Developing Hearts that Yearn for Justice 2008

Gather with 150 other clergy and lay people concerned with social and global justice to be refreshed, renewed, recommitted and reconnected! Speakers include; Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Brian D. McLaren , Fr. Richard Rohr, Bishop Samuel Ruiz, Elsa Tamez, and Matthew Fox . I don’t know where you could find a group of speakers like this in one place and it’s practically on our doorstep! The conference begins this side of the border at University of San Diego, and then continues in Tijuana at Casa de Migrante.
The theme of the conference, “Be Not Afraid,” is intended to recognize the reality of fear that many immigrants face in their difficult journeys, and the reality of the growing atmosphere of fear in the United States confronting us through the symptom/lens of immigration.

Click here for more information and to register.

The date of the Alternative Gift Market has been changed to Saturday November 17th. The venue is San Marcos Community Center, San Marcos. Please mark your calendars and plan on being there. This year’s event will be much bigger than last year, with music, perhaps food, as well as a diverse range of items to choose from. Several area churches are promoting and sponsoring the event and we are excited to be able to showcase the work of so many global artisans, and benefit directly those struggling to overcome poverty around the world. It’s fun and worthwhile event so please make sure you’re there, and bring your friends and family.

Last year one extended family came as a group and had a blast choosing gifts for each other. Make it a tradition in your family!

See you there.

Take the HourChallenge!

CEP member Cory Verner has launched a really useful, interesting and informative web site.

Back in June Cory made a commitment to intentionally spend at least an hour a day working to end poverty. This is a log of how he spends his hour, and a collation of moving and informative videos, articles, books etc. Here’s how Cory introduces his HourChallenge site:

“The more I learn about the injustices that cause global poverty, the more I am convinced that I must act. And so, this blog is a personal manifesto of sorts and part of my small effort to do something to help in this fight.”

Now, here’s the challenge. We urge YOU to commit to spending an hour a day, an hour a week or even just an hour a month fighting to end poverty. Blog Cory and share your hopes, successes and frustrations. You can get ideas about what to do here. But basically it comes down to this; Pray, Read, Learn More, Talk (to others) and Write (to those who have the power to implement systemic change) and now you can even Run or Bike to raise awareness and funds! Take the HourChallenge!

June 10, CEP joined with congregations and groups in the annual Escondido CROP WALK. CROP WALKS are a way to have fun and raise funds to alleviate hunger at home and around the world. The two-mile walk began at the First United Methodist Church, with 200 people participating. The event, sponsored by Church World Services, was one of 1,800 CROP WALKS held in hundreds of communities each year. Twenty five per cent of the money raised went locally to Interfaith Community Sevices. Seventy five per cent to international relief agencies selected by each walker. Participants are anticipating next year’s CROP WALK and the oppotunity to care for the poor and “walk with the world.”

Last week several of us from CEP attended The Gathering 2007, a conference put on in Washington D.C. by Bread for the World. Over four days, we worshiped together, dialoged, brainstormed, and renewed our commitment to end hunger and poverty around the world.

We attended many helpful sessions including a pre-conference workshop – the CRC Justice Seekers Assembly – put on by the Christian Reformed Church to start a denomination-wide movement focusing on justice in CRC congregations. As a member of the CRC, this gathering was one of the highlights of the trip because it allowed me to connect with others in our denomination who are also working to end poverty.

It’s difficult to summarize an event like this in just a few words. It was inspiring, life changing, yet sobering. I gained a new appreciation for the complexity of our political institutions and legislation and realized how vital it is that we organize on behalf of the poor. Much of the focus of the conference was centered on the farm bill, an enormous, sweeping piece of legislation that affects not only the poor domestically but those suffering from extreme poverty in the poorest countries around the world.

When I joined CEP, I was most interested in doing “things that really mattered” to help the poor. Things like – sending aid, sponsoring a child or a village… Advocacy was certainly a consideration, but it was far down the list below most of the other things I thought could help more.

