World Vision

We think very highly of all of the organizations on our list, and support each of them without reservation.  If we had to choose just one organization to support, our favorite among favorites, this would be the one…  Continue reading

Futility or Effectiveness?

After reading about the Church in America’s anemic response to the problem of extreme poverty in Richard Stearns’ landmark book, The Hole in Our Gospel, we began talking with people – lots of people.  And in these conversations, a common thread quickly emerged.Continue reading

A Hole in Our Gospel

Timothy 4:3 – For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. That is, a gospel with a hole in it – Continue reading

Our Story

What Moves Us?

Our Story at Givers by Design began with a book:  Richard Stearns’ award-winning The Hole in Our Gospel.  We already had a nagging awareness of the massive disparity between the comfortable lives we lead here in America, and the desperate lives led by those trapped in extreme poverty...
Why are we so blessed, while others suffer so?

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Overview: Making a Difference

This archive category will contain discussions centered on the idea of making a difference.  The desire to have an impact has been built into us, made as we are in our Maker’s image.  Still, a creeping sense of futility keeps many of us from doing what we could.  So, in this space we will highlight time-tested ways to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of the world’s poorest people. We hope you’ll join the discussion — joy awaits us as we discover what we need to know to exercise our stewardship privileges responsibly and effectively. 

For an easy to use, information packed list of organizations whose programs have proven effective in helping the world’s poorest people to lift themselves out of extreme poverty, go to Best Christian Humanitarian Organizations. 

Overview: Foundations for Generosity

This archive category will contain discussions exploring Christian foundations for generosity.  Christian generosity has been described as living with an open hand as opposed to a closed fist — a relevant and convicting metaphor for a modern-day consumer culture characterized by independence, busyness, competition, and stress.Continue reading

Overview: The Church’s Response

This archive category will contain discussions around the Church’s response to the problem of extreme poverty.  We notice that Christ did not just preach the Good News, He tangibly demonstrated it, backing His words up with action.  As His disciples, we are called to do the same; in this way, the Great Commission and the Great Commandment are wedded into an undeniably powerful whole.Continue reading

Overview: The Biblical Mandate

This archive category will contain discussions focusing on the the biblical mandate for serving the least and last.  Throughout all 66 books of the bible, in over 2000 separate verses, our Father reveals His heart for the poor.  Ponder the fact that Christ entered this world as one of them, a manger His first bed. So complete is His identification with the poor, His compassion for them, that He considers love shown to the poor to be love shown to Him.  More than a set of rules to be obeyed, we are shown that in helping the least and last we are in communion with Him.Continue reading

Overview: The Least and Last

This archive category will contain discussions focusing on the nature and extent of what has been called extreme poverty — that is, the world’s most desperately poor people.  Extreme poverty is often defined as those who live on less than $1.00 per day.  While poverty is present to some degree in every American town or city, most of us never witness the extreme poverty that one billion of earth’s inhabitants live in.  Our discussions here will tell their story.Continue reading

Donor-Directed Giving

 

Blessed to be a BlessingArticle Summary:  Christians wishing to address the problem of extreme poverty by giving through their churches face twin challenges.  First, are the projects they support truly effective?  Second is the issue of dilution:  Giving to a church’s general budget results, on average, in only 2% of the gift being applied to lifting those who live in extreme poverty out of their suffering.  While acknowledging that giving directly to parachurch organizations with demonstrated expertise in this field is an effective and biblically sound option, this article makes the case that there are significant advantages to allowing and encouraging congregants to direct sacrificial contributions to these organizations through their local churches.  Among these advantages are the revitalization of local congregations as they focus upon a purpose outside of and larger than themselves, and the enormous positive impact on the broader Church’s witness.  Accordingly, this article advocates (and urges congregants to do the same) for the inclusion of carefully selected parachurch organizations within the local church’s framework of donor-directed giving opportunities.Continue reading