Family Life

11.28.12 | Martha Manikas-Foster

• Listen
• Download

Nearly one billion people live in urban slum communities around the world. Without appropriate action, we’re told that in 30 years the number of urban poor could rise to two billion.

What would “appropriate action” look like? What would it mean for us to take it? Those who love Jesus know that He calls His disciples to serve the poor, the homeless, the hungry. But I think many of us have only a foggy idea of the actual needs, the opportunities we have to meet those needs, and what those of us who do not live in slums have to offer that could make a difference. 

I wonder, too, if some of us are afraid to look too closely at the issues that feed the growth of the world’s city slums. What might God ask of us if we respond to the call to bring His Kingdom to the urban poor?

Click on the “Listen” icon above to hear our conversation with today’s Inside Out guest, Scott Bessenecker. Scott speaks and writes about issues of poverty, justice and global missions. He provides more than 2,000 college students each year with short term mission experiences as part of his role as the Associate Director of Missions for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

To keep up with Scott’s blog “The Least of These,” click here: http://urbana.org/blogs/least-these

Scott will be among the leaders of the Urbana’12 Student Missions Conference track that will be focused on seeing Christian mission through the lens of urban poverty. To learn about Urbana12, InterVarsity’s Student Missions Conference in St. Louis from December 27-31, click here: http://urbana.org/urbana-12

Comments

Your Comments(please keep them on topic and polite)