August 1, 2007 (Valley Forge, PA)—More than 13 million children suffer hunger, homelessness and illiteracy in the richest nation on earth. In response to this startling statistic and the Christian community’s increasing concern for our nation’s poor, Judson Press has released Hope for Children in Poverty: Profiles and Possibilities, edited by Ron Sider and Heidi Unruh. Ten percent of proceeds from sales of this book will support the Children in Poverty initiative of National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA.Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, sets our moral compass in her foreword for this important new resource. She writes “We all have a stake in improving the lives of America’s children, and for people of faith, this is more than just an opportunity: it is a mandate and a calling.” In Hope for Children in Poverty, Sider and Unruh respond to this mandate and calling by drawing together the expertise of academics, activists, pastors and social service professionals to consider the lives and special concerns—educational, physical, sociological and political—of children living in poverty.
But this comprehensive reader does more than simply analyze the issues. It explores real solutions through public policy and faith-based organizations. In its review, Publishers Weekly praised the book as “…a concrete starting point for those in government, social services and churches looking for solutions to these desperate problems.” A free online study guide complements the book and facilitates its use in small group settings.
About the Editors:
Ronald J. Sider is professor of theology, holistic ministry and public policy as well as director of the Sider Center on Ministry and Public Policy at Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pa. A widely known speaker and writer, Sider is also president of Evangelicals for Social Action, publisher of PRISM magazine and a contributing editor to Christianity Today and Sojourners magazines. His Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger was recognized by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most influential religious books of the twentieth century.
Heidi Unruh has researched and written extensively about church-based community ministry, including co-authoring the books Churches That Make a Difference and Savoring Souls, Serving Society. As director of the Congregations, Community Outreach and Leadership Development Project affiliated with the Evangelicals for Social Action, she serves as a trainer and consultant on faith-based community development.
Hope for Children in Poverty (ISBN 978-0-8170-1505-3, $16.00) is available from Judson Press, a publishing ministry of National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA. Founded in 1824, Judson publishes Christ-centered leadership resources for the transformation of persons, congregations, communities and cultures. For a complete catalog of Judson resources, call 800-458-3766 or visit www.judsonpress.com.
