Jan
18
What an exciting beginning to this ministry! In November and December of 2009, 9 churches and 3 universities hosted a Good News Goods Fair Trade event. Proceeds from these events are estimated to be around $21,000, which in turn created over 4,000 hours of dignified employment for poor artisans around the world (every $5=1 hour of employment), as well as $2,000 for the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger relief and development ministries (10% of yearly proceeds are deposited into the Offering).
Here is what some ministers have to say about their Good News Goods event:
In the beautiful Christmas carol “O Holy Night,” Christians joyfully sing,
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
This year during Advent, Willow Meadows Baptist Church focused on what it means that through Christ’s birth, chains are broken, peace is ushered in, and oppression ceases. We asked ourselves how we can participate in this liberation, especially during a season that focuses not on freedom, but on consumerism. Good News Goods was the perfect complement to our Advent theme. Not only did we get to buy amazing gifts to celebrate Christ’s birth, but we also joined in with people around the world to help break the bonds of slavery and human trafficking. In essence, we had the chance to put our faith into action.
We at Willow Meadows Baptist Church loved the market because our congregation got to break chains in the name of Christ. We had members emailing all their friends (Christians and non-Christians) inviting them to the market so that their shopping could make a difference. We saw people read the stories of the artisans and understand that slavery still exists and that human trafficking is real, even in our own city of Houston.
It is our hope and plan to continue to have a Good News Goods market during both the Advent and Lenten seasons because it gives us the chance to put hands, feet, and dollars to the words that we sing. And in His name, all oppression shall cease.
Rev. Todd Ferguson
Associate Pastor for Youth and Children
Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston, TX
Williams Trace Baptist invested in Good News Goods because it made sense with God’s call on our lives as Christians in the market place today. We believe that in all we do, we should be trying to live out the Gospel message and this includes how we spend our money. The problem has always been we don’t have the resources to understand how to redemptively spend. Good News Goods gave our congregation a jumpstart on purchasing products that make a difference. Charlotte’s presentation during our Sunday school times and morning service gave us further insight and resources so that all of our spending can be used for good. The event was a huge success for our church and began several conversations that are ongoing about fair trade, human trafficking, and the difference we are called to make as a result of our knowledge, God’s grace and love, and our call to bring good news to the poor and oppressed. We plan on placing many products in our church bookstore and having the market at least once a year.
Griff Martin
Associate Pastor for Young Adults
Williams Trace Baptist Church, Sugarland, TX
I’m certainly happy to tell you that our people have been very receptive and supportive of the concept of Good News Goods. We used the brief video clip to introduce it and placed the business-sized cards in the offering plates, asking for people to take one and go on-line to see what might be available and make their selections accordingly. All of the cards were taken, so we ordered an additional number to be used as we repeated it the next week, also with the mini-kit of items to display from Trade-As-One. We continue to have the items on display and have the unclaimed cards available in our welcome center and various places throughout our Grand Hall area. Several people have indicated that they have made purchases on-line, including my purchases and some my wife has made. We are very pleased and thankful for the opportunity to make “redemptive purchases”!
Glenn L. Ward
Pastor
Acton Baptist Church, Acton, TX
Good News Goods brought truly good news to Second Baptist Church of Lubbock. The timing seemed providential. We had just finished a stewardship study that emphasized God’s provision and supply, and we had followed that with an Advent emphasis on giving simple gifts, so buying everyday products that would simultaneously provide economic support for folks who truly needed it encouraged us to consider our own blessings and how best to share them.
Good News Goods is a strong vehicle to raise consciousness about Third World needs and the many global hardships that people endure on a daily basis. Our congregation viewed the video clips about the individual producers of Good News Goods at our weekly Wednesday night supper, which brought the social and economic issues up close for personal observation and absorption. Our folks were then touched and inspired to participate, knowing that the funds that were raised were going to meet real needs of real people.
There is so much cynicism and skepticism in our culture these days regarding efforts to provide help through charitable and/or non-profit organizations. Good News Goods provides a way to slice through that cynicism and remind Christians how holy it feels to be part of a solution that is bigger than ourselves.
We are already looking forward to hosting our second Fair Trade Market in 2010.
Stephanie Nash
Pastor, Christian Education & Outreach
Second Baptist Church, Lubbock, TX
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Comments
Leave a Reply