For more than 60 years, World Renew has partnered with individuals, families, churches, communities, and organizations around the world to respond to God’s call for justice. In recent years, World Renew has been working to give practical tools to North Americans for mobilizing communities to stop injustice at its roots.
In 2022, World Renew partnered with local churches in North America to engage congregations in two important learning opportunities with Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC). Representatives from 10 congregations participated in Becoming a Community-Focused Church, a six-month virtual learning opportunity that explored the basic principles of asset-based community development with the goal of equipping congregations to learn from, listen to, and love their neighbors.
In another series, congregations took part in five webinars with North American community leaders about food insecurity and food access disparity.
“I learned so much from this training about how my congregation can address hunger in our own neighborhood and work with other organizations and agencies to access resources,” one participant said.
World Renew is also committed to educating youth and young adults about the connection between following Jesus and living out the call to do justice.
In Canada, World Renew partners with The Hub Community Network, a Christian youth organization in Kitchener, Ont., to facilitate learning cohorts in topics such as “Jesus & Justice,” “Systems,” “Activism & Advocacy,” and “Integrated Justice.”
“We have benefited so much from the experience of the World Renew team as well as their willingness to teach our youth about justice in action and how it is integral to faith in Christ,” said Adam Cresswell, director of The Hub Community Network. “We have seen the great fruit with youth going on to bring a commitment to faith and justice into their lives at home as well as leadership roles in churches, schools, teams, and summer camps. We can’t wait for what the future holds!”
About the Authors
Beth DeGraff is a Senior Project Manager with World Renew. World Renew works in about 30 developing countries worldwide, living justice, loving mercy, and serving Christ.
Adele Konyndyk is a communications writer for World Renew, a creative writer, and a member of First Hamilton Christian Reformed Church in Ontario.
