Urban Ministry - The Latest

I love to eat meat. I'm from Kansas City where we love to BBQ everything.   There have been times in my life when I consistently ate at least a pound of meat a day.  So let me tell you, that I'm frightened by the idea that in the future becoming a vegetarian might be increasingly an issue of justice, but that may be what happens over the next century. 

Visit Change.org today and cast your votes for the ten issues that you feel need to be addressed to promote change in our country. Once all votes are tallied, the top ten rated ideas will be presented to the Obama administration on January 16th at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Cast your votes and let your voice be heard!

According to the Daily Herald, as people begin to prioritize their time and money for 2009, trends seem to show that more people are looking to give back to their communities. If you're looking for volunteer opportunities in your area, visit ChristianVolunteering.org today!

From Wild Apricot's Non-Profit Technology Blog, this article discusses ways to help incorporate your organization's online presence, through Facebook, Twitter and other websites, into your real world strategy to help your cause.

 Written by:                                Fletcher L. Tink, Academic Dean

“City Vision College: New Face, New Opportunities”

On January 1st, 2008,  Rescue College died!

No, not really!   It merely went through a transformation, a metamorphosis much like a caterpillar that emerges from the cocoon as a butterfly, awkwardly stretching its wings for new life under the altered identity of City Vision College.

As we face the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, urban ministries are facing a great increase in demand for their services at the same time their budgets are being cut.  In a weakened economy facing astonishingly high unemployment rates (6.5% in October, ½ million jobs cut in November) many new people are falling into homelessness and nonprofits are facing the true essence of fear, wondering if they have the ability to continue providing services, gain revenue and receive donations to reach their annual budget and help the world with its resources.  TechMission helps address this great need by connecting volunteers and low-cost personnel to provide millions of dollars of renewable resources to nonprofits.

TechMission's December 2008 Newsletter is now available online.  You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the document.

"Mapping for Justice" is focused on showing how maps can be used to encourage the distribution of youth support programs reaching kids in high poverty areas, as well as for accountability and public recogntion/persuasion.

From blog.mint.com and WallStats.com, this flowchart offers three suggestions for how to pay for the $700 billion bailout: (1) If the bailout was funded like the rest of government spending, (2) How the bailout is actually funded, and (3) How the bailout could be funded without drowning taxpayers in debt.