Weekend volunteers target Oak Cliff school, garden by Roy Appleton The Dallas Morning News Oak Cliff blog 11-16-2009
Here's an uplifting story about volunteers at Barbara Jordan Elementary School in Oak Cliff school and across the city on Saturday. All part of Justice Revival Dallas, a gathering last week that focused on homelessness, education and the common good.
Speaking of good work, Barbara Barbee, president of Friends of Oak Cliff Parks, tells us that about 65 volunteers cleaned up planting beds Saturday morning at Kiest Park.
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Volunteers put Justice Revival spirit to work in projects across Dallas by David Flick The Dallas Morning News 11-15-2009 Reprints for
11-15-2009:
Denton Record Chronicle.WFAA Dallas ABC.
Classes were out Saturday, but Barbara Jordan Elementary School was humming with activity.
About 50 parents, students, neighborhood leaders and church volunteers spent the chilly autumn morning laying sod, planting bushes and preparing a community garden. The effort Saturday was one of 10 projects across Dallas that wrapped up Justice Revival.
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Churches unite to make a difference in Dallas by GARY REAVES WFAA Dallas ABC 11-13-2009
The question "What would Jesus do?" is more than a slogan on a wrist band. Now, hundreds of Dallas-area churches have an answer.
From neighborhoods all over the city, they are coming together to solve problems in needy schools and neighborhoods.
The Pinkston High School band is in the midst of a revival, and so is the school itself. But the deteriorating paint in the band room shows it could use some help.
That help is about to arrive, from churches as diverse as Sheron Patterson's Methodist congregation in Oak Cliff, and Ron Scates' Highland Park Presbyterian.
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Justice Revival calls churches to unify and serve by Kaitlin Chapman The Baptist Standard 11-12-2009
Dallas-area churches are taking notice of the 5,800 homeless people and the 89 percent of Dallas high school seniors who are not college- or career-ready when they graduate. And they are setting aside differences to follow God’s command to help the least of these.
The Justice Revival is a faith-based event attempting to unite Christians across denominational lines, mobilizing churches to improve public schools and end chronic homelessness by creating permanent supportive housing.
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A Call for a Justice Revival from Dallas Market Hall Keeps the Faith Despite Low Turnout by Kimberly Thorpe Dallas Observer blog 11-11-2009
It's not an uncommon scene: A Christian pop band plugs in and coos about Jesus's love to the faithful flock, which sways with arms raised to the heavens. Last night, that scene replayed itself in Dallas as Sojourners, the Washington D.C.-based social ministry, kicked off its Justice Revival event. The three-day gathering is the baby of Rev. Jim Wallis, a New York Times bestselling author, who started Sojourners and who, after publishing The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America last year, Wallis started the Justice Revival "movement."
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Justice Revival comes to Dallas by SAM HODGES The Dallas Morning News religion blog 11-10-2009
Sojourners, the Washington, D.C.-based social ministry, put on its first Justice Revival last year in Columbus, Ohio. Dallas got the nod for the second, and planning has been underway for more than a year.
About 1,000 churches and ministries have offered at least some support, and some 200 are actively involved. The social justice focus is on supporting public schools and reducing homelessness.
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Justice Revival starting tonight aims to unite Dallas-area churches, community by SAM HODGES The Dallas Morning News 11-09-2009 Reprints for
11-09-2009:
Denton Record Chronicle.WFAA Dallas ABC.
The Justice Revival that begins tonight in Dallas might be thought of as a thousand points of light shining in the same direction.
That's the hope anyway as large numbers of Christians gather across the usual dividing lines of race, denomination, theology and politics to focus attention on supporting public education and reducing homelessness.
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After Election Day, the Vote Everyone Has Been Waiting For by Tobin Grant Christianity Today 11-06-2009
Jim Wallis of Sojourners said the mixed results indicate that the public is weary of "old politics" from both parties. Wallis thinks the public is tired of a money-and-power struggle in politics and is still waiting for Obama's promised "change we can believe in."
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Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert Will Elevate Your Thinking, But He'll Do So Rather Quickly by Robert Wilonsky Dallas Observer 11-06-2009
A Friend of Unfair Park forwarded along the link to this shindig scheduled for next week at the Fair Park Music Hall: Elevate Dallas, a "leadership event" that, from the looks of this promotional video, is piggybacking on the Sojourners-sponsored Justice Revival also on the calendar next week at Dallas Market Hall. At the Justice Revival, Mayor Tom Leppert will join the likes of Jim Wallis, Rev. Zan Holmes and others in calling for "at least 25 congregations [to] establish solid, lasting partnerships with their neighborhood schools," and the creation of "700 additional units of permanent supportive housing by 2014," per the city of Dallas's homeless-assistance wish list.
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Another Great Awakening? by Ken Camp The Baptist Standard 11-05-2009
Other observers assert a Fourth Great Awakening occurred in the mid-20th century, beginning with the youth revival movement after World War II and continuing through the rise of the Jesus Movement and charismatic renewal.
Count evangelical social activist Jim Wallis among that group. And he believes the time is ripe for another socially transforming spiritual movement in the United States.
“I regard the black church’s leadership of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s as another ‘great awakening’ of faith that changed politics,” he writes...
