There are very few books that I re-read, recommend to others, and even quote from, but Dispossessed: Life in Our World’s Urban Slums by Mark Kramer is such a book and I would strongly encourage you to pick up your very own copy today.

Mark Kramer is an author, free-lance writer, and professor who specializes in the art of ‘creative non-fiction’ writing. In Dispossessed, Mark tackles the reality of slums all over our world (Manila, Mexico City, Nairobi, Bangkok, and Cairo) in a thoughtful, transparent, and dignifying way.

You may not have realized it, but rural to urban migration is happening at a staggering rate. More than half of the world’s population lives in an urban context, and just fewer than half of these ‘urbanites’ live in slums. In fact, I write to you from Nairobi, Kenya where 75% of the population lives in slum context.

As often happens with statistics, however, we tend to lose the humanity and reality of the daily struggle that faces those living in the slum environment. In Dispossessed, Mr. Kramer is intentional about ‘re-humanizing’ the slum context in a way that both inspires hope and breaks your heart. He does so using a first-hand person narrative that makes you feel as though you are walking the streets of the slums with him.

With our second documentary film project at hand, I’ve been trying to glean as much information about the history and context of the Nairobi slums as I could get my hands on. Chapter Three of Dispossessed (Nairobi – Colonial City, Then and Now) has been particularly helpful in bringing to light the historical elements that established and have served as the foundation for the slums as we know them today. After reading this book, and spending a fair amount of time listening to the life stories of those who live in the slums, one will quickly realize that the ‘challenge of the slums’ is much more complex than what meets the eye. But, the author doesn’t leave the reader hopeless or guilt-ridden by the prose. He continually points to local churches/leaders who are bright rays of light in these extremely dark places.

In the spirit of full-disclosure, Mark is a friend of LIA and donates the royalties from Dispossessed to the ministry of LIA. With that said, I hope that you’ll take the next step, pick up Dispossessed, and better understand the reality facing those living in our world’s slums. Perhaps, by better understanding the slum reality, we may better carry the burden of those living in such places.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 NIV)

Upon reading and processing through the book “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger” by Ronald J. Sider, an interesting point is presented that demands reflection. Throughout part two of this book Sider continually references the lacking distinction between the act of being an active participant in the exploitation of others in comparison to those that remain static and apathetic to the suffering in the world.

Using the biblical example of the poor beggar Lazarus in Luke 16, the story tells of a rich man that would pass by Lazarus everyday never seeking to help, yet never intentionally abusing.  His lack of concern for Lazarus and his situation however was judged just as harshly as if he were to have been the cause for Lazarus’s impoverished and hopeless state.

How are we to feel about the proclamation of Christ as our Savior yet living in a complacent state remaining static and unmoved by the most desperate needs of others around the world?  We may not be physically fighting the innocent, exploiting the poor, or consciously hording resources from those with nothing, however what are we doing to stop it?

Sider brings this concept of exploitation and apathy full circle regarding the presence and abundance of possessions that tend to fill our lives.  Consuming our time and energy we must not let our worldly goods become the center of our daily lives; clouding our desire to serve others.  We must also seek to be educated consumers, making a conscious decision to be weary of perpetuating the cycle of exploitation from our investments and purchases.

Ignorance to the issues and needs of the world only goes so far.  As Christians we must let our passions drive us to fight social injustices actively, not merely by not directly participating.  It is a bold call to action and requires a great deal of effort and giving of oneself.

Knowing the needs of the poorest and most marginalized communities in Africa, what are we doing to help, transform and empower?  Check out LIA’s programs and learn more about how you can get involved giving yourself and taking an active stand against injustice and suffering throughout Eastern Africa.

If you want to learn more about Sider’s view on living as a Christian in a wealthy society check out his book; “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger” and challenge yourself to empower others with your resources.

While we are often surrounded by people who have a love for Africa, it is rare that we get to rub shoulders with someone who not only has a heart for Africa, but the academic expertise that goes with it.  Dr. Steve Edgington is the Academic Dean for Pacific Christian College of Hope International University and has a Ph.D. in African History from UCLA.  His passion and knowledge of history and social science inspired me when I had him as a professor over a decade ago and he continues to inspire students today.

