Giving someone a gift of charity says, “I feel bad for you.”

Giving someone a loan says, “I believe in you.”

Micro-finance loans seem to answer a very complex social question, and I am excited to get involved in a micro-finance loan system this coming year.

Kiva.org is a great organization that is giving a hand to help lift people out of poverty. Like they say, their loans are changing lives. At this year’s Catalyst conference, the founder of Kiva gave a brief interview about the difference micro-loans make in developing countries, and how over the last couple years, Kiva absolutely blew up.

Are you involved in any organizations that are making a difference across the globe? Who’s doing it well that you know of? If you aren’t already committed to a social justice cause, you should jump over to Kiva’s website a see what a difference a few bucks can make.

I am a believer that with coordinated effort and global participation, we can witness the end of global poverty in our lifetime.

This is an enormous goal, but with new organizations popping up to pitch in, I believe we are making great strides in that direction. One such organization is One Day’s Wages. If you have noticed the new Creating Culture header, you will see their logo has taken over. I believe in this organization.

In my opinion, ODW has all the pieces in place to be super effective: 100% donations going directly to NGOs who are doing it well, a passionate leader and board of directors, an easy way to get involved and the development of a community around the cause.

Check out their (very cool) website and take a look around. I would encourage everyone who reads this blog to calculate your one day’s wage, read the stories and statistics, and take a step to get involved.

onedayswages.org – head over there.

Our launch team is planning a community event to help raise awareness of modern day slavery. Slavery is more prevalent today than in any other time in history. Human trafficking takes place all over the world, cases being sited in all 50 states in the U.S. and in countries around the globe.

27 million people live in slavery right now.

We as the Church must stand up for justice.

So, in response – we are going to host a screening of the documentary Not for Sale for the community, and hopefully spark a local movement that educates people and provides a way to respond.

Of course, we are only a few people with limited abilities.

Enter social networking.

sammahlstadt i need a graphic designer and a web designer to help with a human trafficking initiative soon going down in Winston-Salem. holla atchya boy 9:12 PM Jul 2nd from Power Twitter

I sent out a tweet asking for help and was able to get a graphic designer and web designer to pitch in and donate their time and skills for the cause. I am so excited that these talented folks decided to lock arms with us in this effort. I will be featuring them on the blog very soon, once all the web and print material is created. Until then, check out the post I wrote for ChurchCrunch.com about the dynamic of widening your talent pool using social networking.

Remember, collaboration can only happen when you ask for help.

Thinking about peace and justice today. I desire to be a part of the solution to poverty and warfare, joining what God is up to right now. I believe in peace, justice and hope entering people’s lives. I love these two images, they are both of an collaborative effort by artists in Mozambique. The project is called the Tree of Life. Made completely from decommissioned guns. Below is a short video explaining the project. Incredible! I love the man’s explanation, “You can’t make peace with guns.” I hope we are the generation that sees the development of our neighbors in oppressive nations, and the rise of peacemakers in all nations. I am excited by efforts to provide basic human needs, and efforts to be a voice for those who are not heard.