Critical Issues: Learn What You Can Do
Together we can
- bring assistance to those who live in poverty,
- offer hope to victims of human exploitation,
- create a sense of belonging and safety for refugees,
- provide relief to those in need of humanitarian aid,
- support vulnerable children and the families that care for them, and
- learn about mental health challenges and how to respond.
Through Project HELP, churches can
- raise awareness of social and moral issues, and
- mobilize their people to meet needs and share the gospel.
Our current Project HELP focus is on mental health. Previously, we have focused on refugees, PTSD, human exploitation, poverty, and other critical issues.
Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. As the church, we can encourage those around us with the love of Christ, walk alongside them through difficult seasons, and help them know the Lord is near.
Click here to learn more about Project HELP: Mental Health and how you can get involved.
Lack of access to education, health care, and basic resources means that for many, poverty is an endless generational cycle. Through the WMU compassion ministries of Christian Women’s Job Corps/Christian Men’s Job Corps (CWJC/CMJC) and WorldCrafts, you can help people end the cycle of poverty through living wages and job skills training.
Expose the difficult truths of poverty in the United States to students and adults.
- Poverty: Difficult Truths – In this one-hour simulation, participants will live out real-life scenarios and choices on how to navigate life without adequate transportation, affordable child care, access to medical care, and enough food to feed their families. Participants will learn about poverty and have an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and learn how they can minister to those in poverty. This is an excellent activity for the month of October, when many churches focus on Global Hunger Relief.
- Poverty: The Church’s Response – Do you want to learn more about the critical issue of poverty? Are you looking for effective ways to respond to those living in poverty or to equip your church to address poverty? Take the online course Poverty: The Church’s Response to learn more about the theology of poverty and ways to help those living in poverty. You will be equipped with ongoing access to resources for leading a conference about poverty such as a PowerPoint presentation, presentation notes, flyers, and posters. You will have 30 days from the day you register to complete the course, and will receive a link that will never expire for access to teaching resources that are updated periodically.
Alleviating Poverty through Living Wages and Job Skills Training in the US
There are more than 100 CWJC/CMJC sites across the United States. There are multiple CWJC sites that are WorldCrafts artisan groups.
- CWJC of Madison County, Alabama
- Graffiti 2 Works
- Baptist Friendship House
- Begin Anew Refugee Artisan Group
- CWJC of Rusk County, Texas
Alleviating Poverty around the World through Fair Wages
WorldCrafts partners with artisan groups around the world to provide sustainable, living income and the offer of eternal hope to artisans, their families, and communities. Visit WorldCrafts.org to learn more about WorldCrafts artisan partners.
Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world. Traffickers exploit those left vulnerable and desperate because of poverty. Through Christian Women’s Job Corps/Christian Men’s Job Corps (CWJC/CMJC) and WorldCrafts, you can help survivors of human exploitation in the United States and around the world.
- Human Trafficking: The Church’s Response – Do you want to learn more about the critical issue of human trafficking? Are you looking for effective ways for you or your church to fight human trafficking in your community and beyond? Take the online course Human Trafficking: The Church’s Response to discover the realities of human trafficking and ways to respond to this atrocity. You will be equipped with ongoing access to resources for leading a conference about human trafficking such as a PowerPoint presentation, presentation notes, flyers, and posters. You will have 30 days from the day you register to complete the course, and will receive a link that will never expire for access to teaching resources that are updated periodically.
- Trafficked: Fighting to be Free – A trafficking simulation. Expose the hard truths and tough consequences of human trafficking to students and adults. This one-hour simulation is designed for participants to experience the realities of trafficking. Participants will learn about trafficking around the world and have an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and how they can minister to those who have been rescued.
- Through CWJC/CMJC, men and women learn life skills and job training, giving them dignity and independence.
- Through WorldCrafts’ Support Freedom Campaign, WorldCrafts artisan groups provide a living wage to help men and women escape bonded labor and sexual exploitation.
How does God direct us to respond to the global refugee crisis?
Every day, thousands of people are forced to flee their countries because of war and persecution. These people—many of them children—find themselves facing unknown cultures and languages. Anxiety, distress, and despair become their new normal as they attempt to navigate governmental and social barriers, all while grieving the loss of their families and their homes.
The world tells refugees they are not wanted, but we serve a God who desires a relationship with displaced people. And He wants His children to join Him in His relentless pursuit of refugees.
Learn how you can help by purchasing refugee products and
- provide learning experiences to build awareness of the global refugee crisis in your church at wmustore.com
- support the refugee artisans who earn income with dignity through WorldCrafts
Refugees: The Church’s Response – Do you want to learn more about the critical issue of refugees? Are you looking for effective ways to respond to the refugee crisis or to equip your church to minister to refugees? Take the online course Refugees: The Church’s Response to learn more about the definition of refugees and ways to help refugees in your community and around the world. You will be equipped with ongoing access to resources for leading a conference about refugees such as a PowerPoint presentation, presentation notes, flyers, and posters. You will have 30 days from the day you register to complete the course, and will receive a link that will never expire for access to teaching resources that are updated periodically.
Throughout the world, illness and lack of clean water are creating a vast humanitarian crisis.
HEALTH CARE
Baptist Nursing Fellowship ministers to health-care professionals in many ways.
- Equipping—Earn continuing education units at each of our annual meetings.
- Praying—Give and receive prayer through our BNF birthday prayer calendar. Pray corporately around specific themes, including nurses who serve in full-time missions.
- Supplying—Learn how to use your specific medical skill set to further God’s kingdom. Learn how to start or continue ministering in your community and around the world.
- Connecting—Encourage and be encouraged through this fellowship of believers who have similar passions and gifts.
- Sending—Use your medical platform to care for the sick and share the gospel. Your platform enables you to go into places where spreading the Word is difficult. We want to help you imitate Jesus’ ministry by serving people both physically and spiritually.
Learn more at baptistnursingfellowship.com.
CLEAN WATER
People without clean drinking sources live with the risk of becoming sick from unsafe water. Through the WMU compassion ministry of Pure Water, Pure Love, you can help provide access to clean water, bringing health and hope to those in need.
Currently, 785 million people live without access to clean water resources. This number demonstrates a vast need that affects physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In many cases, the inability to access clean water happens in an instant.
When a natural disaster strikes, clean water can become scarce. This was the case when a hurricane devastated communities in Puerto Rico. Through a partnership with the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief, Pure Water, Pure Love was able to provide water filters that were delivered to homes in the communities affected by the hurricane. Larger systems were provided for the churches in those communities.
As these communities see their prayers to receive clean drinking water answered, they will also come to know the love of the Living Water, Jesus Christ.
How to Get Involved:
Host an event to raise donations and awareness through your church or organization, including a Christmas project, 5K or Fun Run, and even a luau!
Learn more at wmu.com/pwpl.
Through Pure Water, Pure Love and WorldCrafts, you can support ministries that are on the front lines of caring for vulnerable children in the United States and around the world.
- Pure Water, Pure Love Grants
Through partnerships with Pure Water, Pure Love, grants have been given to the Lifeline Children’s Services (un)adopted programs in Liberia and Uganda. These grants are providing clean water resources for countless children and their families. - Pure Water, Pure Love Display
Set up a display about Pure Water, Pure Love at your church to encourage people to support the ministry.