We are honored that Dr. Edgington would take time to review for the LIA blog Martin Meredith’s The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair: A History of 50 Years of Independence. New York: Public Affairs, 2005.

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I read my first Martin Meredith books in the mid-1980s as a graduate student in African History at UCLA: The Past is Another Country: Rhodesia to Zimbabwe, 1890-1979 (published in 1979) and The First Dance of Freedom (published in 1985). Meredith, whose long experience observing and writing about Africa began as a journalist covering the continent for British newspapers, subsequently published significant books on South Africa and Zimbabwe, including a biography of Nelson Mandela (1999) and volumes on Robert Mugabe’s increasingly tyrannical and catastrophic rule over Zimbabwe (2003, 2007). Like other journalists who make a career writing history, Meredith’s books not surprisingly have a journalist’s strengths (a very engaging writing style, perceptive observation and insight) and weaknesses (not particularly arresting or compelling as historical analysis or historical interpretation). The Fate of Africa demonstrates these same strengths and weaknesses.

Why should anyone want to read this book?

First, Meredith’s treatment of the era of independence is very well done, worth reading the book just for this section. He captures the euphoria of this moment in history, full of optimism and hope for the future. Nearly universal rejoicing accompanied the achievement of self-government with its promise for justice, autonomy, and economic development. This historical context for comprehending modern Africa is valuable for the important, foundational levels of understanding it provides.

Second, Meredith’s chapters on selected regional, national, and sub-national stories in Africa since 1957 provide concise historical background for current conditions in those parts of Africa. Chapters on Kenya or Ethiopia or Somalia or Sudan or Rwanda, may be profitably read by themselves as an introductory  primer or as a refresher on each story.

Finally, the most important questions Meredith seeks to address in The Fate of Africa are: How did the hopeful Africa at independence become the present Africa of despair?  and its implicit companion: What would need to happen to accomplish positive change?

Most of the literature, historical or otherwise, has answered the first question by blaming Africa’s poverty, corruption, political instability, and political tyranny on 1) the colonial legacy or continuing post-independence exploitation (economic and political) by rich and powerful outsiders (nations and corporations); 2) the failure of African leadership; 3) some combination of both with more or less connection, even partnership, between them.

Meredith’s is emphatically a #2 explanation, and, although he would undoubtedly agree that some nuance of #3 is more comprehensively true, his narratives from different parts of Africa certainly support his #2 answer. If Meredith’s answer to the first question is accepted, then the answer to the second question is easy: better leadership. Since leadership functions in context, local and global, it seems clear that better leadership is easier to state as an answer than it is to achieve as an answer.

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The overarching premise behind LIA’s concept of “Serving to Empower” is very much in line with Martin’s call for a new form and function of local leadership.  Seeking to bring about lasting change and a sustainable environment for the partnered African communities, LIA works to train and transform Christian leaders to access and attend to the needs of their own communities.

We encourage you to seek after a better understanding of the rich history and deep-rooted reasons for some of Africa’s greatest challenges and devastation of this day and age.  Continually surround yourself with literature such as Meredith’s book in order to stay engaged and informed with the situation and condition of Africa.

I know, I know, this doesn’t sound exciting, but it is! Every 10 years, First Fruit, Inc., a private foundation located in Newport Beach, CA, assembles their Global Trends Analysis report. This report provides an overview of the trends that they see happening throughout the world, largely propelled by undercurrents, also identified. The foundation uses this information to influence and shape their grant making framework in the years ahead.

I’m my opinion; the most interesting component of this research is not so much the trends and the undercurrents, though these are interesting. The most interesting piece is the Implications for the Global Church commentary. These insights are profound and prophetic.

For example, an identified Global Trends is an Increase in Women and Children At-Risk, which is right on, but read the Implications for the Global Church: “This is an issue of social justice and mercy –  legitimate expressions of the Church’s mission. The Church should be a strong advocate for the vulnerable and the powerless, as it has so often in history. Educational disparities between girls and boys lead to women becoming trapped in dependency and therefore more vulnerable and should be rectified. Poor theologies regarding the role of women have left them susceptible to cultural or systemic expressions of power and control. Churches, which are frequently comprised mostly of women, should consider whether they are doing enough to prepare, equip, and provide opportunities for women and treat them as having equal biblical value to men. Economic empowerment of women through tools such as microfinance can be furthered. Sharing best practices on how best to engage children at-risk can increase the effectiveness of programs and lead to better child-oriented discipleship materials. The consequences of 20 years of AIDS orphans will need to be carefully considered, requiring funders to aggressively look for creative, positive models for caring for orphans.”