This conference convinced me though that advocacy IS one of the most important activities in the fight to help the poor. Why? Because the poor don’t have the resources necessary to organize, lobby and protect themselves from entities who are primarily interested in promoting self-serving agendas. Take the cotton lobby for example. This is a highly cohesive, organized, well-financed group that spends millions to make sure that cotton crops continue to be subsidized here in the U.S. But subsidizing cotton in recent years is unfair, not only to the majority of farmers here in the U.S. but especially to those farmers who are unable to make a living now due to the overproduction of cotton that has resulted in depressed cotton prices. So what does this really mean, you might be asking? It means that these subsidies are wrecking entire economies of poor nations and are literally killing thousands and millions of people in these places. As a (now informed) Christian I cannot support policies that are unjust and hurtful to the poor of the world. To find out more about the farm bill visit http://www.bread.org/learn/background-papers/2007/farm-bill.html.

But the conference wasn’t just about the politics of injustice. It was much more than that. It was true to its name – it was a gathering. It provided a unique opportunity to learn and share, hear stories, even to vent. I learned from Lawrence, a Zambian who ran a prison ministry there with 1000 volunteers that many involved in this movement are as interested in sharing the truth of the gospel as they are in meeting needs. Meeting so many evangelicals who are concerned for the poor was a great comfort to me. Or the network of small businessman who are using their expertise to help small business owners in Latin America and Africa adopt best practices that will help their business expand and run more efficiently. So many are using their God given gifts to make the world a different and better place.

It was certainly a trip to remember. I hope some of you will be able to attend in 2009 when the conference is held again.

Peace to you,

Cory

450 walkers, $60,000
raised, christians from all backgrounds walking
together, and all this in one afternoon in a small rural
community in north San Diego County. Not possible?
Don’t tell Herman Vanden Bosch that. He’s living proof
that one person with a passion for making a
difference in the lives of those who struggle to overcome
poverty, can make a huge impact.
CROP walk stands for Communities
Responding to Overcome Poverty. Some 2,000
communities across the country participate in CROP
events each year, raising funds for local hunger-
fighting agencies as well as for the international relief
and development efforts of CWS.
450 walkers (and their dogs) walked this year, and
through sponsorship, raised $60,000. 25% donated
to Fallbrook Food Pantry, serving the needs of
Fallbrook residents and 75% donated to href="http://www.churchworldservice.org/CROP/index.h
tml">Church world Service
What prompted Vanden Bosch, who has been organizing CROP walks for 20 years now? He loved the idea of a worthwhile action where various
denominations could come together with a common
purpose. Van Den Bosch commented; “It’s good to
walk with others who care, to know that you’re not the
only one out there. Besides its fun. Although we are
walking and raising funds to fight a serious issue,
there’s great joy in knowing you are working together to make a difference!”"
If you would like to make a difference please join in
your local CROP walk.
Escondido/San Marcos Escondido, CA June 10, 2007
Rancho Bernardo October 2007
Walk with other CEP members in Escondido. Contact
us at info@christiansendingpoverty.org to connect.

To organize a CROP walk contact

Report from Marlys Hickcox

A group of 13 from CEP were led by Herman Vanden Bosch on a one day visit to Mexico to learn, absorb and experience life across the border. The 13 stops of the day gave a diverse view life in Tijuana and Tecate, with some glimpses at life from the point of view of middle income citizens, would be and deported migrants, orphans and the poorest of the poor. Understanding one part of the picture was essential to the understanding of the other parts, and that was particularly true of our visits to the municipal dump area, the border fence and the refuge for migrants.

In summary, our group learned how our counterparts directly across the border live, work and play. We experienced walking through neighborhoods constructed of everything imaginable. People surviving and even thriving in crowded huts with no water to drink except what the truck brought by or they bought at the local corner store. We saw waste water and sewage running down the dirt streets with mangy dogs everywhere. We talked to people who have hope for a better future. We saw happy children but many sullen adults not knowing when their next payday would come. We looked into peoples eyes who must have been wondering why these rich gringos were walking and talking through their neighborhood. Were they here to help or judge? The nationals running the locations we visited were friendly, inviting and caring people. They genuinely seem to love what they do and where they do it. They ask for help but don’t beg. They know that God will help them and they are often rewarded with their patience by evidence of the many volunteers and new construction at their facilities. The Mexican side of the border has many challenges but the lifestyle and life expectancy is rising from what it was only a few years ago. There is room for more assistance by us and from the other concerned groups of Christians and Christian churches from all over world that see the Tijuana area as “ a field white with the harvest”.

