The Service Team continues to thank God, the churches and all the saints for the spiritual growth that has taken place in our ministry to the poor. We are inspired by the tireless efforts put forth by each disciple on behalf of those in need.

Of special note was the appointment of Robert Carrillo, former evangelist of the San Diego Church of Christ, as the new CEO of HOPE worldwide. Robert’s personal life of his family being homeless when he was young and his continual service to the poor as an ICOC evangelist for many years makes him uniquely qualified to help build an even closer bond between HOPE worldwide and the ICOC churches.

It is our continued prayer that together we can achieve even greater things in serving the poor in the coming year. We are organized in four Subcommittees that report the following:

Church Relations and Communications Subcommittee:

  • Gifts given to the 2015 International Day of Giving totaled $1,370,285 which was approximately the same as 2014. Although we fell short of our increased goal, we are hopeful that we will see an increase in 2016 with many church leaders pledging their support
  • 12 churches participated in the 2015 IDG that did not participate in 2014
  • In response to the devastating earthquake in Nepal in April of 2015, HOPE worldwide raised almost $200,000 to help with the immediate relief efforts and long term re-building efforts
  • We were very proud that HOPE worldwide was given a full day at the Delegates meeting in Jamaica. Robert inspired those in attendance to support HOPE worldwide in our efforts to help the poor and needy around the world
  • ICOC Delegates overwhelmingly approved the new HOPEww/ICOC Alignment Proposal intended to provide guiding principles for our on-going partnership as HWW and ICOC leaders seek to fulfill the mission of Jesus: to preach, teach and to heal (Matthew 4:23)

Community Service Subcommittee:

  • 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Volunteers across the U.S. honored and promoted the spirit of Dr. King with acts of service during the past weekend and on Monday’s national holiday.  More than­­­­­­10,500 volunteers served over 32,000 people, logging 48,000 hours in 34 states at 283 service sites coordinated by 53 HOPE worldwide Chapters and nine additional organizations who were awarded sub-grants from HOPE worldwide through funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). These volunteers promoted fire safety and disaster preparedness, painted community centers, organized food pantries, read to children about non-violent ways to address conflicts and donated blood among many other events.
  • In October 2015, Southwest Florida became HOPE worldwide’s 100th Chapter! Since that time, Syracuse and Wilmington (North Carolina) have also been added as Chapters.
  • HOPE worldwide North American Chapter leaders gathered in Tampa, Florida the weekend of December 4th to share how they are making a difference in their communities and learn from each other. The theme of this year’s Think Tank event was “A New Beginning.” Together, HOPE worldwide Chapter leaders explored creative ideas to help Chapter volunteers find new and meaningful ways to serve their communities. A number of Chapters and individuals were also recognized for their outstanding service and achievements.
  • The Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter volunteers responded to disasters over the Christmas weekend as storms and tornadoes flattened homes in Garland, Texas. HOPE worldwide volunteers cleaned up debris throughout the community.
  • The National Youth Advisory Council continues to grow and expand as more than 60 high school and university students have been selected to help mobilize youth for service in the U.S. and Canada. These students organize local service days in their communities, assist with our HOPE worldwide Chapters, and are frequently asked to serve as youth advisors to the White House. In fact, recently one member, Taylor Erickson, was asked to show a video that he produced about health insurance at a White House event!
  • In December 2015, Antonio Boyd was honored at the Think Tank as he concluded his tenure as Vice President of Community Service at HOPE worldwide. The HOPE worldwide Chapter structure and community service programs throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean are indebted to Antonio’s vision and hard work. Until a replacement is determined, Robert Carrillo has stepped in to help continue this vision to engage even more church members in community service and volunteerism.