Think of the complexity of assembling such a concise statement that pertains to the entire world! I highly recommend that you take an hour and read through this thoughtful and carefully crafted analysis of what is to come.After you do, comment on this post about the trend you found most interesting, surprising or challenging (mine is a tie between: Renewed Vision for Societal Relevance by Evangelicals and Pentecostals and Increase in Women and Children At-Risk).

My prayer is that Global Church responds to these trends with sharp intellect, in a posture of Christ-like compassion.

For many years I have been journeying through the theological and practical implications of being a western Christian in a world of poverty, famine, disease and injustice. From the beginning of this journey to the present, my best friend Adam Bamford has been right beside me, probably leading me more than he knows or cares to admit. I’m personally grateful that he took the time to review Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail by Paul Polak for our blog. In fact, last night, I picked up my copy of Design for the other 90% because I was so excited about what Adam has to share from this book (this will make more sense after you read the post). Enjoy.

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I am very pleased to offer my take on this book for the LIA International blog because there are many parallels to draw between LIA’s work in the horn of Africa and Paul Polak’s approach to eradicating poverty.  At the core of both LIA’s operations and Polak’s career is the element of empowerment, this hope-filled notion that the billions of impoverished people in the world possess incredible abilities to move out of poverty if only given the opportunity.

If you find yourself wondering what could possibly be done to measurably reduce extreme poverty around  the world, or if you find inspiration in the fresh perspectives and experiences of others, then I encourage you to check this book out.  As the author says, “There is much to be done.”

“I hate books about poverty that make you feel guilty, as well as dry, academic ones that put you to sleep.  Working to alleviate poverty is a lively, exciting field capable of generating new hope and inspiration, not feelings of gloom and doom.”
Out of Poverty, preface

In reading through this 2008 book, one quickly senses that Paul Polak is an experienced, straight-talking entrepreneur.  The 76 year-old founder of International Development Enterprises (IDE) has paid little attention to the status quo of international development theory in his work over the years, and he has realized staggering results along the way:  effectively ending the poverty of 17 million dollar-a-day rural people. Through his sage and candid writing, Polak draws his readers toward a fresh, pragmatic approach to understanding the clear paths out of poverty.  Rather than spinning high-minded academic theories, Polak’s vision for the developing world’s future is rooted in results achieved with profound simplicity.  As the above quote suggests, this vision is humming with innovation and excitement.

The hallmark of Polak’s career in economic development, which spans nearly 30 years, is what he terms “doing the simple and obvious.”  The first portion of this book is an even-handed indictment of the way extreme poverty has been addressed in past decades by organizations and governments the world over.  Polak succinctly bundles his frustration in his “Three Great Poverty Eradication Myths”:

Myth #1. We can donate people out of poverty
Myth #2. National economic growth will end poverty
Myth #3. Big business will end poverty

Polak firmly builds his argument on the fact that three-quarters of the dollar-a-day poverty in the world [representing 800 million people] has its roots in small, rural farms.  The balance of the book, and indeed IDE as an organization, focuses on proven strategies aimed at increasing the income of rural farming families throughout the developing world.  The author also spends a chapter highlighting the harsh realities plaguing urban slums and ultimately suggests that many of the same challenges and principles facing the rural environment ring true for the urban setting as well:  If we long to see dramatic shifts in water, sanitation, education, housing, and health, then improving “the business models, marketing methods, and bottom-line profitability that are critical to the survival and well-being of slum-dwellers…” is the key area to address.  Polak supports this perspective with a sweeping belief in the spirit of enterprise that the world’s poor inherently possess, and he has witnessed the measurable change that occurs when this enterprising spirit is allowed to “unleash the energy of the marketplace.”
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“The problem is that 90% of the world’s designers spend all their time working on solutions to the problems of the richest 10% of the world’s customers.  A revolution in design is needed to reverse this silly ratio and reach the other 90%.”