We pray that this visit will stay with us, the people will stay in hearts and prayers, and that we will respond to them as God would will us to do.

If you would like to join a future CEP trip to Mexico please contact info@christiansendingpoverty.org.

To read full report of the trip please click here.

To see some pictures of this trip please click here.

As we approach Easter many of us are called to concentrate on our prayer life and especially to ask God to show us where we have a habit of sinning and what part of our life He would have us change. I have asked myself if I am guilty of the Sin of Silence, as it is highlighted in the verse from James 4:17 “Anyone, then , who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”. Perhaps it is a question we can all ask ourselves.

After 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus’ first action in Galilee was to preach from the scriptures, as we learn in Luke 4:18 His theme was good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed. Are you bringing good news to the poor and oppressed? Do they know you care?

You cared enough to visit this site, but what will be your action now, so that the child going to bed without food, water, healthcare, education, or hope knows that you care?

To do nothing is more than being passive, it is to be guilty of the sin of silence. It is a rejection of those who suffer. So, what can we do? CEP seeks to help those who are concerned find an avenue that they can use to take action. Visit our Get Involved page for some ideas, or see the example below.

We love to be able to offer practical examples of what one person or church can do in the struggle to overcome poverty. Read on to find out what the St. Michael’s Poway High School Youth group organized;

CEP members, Cindy and Gerry Schmelter , who attend St. Michael’s Church in Poway, knew all the excuses they could have made to avoid leading an awareness raising event (we’re too busy, we don’t know where to start, we don’t have access to the resources, what good would one event in Poway do etc. etc) but they chose not to use those and instead to step out in faith and put on an event for their church’s teens.

Consequently, 80 young people heard and experienced many issues related to poverty at a recent Hunger Banquet held at St. Michael’s on February 13th. The youngsters not only watched videos and power points informing them about basic facts of poverty they joined in discussions and experienced the injustice of poverty by being split into groups representing developed, transitional or underdeveloped regions of the world. While some enjoyed a beautiful catered dinner at decorated tables others sat on the floor with a small cup of rice and water. Various factors were introduced to impact their “lives” and some participants moved up a group or down a group in response to the factors introduced. It was a powerful way to help teens experience, question and discuss the injustice of poverty.

Cindy and Gerry relied on instructions obtained from Oxfam ( go to www.hungerbanquet.org) and CEP was able to provide further resources. This is exactly what CEP was created for – to provide support, encouragement and empowerment to Christians stepping out in faith to raise awareness and educate others about extreme poverty.

But the best is yet to come. Having raised awareness and created an interest; over the next few Sundays these teens will now have an opportunity to engage in a positive and practical way in the fight to end poverty by participating in a letter writing campaign. The students will be encouraged to voice their concerns and desire for poverty focused aid in letters to be delivered to their local representatives.

We commend Cindy and Gerry and their team for their faithful work on behalf of those who are struggling to overcome the effects of poverty.

Who’s next? Who will organize a similar event at their church or youth group? We are ready to support you!

Add your comments here.

Sarah Check of Floresta gave an insightful and
challenging presentation Jan 20th at Solana Beach
Presbyterian. Her subject was “Environmental
Destruction and its Connection to Poverty” but it was about so much more than that.

Sarah stressed the need to address not just charity,
but to go beyond that to creative support through
development assistance and through advocacy. It
was the creative programs providing development
assistance that Sarah concentrated on .

Sarah’s interactive and engaging presentation broke
down the subject of poverty into a complicated web
of root causes. Sarah emphasized the need to
understand and then respond to the root causes,
and not in a vacuum but as a whole. Sarah’s example
of projects created by Floresta showed how we can
encourage and empower those who personally battle
to overcome the effects of poverty, supporting them
in attacking root causes, encouraging creative
responses using their own community’s rich talents
and achieving a break in the poverty cycle. Sarah
closed with a reading from Isaiah 41:17-20, giving
clear personal witness to God’s goodness in restoring
His creation.