Urban Ministry - The Latest

After hearing of the death of entertainer Michael Jackson, I was excited to come across this article discussing his philanthropic side, including his charities and social justice initiatives, including the song  "We Are the World". This article, originally posted on JustMeans.com, discusses the debate about Michael Jackson's charitable nature and illustrates a common misconception made about social enterprises.

Writers Brent Aldrich, Chris Smith and Ragan Sutterfield present their list of forty creative and community-conscious options for celebrating Interdependence Day, a "counter-holiday", as they call it, to the 4th of July where people can "celebrate our dependence upon one another and the earth, and our ultimate dependence upon God". Check out their list for ideas for you, your family and your ministry.

Neeraj Mehta, writing for Sojourners and God's Politics, looks for answers to a simple question that affects communities, cultures and our country: Why are people poor? After giving his own opinions, he presents two questions and his outlook on what has to be done before we as a nation can begin to address the issue of poverty in America.

Liberty Mututal has recently released a new online game on their website, "Driver Seat Game", putting you in control of a car with the simulated difficulties that an elderly person would have based on their age. Ideally, this game will spark conversations between adults and their elderly parents about transportation options to keep their parents safe and relive them of the stress of driving. For more information, visit ITN-America, a non-profit focused on providing transportation for senior citizens.

Love is one of the most talked about emotions in the world. Recently, however, due to the added stress put on families, it is an emotion that some children no longer experience. David Steal, writing for ChristianityToday, advises youth ministries on the importance of showing love to the children who come through their doors. His article offers tips and examples of how a little extra attention can make all the difference to a child in need.

I have been looking for a Christian perspective on the recent election protests in Iran. Searching different blogs and websites, I came across Eugene Cho's article, written for God Politics, a blog hosted by Sojourners. While very simple, this article conveys general Christian love for the people of Iran as they fight for their freedom.

UrbanFaith.com recently sat down with Sundee Frazier, author of Check All That Apply: Finding Wholeness as a Multiracial Person (InterVarsity Press, 2002) and Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It, to discuss her experiences living as a multiracial in an ever-changing America. Frazier also talks about how having a multi-racial president has affected her, and how her faith has influenced her life.

"How Stereotypes Defeat the Stereotyped", an article from Time maganize, takes a look at how sterotypes affect an often over-looked community when it comes to discrimination - the elderly. This article discusses a study done by researchers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, looking at how certain sterotypes affect the mental activity of senior citizens.

JustWallpapers creator and artist, Curtin Honeycutt, covers all types of techie/art topics as they relate to Christian social justice. One of his recent articles, "4 Reasons to Stop Twittering in Church", caught our attention, especially with the ever-rising popularity of Twitter in both the secular and non-secular worlds. What are your thoughts on the idea of churches using Twitter in their services?

FactualTV.com offers videos on a variety of topics. However, their Poverty channel, which features full-length videos as well as video clips, stands out to me as one of the most remarkable collections of global poverty documentaries online. Head over to the Poverty section to check out these great videos and for more resources on global poverty, visit our Poverty and Homelessness Resources Channel.