Introduction
to Five Mobilization Questions
By and large,
surveyed denominational
church leaders generally responded positively to the idea that church
members in the United States should increase giving through their churches in
an effort to stop, in Jesus' name, the millions of annual preventable global
child deaths.
In accord with an initial report in the Washington
Post, The British Lancet
Medical Journal series has established that it is possible to prevent the
deaths, each year, of well over 5 million children under five years of age for
about $5 billion a year.
An additional $156 billion would
be available if Americans affiliated with historically Christian churches
tithe. The enormous potential of
the historically Christian church in America has not yet been challenged with
exciting options. Rather, as
reported in the fall of 2005, for each dollar donated to a congregation,
denominations spent 2¢
on overseas missions in 2003.
Question 1: What Are the Wealthy Donor Dollar Amounts?
Question 2: Who Is the Wealthy Donor Mobilizer?
Question 3: Where Is the Mobilization Situated
Organizationally?
Question 4: Who Provides the Country-by-Country Analysis?
Question 5: Who Runs the Blog?
Question 1: What Are the
Wealthy Donor Dollar Amounts?
Historically
Christian denominational church leaders have not yet taken the initiative to
mobilize to help, in Jesus' name, stop global child deaths.
To break the logjam
of church inertia and deal with the vacuum of leadership
in the church, wealthy
Christian donors could provide $1.5 billion a year in matching funds that
could encourage historically Christian churches to increase giving, possibly
through their denominational agencies, to help, in Jesus' name, prevent global
child deaths.
Were this approach to
be taken, what goal would be best or most feasible in mobilizing wealthy
Christian donors to provide $1.5 billion a year in matching funds:
a.
10 gifts
averaging $150,000,000 each?
b.
100 gifts
averaging $15,000,000 each?
c.
1,000 gifts
averaging $1,500,000 each?
d.
10,000
gifts averaging $150,000 each?
e.
Other?
Your
ideas are welcome at ideas@emptytomb.org. Thank you for your interest.
Question
2:
Who Is the Wealthy Donor Mobilizer?
With regard to
enrolling wealthy Christian donors to provide $1.5 billion a year in matching
funds to help, in Jesus' name, stop global child deaths, who would be a good,
historically Christian candidate to serve as:
a.
A wealthy
Christian donor who would serve as mobilizer?
b.
A wealthy
Christian donor who would make a lead gift, but would not carry
primary mobilizer responsibilities?
c.
A
non-wealthy Christian organizer who would be well suited to mobilize wealthy
Christian donors of matching funds?
Your
ideas are welcome at ideas@emptytomb.org. Thank you for your interest.
Question 3: Where Is the
Mobilization Situated Organizationally?
Where should a
nationwide church initiative to help, in Jesus' name, stop global child deaths
be situated organizationally?
Following are some historically Christian organizational possibilities
that come to mind.
a.
One or more
of the Big Three historically Christian denominations in America:
2.
Southern Baptist Convention?
b.
Christian Churches Together?
c.
Christian Foundation
Center of America?
e.
The Gathering?
f.
Generous Giving?
h.
Mountain Movers International?
i.
National Association of Evangelicals?
j.
National Christian Foundation?
k.
National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the U.S.A.?
l.
Pinnacle Forum?
m. Promise
Keepers?
n.
Rick Warren's Saddleback Church
P.E.A.C.E. Plan?
p.
World Evangelical Alliance?
q.
World Relief?
r.
Other?
Your
ideas are welcome at ideas@emptytomb.org. Thank you for your interest.
Question 4: Who Provides the
Country-by-Country Analysis?
The Lancet Medical
Journal points to the need for country specific information as noted in the
Summary of Where
and Why Are 10 Million Children Dying Every Year?: "The causes of
death differ substantially from one country to another, highlighting the need
to expand understanding of child health epidemiology at a country level rather
than in geopolitical regions."
What Christian organization has the capability for, and interest in,
researching, organizing, and presenting a country-by-country analysis
of projects that could be funded to prevent child deaths, in a format that is
user-friendly for denominations and local churches? Following are some historically Christian organizational
possibilities that come to mind.
a.
Association of Christian Economists?
b.
Center for
the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, home of the World Christian Database?
c.
Christian Medical and Dental Associations?
d.
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities?
e.
International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities?
f.
International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities?
g.
Mission Aviation Fellowship Operation ACCESS!
h.
Other?
Your
ideas are welcome at ideas@emptytomb.org. Thank you for your interest.
Question 5: Who Runs the Blog?
Who has the interest,
time, and technical know-how to begin a blog on this matter of historically
Christian denominations, and their related local churches, mobilizing to
increase giving through churches in an effort to help stop, in Jesus' name, the
millions of preventable global child deaths occurring each year?
Your
ideas are welcome at ideas@emptytomb.org. Thank you for your interest.
Ephesians
3:20-21 (NIV): Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen.
In Christ's service,
John and Sylvia
Ronsvalle
empty
tomb, inc.
posted
3:20 PM March 30, 2006
updated
10:41 AM July 24, 2006