose notes of encouragement and blessing for the kit recipient.

Urbana's program director Nikki Toyama-Szeto told Mission Network News, "We wanted to look at the intersection between proclamation and demonstration." She added, "One of the things Urbana requested is that these kits be used to fuel a proclaimed and lived-out witness in the communities where they are. A Gospel just demonstrated is but half a Gospel. A Gospel that's proclaimed but not lived out is but half a Gospel. We're just challenging folks to lean into the fullness of what God has to offer us," Toyama-Szeto says.

Items in the Caregiver Kits include antibacterial soap, ant-fungal cream, petroleum jelly, gauze pads, washcloths, and water purification sachets. After moving through the assembly line, each attendee will take their assembled kits to a shipping container in the arena. Then they will be shipped to Africa.

"Today's college students are service oriented and volunteer oriented," said Toyama-Szeto.

How did the students respond? Annie Zirbel from North Dakota says, "It's huge to be able to encourage those who are on the ground every day in that kind of way, and those who are suffering: to know that in some way we get to love them extraordinarily. That encourages them for what they're doing every day."

Writing a note to each caregiver was a part of the project. Rochelle from Lincoln, Illinois, says, "I just wanted to not only say 'thank you' but to let them know that I praise Jesus because of them, and just thank them for what they do."

The 32,000 kits prepared for World Vision caregivers will allow them to lovingly touch hundreds of thousands of lives.

The possibility of an end to the lethal pandemic is a beacon of
hope in advance of a global conference on the disease. The biennial
International AIDS Conference held this year in Washington, D.C. begins Sunday. It has not been held in the
United States in 22 years.

The
United Nations says more than 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and
around 30 million have died from AIDS-related complications in the three
decades since the virus emerged with lethal intensity.

But
on July 25, people are getting together to talk solutions. Food for the Hungry U.S. President Dave Evans, and Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life, are
meeting in Washington D.C. to participate in a summit about the Christian
Faith Community's efforts to treat and reduce AIDS cases throughout the
world.

It's
an active stance to make the voice of the faith community heard and understood
by U.S. and world leaders. The faith
community provides 40% of worldwide healthcare and has a large role in
combating HIV/AIDS.

Churches
provide comfort and support to people who are either infected or affected by
HIV/AIDS. In Haiti, Food for the Hungry staff visit isolated people living with
HIV/AIDS, providing education and supplies to keep them healthy.

Other
work includes education, abstinence programs, and maternal and child health
programs. With medical experts making advances to end this disease, please join
FH in praying for an AIDS-free generation during the next decade.

Nearly
380,000 youth and adults were reached with messages of healthier choices and
behavior change to equip them to protect themselves. This includes encouraging
abstinence, faithfulness, and risk reduction for youth and adults. Educational
messages are also shared with 1,800 pregnant and lactating women to enable them
to deliver and nurture the next HIV-free generation.

Speakers for the
summit include Rich Stearns, president of World Vision; Carolyn
Woo, president of Catholic Relief Services; and Kay Warren, co-founder of
Saddleback Church. They will discuss the important role the faith community
plays in global health and in combating HIV/AIDS.

FH
comes alongside believers in the local church, helping and equipping them to meet the physical and
spiritual needs, share the Gospel, solve problems, and help disciple new
Christians in their community.

Zondervan has announced plans to donate 40 pallets of gently used Bibles and books to World Vision and Biblica for distribution overseas. Through these donations, Zondervan hopes to promote Christianity and get books into the hands of those eager to know more about the Bible. This will bring the total number of pallets donated since July 2010 to 89, a retail value of $1.63 million dollars.

This program reflects Zondervan's desire to give away product rather than destroy it, or share, not shred. For the past 30 years, Zondervan has given excess and returned product to missions as an extension of their mission to meet the needs of people with resources that glorify Jesus Christ and promote Biblical principles. The World Vision partnership came about recently due to their ability to reach areas of the world where populations are most in need of these valuable educational resources.

"It feels very wasteful to throw out products that have been returned to our warehouses," said Scott MacDonald, President and CEO of Zondervan. "We are very excited to partner with World Vision because they are able to reach areas in the world with the most need to place these books in the hands of those who can benefit from the Word of Christ."

Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word to meet their spiritual needs. From immigrants streaming through the gates of Ellis Island to refugees in Sudan and orphans in Romania, from Hindi speakers in India to Swahili speakers in Africa to Quichua Indians in the Andes of Latin America, Biblica is there, presenting God's Word. Visit http://www.Biblica.com to learn more or to make a donation.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to helping children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. They serve the world's poor, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information on their efforts, visit WorldVision.org/press or follow them on Twitter at @WorldVisionNews.

Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and a leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 80 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices. They have been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan with additional offices in Miami, Zondervan publishes its bestselling Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software, and digital products through its Zondervan, Zonderkidz and Editorial Vida brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at http://www.zondervan.com.

Casey See is with E3 Partners Malaria Cube. He says, "There [are] over 1 million deaths every year in the world due to malaria. And in one way, shape, or form, two-thirds of the world's population is affected by malaria."

That's why E3 Partners created the Malaria Cube. It's a puzzle-like cube with pictures on it. With proper training, a person can teach a community about malaria prevention and treatment.

Because the problems is so wide-spread, Malaria Cube and World Vision are partnering together. They recently held a pilot training session in Kenya to train 400 trainers. "They're reporting that only 55% of the people that they've been working with over there understand that malaria comes from a mosquito bite."

That's why the Malaria Cube is important. See says, "It simply and clearly goes through the facts of what malaria is, what causes malaria, how to prevent malaria, and what to do when you get malaria. Also, the symptoms of malaria."

Because the Malaria Cube is wordless, it can be used by anyone. See says, "We hopefully will be taking in tens of thousands of Malaria Cubes very soon as soon as the funding comes in to distribute amongst the people, the medical facilities (which we visited)." The minister of education also wants to use it in schools across the country.

Is the Malaria Cube evangelistic? See says, "The end of the message is not necessarily a Gospel message, but it is a message about healing and hope. And there are many of the leaders who saw that as a lead-in to the simple message of the Gospel."

The Malaria Cube is modeled after the EvangeCube, which is an overt evangelistic message.

Funding is needed to help supply Malaria Cubes in countries affected by this deadly disease. If you'd like to help, click here.

HungerFast, as it became known, was to raise awareness of the plight of
the poor. This year, with the threat of 40%
budget cuts to foreign aid, over 40,000
people joined in the HungerFast, including over 30 members of the U.S.
Congress. 

Food for the Hungry U.S. president Dave Evans says, "When the
HungerFast came to a close, we were celebrating the fact that God
really did move on behalf of the poorest and saved this resource that's so
critical to help them."

Specifically, God answered prayer. "God really did a
miracle. When we actually saw the budget, the final cuts to foreign aid that affect
the poorest were very tiny and will have no material effect on those
programs for the remainder of this fiscal year, which has another four and a
half months to go."

Even better, there was even a $20M increase
in funding to assist disaster victims through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. The victory was thrilling, but also
short-lived. Evans says, "In Fiscal Year 12, starting in October, (right
now the process is going through Congress), there is talk about some of these same cuts that were
removed from this current budget being put back in."

So, it's back to the trenches. Food For the Hungry teams are trying to make sure that the
resources they have don't get whittled away. Evans says they're also trying to be part of the solution. "We are very supportive
of a balanced budget; at the same time, we
believe that there are savings that can be made in a whole bunch of areas so
that foreign assistance doesn't have to bear the brunt."

Food for the Hungry has large programs in 20 countries
around the world. They partner with the
local church in order to increase the ministry of the local body of Christ in a
culturally-sensitive context.  As a result, God opens more doors. "We see
change in both areas, so we believe that bringing the holistic Gospel is
critical to meeting people's physical and spiritual needs together and seeing that
hope of a new day in Christ becomes a reality in our program."

Evans urges vigilance as the negotiations over FY12 take
place. "Pray for wisdom on behalf of those in Congress. Pray that they wouldn't forget the poor as they
go through this process, that it wouldn't just be numbers."

There's more about FH here.

The FY11 bill was hammered out on Friday to avoid a
government shutdown, and the details of the $38 billion in cuts are still being
spelled out. The goal is to bring it to
a vote on the House and the Senate on Thursday. At the same time, the House Budget Committee
Chair Paul Ryan presents the FY2012 budget to the Full House and the
President.

The cuts are deep, even gutting. Already, there's an acknowlegement that the
$38 billion in cuts for 2011 won't be enough for 2012. 

That makes foreign aid an easy target. Lucas Koach with Food For the Hungry says, "When asked how much of the federal
government's budget goes to foreign aid, most Americans think it's over 20%. When asked what they think is appropriate,
the common answer is about 10%. The actual amount that goes directly to
international food aid and development is one half of one percent."

In other words, even if all food aid
got cut, it would not make a dent in the federal deficit.

In FY11, $8 billion in cuts are
coming to the State and Foreign Operations budget which includes all the the State Department's functions–a move that is both disappointing
and alarming.   

