Over the years, World Vision has produced many articles to help church leaders more deeply understand the issues surrounding faith and poverty. We hope you find this selection of articles inspiring and challenging.

Look under the following topics to find articles of interest:

Reflecting on ministry and mission
Trends in church and society
Christian responses to social justice issues

Reflecting on ministry and mission

Alice (left) and her friend Annette carry clean water home from a World Vision installed water point in Zambia.

Life - for what purpose? (PDF: 76 KB)
A review of Rick Warren's highly acclaimed book, “The Purpose Driven Life”. Source: Grid 2004, Issue 2.

A Ministry Manifesto (PDF: 67 KB)
Reflections on the realities, risks and need for balance in ministry. Source: Grid 2004, Issue 1.

Mission and Passion: keys to the future (PDF: 88 KB)
Acting on our mandate from Jesus Christ to live and speak for him in the 21st century. Source: Grid 2004, Issue 1.

High standards for a high calling: professionalism, competence, integrity (PDF: 29 KB)
Rowland Croucher puts ministry on the professional agenda. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 2.

Somebody is always looking! (PDF: 28 KB)
A three-step antidote to church complacency. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 2.

You want to be congratulated? (PDF: 40 KB)
Rowland Croucher expounds essential 'be' attitudes for authentic Christian living. Source: Grid 2000, Issue 3.

Waking the wounded: facing our own poverty (PDF: 35 KB)
The healing power of brokenness examined. Source: Grid 2000, Issue 3.

Trends in church and society

New paradigms for a new era (PDF: 100 KB)
The opportunities, challenges and dangers of 'doing church' in experimental ways in our post-Christian era. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 3.

Younger leadership for a new world (PDF: 125 KB)
Contrasting emerging trends in church leadership with some of yesterday's models. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 3.

What does a healthy church look like (PDF: 27 KB)
Rowland Croucher reflects on today's church in today's world. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 1.

How much do church attenders really care? (PDF: 27 KB)
The NCLS survey speaks for itself! Source: Grid 2003, Issue 1.

Something’s Happened Out There (PDF: 32 KB)
The phenomenon of changing church attendance patterns is explored in this article, which suggests a number of reasons for these changes. Source: Grid 2002, Issue 1.

Changing church attendance patterns: looking for solutions (1) (PDF: 91 KB)
This article is a follow up to "Something's Happened Out There", offering possible solutions to the changing patterns of church attendance in the Australian community. Source: Grid 2002, Issue 2.

Changing church attendance patterns: looking for solutions (2) (PDF: 57 KB)
Peter Corney discusses changing, challenging or reinforcing church goers' priorities. Source: Grid 2002, Issue 3.

Volunteers and Teams: Called to Serve (PDF: 38 KB)
How can volunteers be recruited, motivated and sustained? Source: Grid 2001, Issue 2.

Volunteering - It is giving and receiving (PDF: 19 KB)
This article also talks about the benefits of volunteerism, both to organisations and volunteers. Source: Grid 2001, Issue 2,

Volunteering and church involvement (PDF: 17 KB)
The link between church attendance and volunteering patterns is examined in Philip Hughes' article. Source: Grid 2001, Issue 2.

Christian Responses to Social Justice Issues

Anna and her seven year-old son Jonathan with maize they have harvested from a World Vision demonstration garden in rural Kenya. The garden has been developed to provide local farmers with training in improved farming techniques.

The Sermon on the Mount (PDF: 103 KB)
How do the descriptions of the 'blessed' fit the complex realities of today's world? Tim Costello applies Jesus' teachings to the humanitarian situation in Darfur, Sudan. Source: Grid 2004, Issue 2.

Towards a theology of wealth (PDF: 73 KB)
What role does wealth play in Christian discipleship? Source: Grid 2004, Issue 2.

True respect for the image of God (PDF: 60 KB)
Justice and social accountability from Psalm 82. Source: Grid 2004, Issue 1.

Whose language do we use? (PDF: 137 KB)
Communicating with the world on Christian policy and advocacy positions in ways that have both meaning and integrity. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 3.

Faith and the Environment (PDF: 40 KB)
An examination of the way ecological transformation is linked with spiritual, social and economic transformation. Source: Grid 2002, Issue 2.

Musings on Christian Advocacy (1) Old Testament (PDF: 24 KB)
This article highlights aspects of Christian advocacy, as expressed in the Old Testament. Source: Grid 2001, Issue 3.

Musings on Christian Advocacy (2) New Testament (PDF: 24 KB)
Ideas on Christian advocacy are explored in the New Testament. Source: Grid 2002, Issue 1.

Transforming our corporate worlds (PDF: 56 KB)
Christianity, big business and cultivating corporate responsibility. Source: Grid 2003, Issue 2.