Underpinning these strategies for increasing the income of rural farmers and slum-dwellers is a design revolution where affordability, miniaturization, and expandability rule.  Whether it’s treadle water pumps, low-cost irrigation systems, or supply-chain innovations, Polak argues that the solutions needed in the developing world can come from the world of design.  He now chairs another organization, D-Rev:  Design for the Other 90%, which helped inspire a National Design Museum exhibit of the same name, as well as a book on the topic.

Additional Resources:
Paul Polak Video Presentation on Out of Poverty (Nov. 2008)
Design for the Other 90% Exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

…that is worth having you read.

One additional purpose that we have for this blog is to expose you to information that pertains to our cause, but isn’t necessarily something that you might come across in the mainstream media.

Below are three links that I hope you will read, and share about if you have a moment.

Global Crisis ‘Hits Africa Twice’ [by Kofi Annan via OneWorld.net] - A call for increased inclusiveness of poorer African countries that are likely to be the most impacted by the Global Credit Crisis.

Globalization and Trade: The Nuts and Bolts Come Apart [The Economist Magazine] - A fantastic overview of the complexities and politics of trade and globalization.

Developing A Sustainable Planet: The Basics [by Steve Cohen] - Politics aside, this article highlights some of the fundamentals associated with the term ’sustainability’, notably income inequality, peace, population and poverty, energy, etc.

A quick disclamer - LIA doesn’t endorse these articles or any particular political perspective. We just think that these writings make some interesting points and raise some interesting questions related to our cause. Thanks for learning with us!

Justin and I both had the privilege of working with John Chandler at Central Christian in Mesa, AZ.  Since our time together John has been a part of planting Pathways in Seattle, worked an his masters degree from Mars Hill Graduate School, and has recently begun a new work called Austin Mustard Seed that is a “new church community forming in Northwest Austin with a heart to live alongside one another in the Way of Jesus.”

Publishers often send John soon to be released books to review on his blog.  He recently received a copy of On the Side of the Angels, by Joseph D’Souza and Benedict Rogers and we asked him if he would mind sharing a review with us.

“I’m not sure if I would have read On the Side of the Angels, by Joseph D’Souza and Benedict Rogers, if I hadn’t been sent a review copy. Heck…I hadn’t even heard of it. After reading it, I hope that neither of those statements will be true for others.

The subtitle is Justice, Human Rights and Kingdom Mission, and that captures what this book is about very well. I get discouraged when mission is limited to evangelism. There is a growing understanding that mission encompasses more, but that is also causing some to speak out and emphasize evangelism over a more wholistic understanding of mission.

On the Side of the Angels serves as a good introduction to the importance of justice and human rights within mission. It offers some accessible and foundational theology alongside stories of the broken structures of our world.

A few quotes that capture the heart of the book:

“Far too many Christians in the world today are engaged in a mission consisting soley of words, ‘preaching good news’ and ‘proclaiming freedom.’ That is a curious departure from the example of the early church, and it seems to be a development of a more modern mission trend, where ‘verbalizing’ the Christian faith is seen as the only way of representing and witnessing to Christ in our world.” (pg. 16)

“While colonialism is mostly history, the neocolonialism of economic power is an equally disturbing reality. The church cannot be silent when blatantly unjust economic and trade structures exploit the poor of the world.” (pg. 34)

“For Jesus’ death and resurrection have two effects: individual and collective. He died to save each one of us from the otherwise tragic and inevitable results of our sins. But he also died to destroy evil.” (pg 58)

“Christians, and especially evangelicals, have for too long oversimplified the problems of the world by claiming that if we just deal with personal sin, the world will be changed ‘automatically,’ as a matter of course.” (pg 176)

“Evil is present in the world not only in our individual hearts but also in structures and systems designed to oppress, degrade, abuse, and kill others. If we are not intentional about bringing change and transformation into both lives and societies, it will not happen. To love people is to act on their behalf.” (pg 176)

Thanks John.

In November of 2008, I had the opportunity to share about LIA with the emerging desert cohort that meets in Phoenix, Arizona. This group is passionate about understanding the role of the Church in the world, with a particular emphasis on how the Church is to serve the poor and marginalized. I know firsthand that they are particularly keen on putting their dialogue to action in generous acts of kindness and compassion. One of the leaders and hosts of the emerging desert cohort is Joy S (and her husband ‘Jimbo’). I am grateful that Joy took the time to provide us with this thoughtful review of Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren. Thank you, Joy, for your passion and efforts to see the Kingdom come on earth.

Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope.
Everything Must Change (EMC) by Brian McLaren’, is the highly anticipated follow up to the widely acclaimed ‘The Secret Message of Jesus’. It received a great deal of visibility in the form of an accompanying blog, book tour and conference of the same name which was hosted in select locations across the USA in 2008. In my opinion, ‘EMC’ is a stylistic departure to some degree for Mclaren. Yet, the tone is familiar in many ways. Brian still challenges the status quo and offers new ways of looking at scripture that are fresh and exciting. Everything Must Change is also a very different type of book from others he has produced in the past, having a more overt political and economic flavor than his previous titles. This is an important book that has a great deal more to say spiritually about the post-modern world we are living in right now along with thoughts on helping to save it and ultimately ‘us.’ In fact in hind sight ‘EMC’ appears practically a ‘prophetic’ utterance!

The premise for McLaren’s book is the examination of two preoccupying questions. The first being “What are the biggest problems in the world” and the second, “What does Jesus have to say about these global problems.” The recent American (and global) financial crisis, the growing disparity between rich and the poor in developing nations, genocide, HIV/AIDS pandemic and the on-going war in Iraq, etc., make it easy to grasp the idea that there are no more important questions we should be asking of ourselves than the two McLaren examines in ‘EMC’

For McLaren, these particular questions are fueled by the recognition that our world is in terrible crisis in just about every possible way. McLaren identifies and defines 3 interdependent societal systems; prosperity, security and equity, that sustain life as we know it. He goes on to illustrate that when any of these 3 systems are functioning out of balance from the others, it creates what he has deemed a “Suicide Machine.” A societal mechanism so out of control it’s unable to adequately sustain the imbalance of resources, needs and power and thus the machine actually destructively turns against itself. Further, it is proposed that how we approach these 3 failing societal systems and the logic we use in attempting to ‘fix’ what is broken (or not) depends largely on pre-existing “framing stories” we believe concerning the world, ourselves and our future together. These framing stories, (or the stories we tell ourselves in order to make sense of the world’s systems and how to manage them) are, as McLaren sees them, distinctly spiritual in nature and have been handed down to us by previous generations. It is his strong conviction, that these familiar framing stories are not simply out dated, but fundamentally bad.

Addressing the 2nd question, “What does Jesus have to say about theses global crises?” McLaren introduces the reader, or perhaps more appropriately ‘reintroduces’ the reader, to Jesus and the Kingdom of God. He warns that how we have previously conceptualized Jesus and His Gospel of the Kingdom in and through our past narratives has been, perhaps unintentionally, distorted and misinterpreted. This he believes, has led to the perpetuation of disastrous framing stories human kind has clung to for eons. These ultimately ‘bad’ ways of framing our world view is what McLaren surmises is responsible for the global mess we now find ourselves in. He works ingeniously to extricate Jesus and the ‘Good News’ from those things that have hijacked Him and His radical message of hope, for so long, thus uncovering a new framing story. As a result, our collective attention is redirected back to a Gospel narrative that has much more to say to the world’s current global crises than our old ones and is to become our new focus.

Understanding that reading one more book will never really accomplish anything, McLaren leaves readers who sense urgency in his message with a challenge to act, to become a “revolution of hope” and “respond in radical ways”. He shuns simple answers to our serious societal ills, but also reports rather matter of fact, “There is one great step that we can take to dismantle the suicide machine and the framing stories that legitimize it: stop ‘believing’ in it, and to believe, in its place, a different story, the story of the Kingdom of God.”

Awesome. Thanks Joy!

Our next book review comes from Roberto Sirvent, J.D., M.A. Roberto teaches, among other things, Human Rights and International Politics at Hope International University.  Not only is Roberto a long time friend of both Justin and I, but he also serves as a volunteer research assistant to LIA. We are grateful for his contribution to this blog and his time volunteered to support our initiatives in Africa.

Please see his review of Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor (Farmer, Paul) below.