Disaster Response Subcommittee:

  • The disaster relief protocol was activated for various disasters to check on local ICOC churches and HOPEww affiliates, including Ukraine conflict, Burundi conflict, Nepal earthquake, European Syrian refugee crisis, and India flood; where HOPEww take actions to support local efforts on the ground.
  • No official church appeals requested for disasters in 2015; however, overflowing support was raised by various churches and general public through HOPE worldwide. In Nepal, $100,000 was raised along with about $500,000 of in kind supplies in Nepal. Thirteen thousand blankets and 3800 tents were distributed, along with 5,000 lbs of food supplies. Later on, 50 temporary shelter and 20 temporary classrooms built. Twelve families of disciples are also assisted in rebuilding their homes. Rebuilding efforts are still delivered.
  • In Ukraine, the appeal was done by church-to-church approach to support the ministries. However, moved by God’s compassion, disciples in Ukraine through HOPEww Ukraine decided to help the refugees and requested HOPEww supports. later on, HOPEww Canada also took part in the effort.
  • In Burundi, the political conflict caused security issues that drove people out of the country. The church requested for help, and HOPEww utilized a reserve fund raised by a disciple to support the affected disciples.
  • In West Africa, HOPEww continues to work with local churches in Ebola awareness and relief.
  • In India, a horrible flood took place in Chennai. The needs were assessed to help some disciples repair their homes. In addition to the recommendation from disaster relief sub-committee for regional support, HOPEww supported the relief with $10,000 through HOPEww India.
  • In the European Syrian refugee issue, HOPEww swiftly conducted an assessment by contacting various HOPEww organizations and churches in Europe. The fluid situation that is constantly changing caused hesitation by European teams to respond. In Munich, local disciples and church actively took action to provide relief, of which HOPE worldwide decided to support. Robert Carrillo, new HOPEww CEO, was on the ground in Europe to assess the needs himself, and is working to address the needs.

Going forward:

  • With the resignation of Sheridan Wright from the sub-committee, David Kim (Los Angeles) was recommended by John Causey to join Mark Templer (Dubai), Josue Ortega (El Salvador), and Charles Ham (Indonesia) in the sub-committee.
  • One pending issue for the sub-committee is its recommendation to start a “ICOC Disaster Relief Reserve Fund,” where a small fund of $5k or $10k can be released quickly (24hrs) based on a church affected by disaster, and can be replenished later on. With the increasing trend of man-made disasters (conflicts), this idea should be strongly considered soon in 2016.
  • Disaster Readiness and Preparedness training is needed in several high risk regions where many disciples reside, including Central and South America.

Governance and Risk Management Subcommittee:

  • Transition from Affiliate to Member Status: HOPE worldwide is actively in the process of transitioning from the current affiliate structure with our programs in other nations, to a membership structure. Under the membership structure, there are three key elements of a HOPEww organization becoming a Member which serves to raise the organization’s standards of excellence, improve their coordination and reduce liability of HOPEww HQ.
    1. Online membership application form: Provisional membership will be extended to applicants who meet certain standards. Recommendations will also be made for provisional members to improve their governance as they seek permanent membership.
    2. IPLA (Intellectual Property and Licensing Agreement): This agreement will help protect the HOPEww brand around the world.
    3. Member Grant Agreement: Each member who receives funding either from or through HOPEww HQ will sign an agreement which binds them to adhere to anti-terrorism policies and also requires them to submit project designations, specifying and budgeting their use of funds.
  • David Blenko, HOPE worldwide’s Chief Governance Officer, retired as of February 1, 2016. David has served HOPEww for many years and has left an indelible impression, primarily in the improvements he has made to the governance of HOPEww. Barbara Porter will be assuming some of his responsibilities as well as managing the transition from Affiliate to Member.

Members:

John Causey (chair) – Los Angeles, CA
Mark Templer (co-chair) – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Doug Arthur – Boston, MA
David Kim – Los Angeles, CA
John Brush – Miami, FL
Herve Fleurant – San Antonio, TX
Darren Gauthier – Chicago, IL
Bill Hooper – Dallas, TX
Gregg Marutzky – Omaha, NE
Ray Nadon – Anchorage, AK
JP Tynes – Orlando, FL
Robert Carrillo (HOPEww) – San Diego, CA
Charles Ham (HOPEww) – Jakarta, Indonesia
Mandy Jordan (HOPEww) – Philadelphia, PA