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Biblical principles should guide Christian involvement in social change by Ken Camp The Baptist Standard 11-05-2009
Evangelical progressive activist Jim Wallis believes the United States is ripe for another socially transforming spiritual awakening. But as Christians become energized to change the world, they need to avoid the temptation to politicize the gospel, he warns.
In The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America, Wallis outlines seven guiding principles for Christians as they seek to bring about societal change...
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Remember those who wait for health care reform by Maria Tchijov SEIU 11-04-2009
Over the past year, SEIU has partnered with a wide variety of organizations in the fight for health care reform. One such group is Sojourners, a Christian inter-faith group who view health care reform as a social justice issue.
Sojourners has released an online video, entitled "They Wait," that underscores how, as politicians and special interest groups attempt to delay and derail health care reform, ordinary people all over America are forced to wait, sustained only by the hope of quality, affordable care.
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Is it time to let Afghans sort out their own country? by Madeleine MorrisIs it time to let Afghans sort out their own country? BBC World Have Your Say 11-04-2009
Former British foreign office minister Kim Howells has called for the “great majority” of British troops to be withdrawn, saying the opportunity given to Afghans to tackle their problems had “largely been squandered”.
This commentator, [Jim Wallis], calls for “a whole new approach” focused much more on development.
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The new interfaith leaders by Eboo Patel On Faith 11-04-2009
Last week, Interfaith Youth Core held our sixth conference on interfaith work, Leadership for a Religiously Diverse World. At the opening as I looked out on more than 600 faces, I thought back to our first conference, where I spoke with the 30 attendees about a lofty idea for an interfaith youth movement.
Needless to say, this conference showed that the interfaith youth movement is more than a big idea now. The people paying attention and the goals we set launched the new era of this movement.
Conference speakers included Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Farah Pandith, Special Representative to Muslim Communities at the State Department; Rev. Jim Wallis, Founder of Sojourners; and Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
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The Good News The Dallas Examiner 11-02-2009
the GOOD NEWS
Justice Revival
Hosted by Sojourners and Jim Walls, Justice Revival will be held from Nov. 10 through Nov. 12. The purpose of the revival is to unite Dallas churches for a spiritual revival that will spark social change throughout the city. The initiative will target a partnership with 25 schools. It also seeks to help provide 700 homes for the homeless. Dr. Zan Holmes will lead the Call to Conversation on Tuesday, with special guest Mayor Tom Leppert and musical praise by Jaci Velasquez and Salvador. Pastor Sam Rodriguez will lead the Call to Community on Wednesday, with musical praise by Fred Hammond. And Pastor Jim Wallis will lead the Call to Justice on Thursday, with musical praise by Israel Houghton and New Breed. To register, visit www.justicerevival.org.
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Health Care Cacophony by Tobin Grant Christianity Today blog 10-30-2009
House Democrats introduced their nearly 2,000-page health-care reform plan today as Sojourners and the Family Research Council (FRC) rolled out two very different ads on health care earlier this week. The Sojourners ad invokes moral language, including phrases like "bear false witness" that allude to scriptural passages as it advocates for health care reform. The video, created in partnership with the American Values Network, features a series of nighttime photographs of people waiting at a free health clinic.
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Poverty track at Urbana 09 encourages students to be world changers Mission Network News 10-30-2009
Students who join these tracks not only will be with about 2,800 other students who are also specifically interested in doing something about poverty, but they will hear from practitioners who have been faithfully working on the field. Students will also have some hands-on opportunities while at Urbana regarding human trafficking, fair trade and other issues. Hundreds of ministry representatives will be at Urbana 09, many of whom deal directly with the issue of poverty. Groups include World Vision, Servant Partners, Word Made Flesh, International Justice Mission, Sojourners and many more.
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Dithering Obama Deliberates on Afghanistan by Mark Wittington Associated Content 10-29-2009
"Contrary to Dick Cheney's accusation that the administration is "dithering," many of us feel that a period of discernment is clearly called for in Afghanistan. We know what Cheney wants America to do -- he never dithered, even when there were no facts to support his case for more war. Dick Cheney always wants to fight. But Cheney's foreign policy was an embarrassment for America, and a tragedy for the rest of the world. And not to follow his advice is always a good first step of moral wisdom."
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Religious/Evangelical Left Claims Prophetic Voice in Push for Obamacare by Jeff Walton Christian Newswire 10-29-2009
Evangelical/Religious Left activists such as Sojourners leader Jim Wallis have led a "40 Days for Health Reform" campaign that began in August. The group represents a coalition of both the new Evangelical Left and the old Social Gospel Religious Left, all in favor of President Obama's proposed government dominated overhaul of U.S. health care.
Wallis has strongly denounced opponents of Obamacare, which creates a government insurance system that critics warn could ultimately overwhelm private insurance. Visitors to Wallis' Sojourners website are encouraged to sign a health care creed and letters of protest to opponents of the proposals. Some Religious Left opponents have accused Obamacare skeptics of racism and greed.
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Safety net too vital to let it fail by Phil Haslanger The Capital Times (Madison) 10-29-2009
Last week, one of the strongest religious voices for those living on the margins of our society was in town. Rev. Jim Wallis, the editor of Sojourners magazine, is a leader in interfaith efforts to fight poverty.
Looking back at the financial upheavals of the last year, Wallis told one small group, "We have a terrific safety net for the richest in this country." The leaders of government considered the giant banks, automakers and insurance companies to be too big to fail.
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