Thousands of Christians in dozens of nations are being inspired to help release millions from extreme poverty with a new resource. 'The Jesus Agenda' aims to make the worldwide Church aware of God's heart for the poor including the 950 million people who go hungry every day and 350,000 women who die in childbirth every year.
Micah Challenge, Christian Aid and Compassion International are releasing a 9-week DVD course aimed at showing Jesus' agenda of justice to dozens of nations including Nigeria, Norway, Hong Kong, Germany and the UK. It is part of Micah Challenge's wider plan to mobilize Christians to remind world politicians to keep their Millennium Development Goal promises made in 2000 to halve extreme poverty.
Micah International's Director Joel Edwards will now travel to Washington, Nigeria and other nations to inspire Christians about God's heart for the poor. "God cares about these 950 million people going hungry every day and the 19 million under 5s who are at imminent risk of death from hunger," Edwards said. "The Jesus Agenda aims to raise awareness of God's heart for the poor and how He wants His followers to seek justice for the oppressed."
On Saturday night at a Christian Aid Pentecost event at Methodist Central Hall, London, UK, crowds heard Edwards explain the heart behind the The Jesus Agenda. He said: "Pentecost is impatient with vibrant worship that does little to impact the world around us. Children are dying across the world and 350,000 women dying in childbirth every year: these issues are the mission of Pentecost. "
"The Jesus Agenda captures something of the essence of the spirit of Pentecost, taking Jesus' manifesto of good news to the poor and helping the Church to work, enabled by the Spirit, to continue that mission," he continued.
Christian Aid CEO Loretta Minghella called on all those who had been 'changed by love' to turn their experience into action. She said: "The love only comes fully alive when we share it, show it, live it. We can do together what none of us can do alone: we can change the world."
Groups of churches in 6 countries including Norway, Nigeria, Canada, Hong Kong, UK and Germany will now be 'early-bird' users of the course.
Follow The Jesus Agenda's updates and register interest on facebook.com/thejesusagenda
Micah Challenge, an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance, is a global movement active in over 40 countries whose aim is to encourage Christians to be committed to the poor, and hold governments accountable to the Millennium Development Goals, signed by 189 countries in the year 2000 which committed to halving world poverty by the year 2015.
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