Burroughs described the partnership as “a dream come true for us and our supporters,” and reported he was excited to work with Navpress, one of the premier publishers serving the millennial generation, whose works includes Eugene Peterson’s The Message and Greg Laurie’s Lost Son.

“This team is changing lives all over the world through their creative online efforts,” Murray said, noting the growing popularity of ActivistFaith.org, with its exploding social media and online fan base.

Darling’s columns and guest posts have been read everywhere from Relevant Magazine to michaelhyatt.com to The Washington Post’s “On Faith” column, in addition to his ongoing contributions to outlets like Crosswalk.com. King’s popular BibleDude.net portal reaches thousands of 20-somethings each month, furthering his efforts through his social media work for TheHighCalling.org and HELPOneNow.com. Burroughs blogs daily for Beliefnet.com, the world’s largest spirituality website, and posts thoughts on his handwritten Bible project at HolyWritProject.com, hosted by the world’s top religion website, Patheos.com.

“Our goal is to help everyday people live out what they believe on today’s important social issues,” explains Dan King. “We’ve learned most Christians really long to make a difference. They just need help connecting with efforts where they can make an impact. Activist Faith is our attempt to serve as a bridge for this growing need.”

“As a pastor, my heart is to encourage people to serve,” shares Darling. “Activist Faith helps extend this effort to ‘equip everyday activists’ who share Christ’s love through practical actions, reaching across the street and around the world.”

With tens of thousands of followers already clicking, tweeting, and sharing their daily inspirations, Activist Faith may launch a new type of book that serves as one piece of a larger “faith in action” movement for the next generation of Christians.

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For more information about Dillon Burroughs, see DillonBurroughs.org, Facebook.com/readdB, or @readdB on Twitter.

For more information about Daniel Darling, see DanielDarling.com, Facebook.com/DanielDarling, or @DanielDarling on Twitter.

For more information about Dan King, see BibleDude.net, Facebook.com/BibleDude, or @BibleDude on Twitter.

Find out more about The Steve Laube Agency at SteveLaube.com.

The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] popular bloggers ink deal for Activist Faith appeared first on BibleDude.net.

The post [ANNOUNCEMENT] popular bloggers ink deal for Activist Faith appeared first on Activist Faith.

I stand up and stretch my legs for a moment. I need to do it more often, because having a desk job like mine can easily result in poor circulation (causing a whole bunch of other health problems).

Somehow I feel like staring at the computer monitor for too long is beginning to make me thirsty. I know that sounds crazy, but I stand up from my desk to do something about it anyway.

I take the step and a half across my office towards the mini-fridge in front of the window. I bend down to open the door, and grab an ice-cold Diet Mountain Dew. Yeah it’s diet because I’m a little overweight. Okay, technically by medical standards I think I’m actually considered obese. But you probably wouldn’t guess it, because I’m really not that different in weight than most others my height.

So I grab the cold (diet) drink, open it up, and take a big, refreshing gulp as I look out the window and think about how hot it must be out there.

And I’m grateful.

Grateful that I don’t have to be outside sweating while I work. After all, I work up enough of a thirst sitting in my 72 degree office staring at the pixels transmitting though my monitor.

Then something in my mind flashes back.

I remember suffering through the August heat in Haiti last year. It’s the kind of heat that drains you even when you’re sitting still. And while staying at an orphanage that doesn’t have air conditioning means there’s no escape from the heat.

I remember how excited I was to be able to go home and finally cool off at the end of that trip.

I remember my new friends down there who didn’t get to leave when I did, and they continue to live in that kind of discomfort their whole lives.

And I think… is it really discomfort to them if they don’t know the kind of comfort that’s become my norm?

I then become more grateful for what I have. I almost don’t feel worthy of having the kind of comforts that I have… the comforts that most of us take for granted.

Two emotions swirl around within me.

One is a feeling of compassion for those not as ‘fortunate’ as me. I ask myself, what can I do today to relieve the suffering of others? I have so much to give, and feel moved to share with those who don’t have.

The other is a feeling of humility and gratefulness. I ask myself, what can I do to give thanks for the blessings that I have? I want to never feel prideful and expect that the comforts I have are simply a right.

I take another sip, look at the window, and remember that I’ve got to get that one email out about that one project…

Originally posted at BibleDude.net: the mini-fridge.

The post the mini-fridge appeared first on Activist Faith.

The Prophet Isaiah looked at the sinful nation of Israel, and said…

“Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice. 
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.”

– Isaiah 1:13-17 (The Message)

This message is as relevant to us today as it was to the Israelites about 2,700 years ago. We certainly live in a sinful nation, but the good news is that there’s a movement in the church that’s learning to do good, seeking justice, and helping the oppressed.

While this website (and coming book) is the joint vision of a few men, it’s not about what we’re doing. Rather it’s about the work that we see happening through the Body of Christ around us.

