“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” - James 1:27

The global orphan pandemic is a horrible blight on our world today and presents opportunities for radical life transformation. You won’t see it on the news tonight or read it in the headlines, but consider this:

Approximately 26,000 to 30,000 children under the age of 5 living in extreme poverty die each day. To put that in perspective, it is as if a 9/11-level catastrophe with children were happening every 2.5 hours each day, each month, each year.

Millions of children in the poorest nations of the world have suffered catastrophic family breakdown, such that these children—true Orphans—fend for themselves without champions for their lives. These children, the ones at the very end of humanity’s line, have disappeared from our world’s “helping” agenda.

Roughly 500,000 children live in the United States foster care system. 9 out of 10 of them will be re-unified with family or quickly adopted. That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: There is one out of 10 who nobody seems to want. They bounce around in the state’s system for years until they age out and wind up in our streets and prisons. The ones who’ve been cut out and left behind—they’re our heart.

There were 43.7 million people worldwide forcibly displaced at the end of 2010. This figure includes 15.4 million refugees, 837,500 asylum seekers, and 27.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” —Deuteronomy 10:17-19

Immigration is currently a hot topic in the United States. We don’t claim to be experts on policy or law making. However, here’s what we do know: this is an opportunity. The world is coming to us. We also see a Biblical mandate to love and care for the sojourner, those who are far from home. God reminds us that we all have wandered and the grace of God has no border or boundaries.

Our ministry to these people will lead us across the street and around the world.

In addition to our commitment to immigrants and refugees, we also see a tremendous opportunity on the college campus. Every year, nations all over the world send their best and brightest college students to study in the United States. These students will be the future leaders of their countries.

“Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” —Isaiah 1:17

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” —Proverbs 31:8

The World Is Full Of People Who Desperately Need Help.

• There are 27 million slaves in the world.

• Human trafficking is a 50 billion dollar industry.

• Commercial sex trafficking of minors is the fastest growing crime.

• There are 10 million child prostitutes, and 1 million enter each year. 90% are girls.

• 1.2 million children are aborted every year in the United States, 1 every 4 seconds.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” —Luke 4:11-18

“Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed.” —Prov. 31:8

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” —Matthew 25:35-36

There are about 1,500 homeless persons in the Knoxville area.

• 15 million children die of hunger every year around the world.

• 40,000 children die of hunger a day. 1 child dies every 3.5 seconds.

• 1 in 8 children in U.S. under 12 go to bed hungry every night.

• 1.3 billion live on less than $1 a day. 2 billion live on $2 a day.

“The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered.” —Proverbs 21:13

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

• There are 7 billion people in the world. 2/3rd are lost. 192 million in the U.S.

• In Tennessee, it's estimated that 3.6 million people are not saved—that's more than 50%.

• In Tennessee, an average of 46% do not attend church every week.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” —Luke 19:9-10

“O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” —Daniel 9:19