{"id":107,"date":"2009-02-06T12:44:08","date_gmt":"2009-02-06T12:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icoccooptest.org\/2009\/02\/06\/hopeww-benevolence-service-team-report\/"},"modified":"2024-02-06T18:10:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T16:10:58","slug":"hopeww-benevolence-service-team-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/hopeww-benevolence-service-team-report\/","title":{"rendered":"HOPEww & Benevolence Service Team Report"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"bencommjan09.jpg\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cAll they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor<\/em>.\u201d \u2013 Gal 2:10. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brothers and sisters on the HOPE worldwide<\/em> and Benevolence Service Team have been tirelessly serving for the past year to build stronger bridges and two-way communication between the churches and HOPE worldwide<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee surveyed the churches for feedback about HOPE worldwide<\/em>; it has created a church resource page on the HOPE worldwide<\/em> website to help disciples and churches; it has commissioned a wonderful theological essay Pure Religion: Biblical Perspectives on Serving the Poor<\/a> by Robert Carrillo, Evangelist, San Diego Church of Christ; and it has given many great suggestions to HOPE worldwide<\/em> about how to work together more effectively with the churches and disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee has met very consistently (10 times after LA, 4 times since Kiev) and has representation from all over the US, with over 20 people in attendance on typical calls. We recently have been encouraged to add more international participation to the committee, with members from Japan, Southeast Asia, and the UK (besides India), with China soon to follow. A list of committee members is attached below.The committee has also helped commission HOPE worldwide<\/em> to encourage more united spiritual activities by its employees, with a global day of fasting for employees on October 2, 2008, and another one scheduled for April 26, 2009. In addition, HOPE worldwide <\/em>employees and friends started out 2009 with a multi-nation, 7-day 24-hour prayer chain from January 1st-7th, 2009. In these times of economic turmoil and trouble it is the poor who will suffer first and most, and we are all praying for God to help us to help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee also has promoted two-way feedback between the church leaders and HOPE worldwide<\/em> both to \u201cspread the word\u201d about service opportunities, as well as to understand from the churches how HOPE worldwide<\/em> can better work with the members. This partnership helped promote successful service on a number of occasions, including 1500 campus students at the ICMC in July 2008, service to victims of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav later in 2008, and a successful Martin Luther King Day partnership with the Red Cross that received national attention on January 19th, 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward, the committee has chosen April 26th , 2009 as a \u201cremember the poor Sunday\u201d where churches can teach about the Scriptural basis for helping the poor, as well as sharing about the work of HOPE worldwide<\/em> without asking for a specific collection or donation. Please be looking out for further announcements about this on the HOPE worldwide<\/em>, Disciples Today, and ICOCHOTNEWS websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the inspiring International Leadership Conference in Kiev in October, 2008, there was a meeting of the delegates of all the churches. At this meeting the HOPE worldwide<\/em> and Benevolence Committee had a chance to talk about our collective efforts to help the poor. After J.P. Tynes (South Carolina) prayed, several other men of God from around the world shared about God\u2019s heart for the poor, the service of the disciples, and how HOPE worldwide<\/em> ties it all together. These included Robert Carrillo (San Diego), Douglas Arthur (Boston), Dinesh George (Bangalore, India), Mike Taliaferro (San Antonio), Bruce Williams (LA), John Causey (LA), and Randy Jordan (Philadelphia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key points of the conference<\/b><\/u>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n