We believe that Christians are supposed to do more than offer religious worship or other sometimes meaningless practices. We’re supposed to do something. We’re supposed to have an activist faith. Not because we have to, but because it’s the natural response to the free gift of salvation that we’ve been given.

Here at ActivistFaith.org we hope to offer the stories and news that will feed this movement of Christian activists. We’ll share the stories of everyday activists, and bring updates from organizations who are doing good work. And all this with one goal in mind…

We want to be a catalyst for this generation to change the world for Christ!

Will you join us?

The post What is ActivistFaith.org? appeared first on Activist Faith.

“Go and do likewise.” -Jesus

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Gandhi

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. ” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The poor are not a problem but rather an opportunity to show unconditional love.” -Dillon Burroughs

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” -Mother Teresa

“At the Day of Judgment we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holy we have lived.” -Thomas a Kempis

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” -Jesus

“Everything changes radically from the moment you know yourself as being sent into this world.” -Henri Nouwen

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” -Nelson Mandela

“The true test of faith is how we treat those who can do nothing in return.” -Dillon Burroughs

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/activistfaith/2011/08/10-inspiring-quotes-for-faith-activists-2.html#ixzz1UXqCYoYz

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In November 2011, my first devotional book Thirst No More will be published to help create awareness and provide financial support for Living Water’s efforts. You can help, too. The first step is awareness, or simply learning more about the issue. The video below is a great first four minutes to inspire your day and begin your personal quest to help bring clean water to those in need.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/activistfaith/2011/08/clean-water-changes-the-world.html#ixzz1TywJHvvt

The post Clean Water Changes the World appeared first on Activist Faith.

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ~John 14:18

It’s a promise Jesus makes before he ascends to heaven. We will never be orphaned. He is coming to us. We will never be alone.

To many, orphaned is a foreign word. We may hear it often but we don’t really know what it means. Maybe the only experience we’ve had with the word is one from the big screen – that spunky little girl with curly red hair. You know – the one who wins the love of Daddy Warbucks? That’s right … little orphan Annie!

Or maybe when we hear the word we think of far away places … Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, the Philippines. But the truth is, orphans are all around us. In Atlanta, Sacramento, New York City, Fargo, Philadelphia, Sarasota, and right in your own backyard.

Kids with no parents. Or maybe they have parents, but the parents are working so hard just to make ends meet that the kids are left to take care of themselves. And there are the kids from single-parent homes, where the parent is so stressed out and unhappy that even if they are home, their kids get no real undivided attention. Children of drug addicts, alcoholics, over-worked CEOs, they are all – in some way – orphans.

So just what does Jesus’s promise mean in a world full of orphans? At first glance, it seems as though it’s meant to be a comfort to those feeling alone. It’s another instance of Jesus telling us not to worry. He is with us always. No matter what our circumstances, Jesus promises that we have a heavenly father. We have an identity beyond our earthly existence.

But let’s be honest – all too often verses such as this one are used as an easy way to encourage someone when we don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry your life sucks, but Jesus promises to come to you. You aren’t really orphaned.

Lately, I’ve been wondering if this verse isn’t less of a promise and more of a call to action. Sure, Jesus promises to not leave us orphaned … but what if he is coming to us in the form of human beings? What if Jesus’s promise to not leave us orphaned is a promise to provide us with an earthly father and mother? And what if … each one of us is called to be that earthly father or mother to one of the orphaned?

For some of us, that means adoption. Literally becoming earthly parents to a child who has none. UNICEF estimates that there are 13 million orphans worldwide who have lost both parents. 13 million orphans who need a loving and supportive family. That number can seem daunting, but did you know there are approximately 159 million Christians in the United States? So if just under 10% of U.S. Christians adopt a child, we have given all of these orphans a loving home!

But adoption isn’t the only way to help. Through child sponsorship programs such as World Vision and Compassion, mentoring programs for children in your local community, raising awareness through fundraising and conversation, providing a safe place for your neighbor children who are home alone, and much much more, each one of us can be involved in making a difference in a child’s life.

What if we are called to be Jesus’s promise?

Originally posted at BibleDude.net: i will not leave you orphaned

The post i will not leave you orphaned appeared first on Activist Faith.

[I first posted this piece back on March 24th prior to CNN's special on Muslims in America. It was mentioned by Soledad O'Brien herself and became one of the most poplar posts on Activist Faith. With the start of Ramadan today, the Muslim holy month, I thought it appropriate to share for those of you who have yet to read and consider the implications of loving our Muslim neighbors as ourselves.]

CNN’s upcoming special “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door” airs March 27th, highlighting the uneasy plight of living as a Muslim in America. Specifically, the trailer focuses on the recent showdown in my nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where allegations of everything from vandalism to the sounds of gunfire have been reported among those opposing the construction of an Islamic Muslim Center in the heart of the Bible Belt South.