In practicality, the loss of the funds is a life or death issue for
70,000 kids around the world. "As we target the poorest of the poor around the
world, who are often weeks, if not days, from real starvation, these funds can
translate to death."

In our March 7 story, we broke down the proposed cuts this way:

41% – U.S. food aid programs

67% – Office of Foreign Disaster
Assistance

30% – Development assistance

15% – Global health and childhood
survival programs,

All of these were from FY10-enacted levels, according to budget analyses.

The dollar values may have
changed, but the percentage of cuts were roughly consistent with the earlier
reports.   

The cuts will also impact U.S. foreign
policy and national security. Hunger breeds political instability and chaos
around the globe. Koach explains that "one
of the best proven tools is food aid, food security, and serving the poorest
of the poor as we help our government win friends and allies around the country; it allows mission groups like ourselves to care for the least of these in
our midst."

FH is trying to close the gap between perception and reality
when it comes to the funding cuts. More voices are joining that chorus. 36,000, including congressional members, recently answered a call by religious leaders
to participate in a hunger fast protesting the cuts. They were calling for a "Moral Budget"
because, Koach says, "There isn't an army of lobbyists on behalf of the poor. There
isn't a lot of political pragmatic interest protecting this sector. That's why
it's an increasing imperative to continue to implore their members of congress to
balance the budget, but not to do so on the backs of the poor."

It wasn't only a protest: it was a way of sharing the burden, on a much
smaller scale. "We know that this isn't an easy road. Fundamentally, we are
called to suffer with and on behalf of the poor. We have to trust that God is
larger than these concerns. Hopefully, the suffering will only serve to further
awaken God's people."

How the cuts will impact FH's programs is yet to be seen. However, Koach notes that the budget issue
may be just the klaxon needed to wake believers. Real change happens when God's people
respond with the hope of Christ. "It's
not just going to be a matter of passing a few pieces of legislation, but it's
really going to be God's people moving with an increased compassion to reach
out for the poor."

Keep praying for the ministry leaders who are trying to find ways to
move outreach forward in uncertain financial times. Ask God to continue to resource them, as well
as give them wisdom.

Food for the Hungry U.S.
president and global executive, David Evans, calls the cuts "disproportionate." "They
proposed an average of 8% cuts in discretionary funding across all
areas, but the cuts in international relief and development assistance range
from 41% to 67%."  

In response, FH joined a
coalition of 30 religious and faith-based leaders and signed a letter to U.S.
Senate members urging them to reverse the reductions to international
assistance passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. "All Non-Governmental Organizations that are benefitting
from foreign assistance from the U.S. government will be affected in one way
or another, so there's really no area that's been spared the knife."  

Evans thinks that the deepest
cuts targeted international assistance because it's an "easy target." The
coalition has to counter the prevailing school of thought: "If we have a budget deficit, why are we
giving this money to other countries?"

In fact, a recent Pew Research Center
survey asked Americans how much of the government's budget they thought went to
foreign assistance. The average response was 25%. When they were asked how much they felt
should go to foreign assistance, they said no more than 10%.    

Evans says, "There's this huge
difference between reality and perception. Our message is: ‘If Americans feel like it should be 10%, then that's great. We'd take 10%. Given that it's only one half of one percent,
this is not the area to be making cuts. Even if foreign aid were completely
abolished, it would not make any recognizable dent in the current budget deficit."

Cuts proposed in the House of
Representatives budget resolution include slashing U.S. food aid programs by
41% ($687 million), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance funding by 67% ($875 million), development assistance by 30% ($747 million),
global health and childhood survival programs by 15% ($365 million), all
from FY 2010 enacted levels, according to budget analyses.

The Senate passed a two-week
extension of the budget that would fund the government until March 18, all the
while countering with proposed $4 billion in federal spending cuts, somewhat
less drastic than the steeper cuts endorsed by the House. "Our desire now–in the U.S. Senate, where the debate is happening–is that some of these cuts
would be restored, particularly in areas where it helps the poorest of the poor
and the most vulnerable."

There's still time for you to get
involved. Evans says, "Talk to your
senators. Talk to your representatives about the good that some foreign
assistance does for the world's poor."

The budget measure would deny
roughly 18 million poor and vulnerable people life-saving physical and spiritual
help. "U.S. government funding allows
us to be in a number of countries that we might not be in if we didn't have
that resource, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and working with local
churches, helping to build those churches and build their capacity. All of that
would be curtailed–if not shut down completely–in those areas where we're
highly dependent on this resource to be there."