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Whoever said “you can’t eat freedom” was probably right. But the same people who weren’t listening then are the same people who aren’t listening now.  Paul Farmer, founder of the Boston-based Partners in Health, critiques this ongoing trend in human rights discourse where people are ever so active in fighting for civil and political rights (e.g. right to vote, right to a jury trial) but inactive in the fight for social and economic rights (e.g. the right to food and medicine).  In a world of nose jobs and liposuction, why are people still dying of malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrhea? In this provocative collection of essays, Farmers asks the global health community for some answers, while at the same time calling for a paradigm shift in its approach to combating health care inequality.

Farmer, a prominent physician and anthropologist, argues that explanations for health care inequality that focus on poverty, biological phenomena, or “the upper reaches of bureaucracies of banana republics” miss the bigger picture.  The tragic state of global health, he argues, is a product of structural violence.  Throughout the first half of his book, Farmer explores this relationship through a varied collection of narratives. Without patronizing, Farmer asks the reader to move beyond popular biases and oversimplifications by probing the underlying source of health care inequality. From the IMF and NAFTA to colonialism and post-Cold War spending habits, Farmer insists that the root causes are always different, yet always the same.

The second half of Pathologies of Power relies less on story and more on theory.  Many readers will find refreshing Farmer’s account of Latin America liberation theology, a theology that lingers behind Partners in Health’s mission to ” provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.”  The rest of the book, however, reads too much like a sermon, attempting to generate persuasive force not from reason and statistics but from a moralistic plea for peace. Farmer asks us, for example, “If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that right?” Fair question. And maybe even powerful. But it’s not something he failed to suggest seventy pages back. Or forty. Or twenty. By the time the reader arrives at this otherwise poignant question, he’s already read it twice before.  The book succeeds nonetheless in leading the reader to the somber and paralytic place we call moral outrage. Farmer’s redundancy might make us exclaim “I get it. I get it!” But ultimately, his book serves as a sad reminder that we still don’t.

Last week, I provided a review on a great  book that I didn’t think most people knew about. Today, we have a guest review of another such book.

This review of Do Hard Things (Harris, Alex and Brett) is provided by James Hoxworth from Covenant Community Church in Scottsdale, AZ. I had the privilege to partner with James on a project that he will explain below, and was inspired by the paradigm he is implementing within his youth group.

Thank you, James, for inspiring others (including me) to ‘do hard things’.

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Do Hard Things is a call to teenagers to radically re-think how they live their lives, recommending that they look at doing things that will make a difference in other people’s lives.  The book seeks to start a “teenage rebellion against low expectations” as the subtitle suggests.  Giving real-life examples, the Harris brothers highlight what makes up a true “rebelutionary”- a term they coined to describe a teenager who follows the 5 pillars of Do Hard Things.

3 of the 5 “kinds of hard” discussed are: 1) How to do hard things that take you outside your comfort zone;  2) How to do hard things that go beyond what’s expected or required; and 3) How to do hard things that are too big for you to do alone.  I intentionally leave the other two off so you will pick up the book and read it!

While this book is geared to teenagers and college students, I recommend that parents read this book as well, to help give their children a “do hard things” mentality.  Grace-based and not legalistic, the authors seek to give students a bigger vision of God and what He can accomplish through young people who are committed to Him.  They even include a Gospel message at the end of the book to share their entire motivation for doing hard things.

The book is suggesting a paradigm shift in how we view adolescence and how much young people can actually accomplish.  While some may view this as idealistic, the book continually shares story after story of adolescents doing amazing things that go against modern views of teenagers.

It is true that some of the ideas presented in the book would only be possible for some students who give up everything else they are doing (besides school) and pour their energy and life into some of the hard things they accomplish.  Yet, maybe the students who have such a radical understanding of priorities is what’s needed for our youth who live in a culture that has them living on the edge of anxiety and burnout as they are overextended with all the “things” that are less important in light of eternity?

As a youth pastor, I was inspired by Do Hard Things and bring this model of thinking and ministry into practice with our students.  As a result of a challenge we put out to our students about “doing hard things for Jesus”, we were able to raise, with God’s amazing blessing, over $13,000 in famine relief for Life In Abundance in Ethiopia.  From collecting cell phones, spare change, hosting a Chick-fil-a spirit night, and working a silent auction, our students were blown away by the response and just what a little effort can do to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

This book will blow up excuses that teens and their parents may make about adolescence just “being a stage” and challenge everyone to reevaluate and redeem the teen years to make a difference in this world for God and for good.