As I look at these events, I am reminded of an ancient story told by Jesus himself called The Good Samaritan. Jesus answered that the greatest commandment in the Jewish Scriptures was to Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When asked to define “neighbor,” Jesus told a story.

In this story, a man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Two Jewish religious leaders passed by without helping. A third man, a Samaritan, stopped to help. Jesus asked, “Who was a neighbor to that man?” The answer? “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus responded with one of my favorite quotes in the Gospels: “Go and do likewise.”

An observation are worth sharing: the person helped in Jesus’ story was not only in need, but was from a different culture and different religion.

Those who claim to follow Jesus today would do well to include our Muslim neighbors as an application of this Good Samaritan story. The Muslims in our communities may be from a different culture and, yes, a different religion, yet we are called to show the love of Jesus regardless.

I would suggest, at a minimum, this would require no vandalism, shooting, mocking, or telling someone, “To go back where they came from.”

On a more positive note, most American Muslims would be glad to build connections with their American neighbors. Hospitality is a large part of Muslim culture. Those interested in more information on how to be a better neighbor to the Muslims in their community would do well to learn from my friends at the Crescent Project or others like them who seek to live for Jesus and love our Muslim neighbors are ourselves.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/activistfaith/#ixzz1TslHMWhh

The post Love Your (Muslim) Neighbor As Yourself appeared first on Activist Faith.

Asbury Seminary president Dr. Timothy Tennet offers insight into this phenomenon along with what he is doing to help. Take a moment to experience how God is at work in our world today:

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DILLON…

Read the full post here »

The post The Church in India and China: 100 Million +? appeared first on Activist Faith.

I remember feeling almost completely helpless… or maybe hopeless is a better word. I’m on my first mission trip, and looking around at the extreme poverty that floods parts of Africa is a little overwhelming. I’m there to fight poverty, but coming face-to-face with this widespread epidemic makes me question how one person (like me) could ever make a dent in the problem.

And sometimes many of us pour ourselves into witnessing to lost friends and family, but wonder if we’re alone in our efforts to help these people find salvation.

Our reality is that there are many aspects of our faith that seem too much to bear on our own.

But the truth is that we are created to live (and serve) in community. None of us was ever intended to take the Message of the Gospel completely on our shoulders and fix everything around us alone.

David Platt’s first book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream has certainly stirred the pot. After reading it many feel challenged to break away from a comfortable Christianity, and go out to bring positive change to the world. But it’s Platt’s latest book that really has me thinking. Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God takes the message of Radical a step further and explores how uniting in our mission can unleash the real power of the Gospel and the Church.

In Radical Together, Platt takes us on a journey of self-discovery. Rather than trying to offer a formula and expert perspective on how to bring about change in your church, he asks us the same questions he’s asking himself. Throughout the book he explores the life and teaching of Jesus, and then asks the tough questions about how we need to change to bring the transformation we hope to see… together.

Platt admits that he doesn’t have all the answers. But he does have a strong understanding of the teachings of the Bible. He holds a few advanced degrees, including a Master of Divinity (M.Div.), a Master of Theology (Th.M.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). So it’s only through years of study of the Scriptures and modern culture that he formulates the questions that not only challenge us, but also himself.

In the book’s introduction Platt uses the image of the Amazon River. As it’s fed by single drops of melted ice water atop the Andes Mountains. Each drop by itself is insignificant, but together they create the mightiest river on earth. Platt states, “Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate of more than seven million cubic feet per second, the Amazon is more powerful than the next ten largest rivers in the world combined.”

Who wants to be a drop of water with me?

Note: This review was written for the Patheos Book Club on Radical Together.

The post how to unleash the church [to be radical together] appeared first on Activist Faith.

Plus, Brant is wrapping up his time at WayFM, one of my favorite radio networks. I wish him blessing as he heads west to California, and hope in some small way this little tribute encourages someone along the way

Excerpt below:

We FINALLY got an internet cafe in Galilee.  The ESSENES have DSL, and we’re just getting dial-up.  That should tell you something!

Anyway, I was hanging out with some religious leaders.  They got on my case for not keeping their Favorite Rules (apparently, you HAVE to wash up before dinner, in accordance with scripture.)  I told them religious leaders love to have rules to make everyone else feel inadequate.  Oh yeah, they “tithe”, and stuff, but my Father is all about people having hearts for mercy, and justice, not hearts for a tithing rule.

Didn’t fly very well.  :0

Posted 12:36 p.m.  in Category “Stuff I Was Talking About in Aramaic Today but Now I’m Typing in English”

12 Comments

Full text here.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/activistfaith/2011/07/if-jesus-had-a-blog-brant-hansen.html#ixzz1TbFfjPds

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