So I’ve got an odd sense of bucket listery in my life. (Yes. Yes I said bucket listery.) Among the things I simply MUST do before I leave this life is pet a penguin. Say, “Is there a doctor in the house?!” and mean it. Go on a REAL mission trip to actually change and save lives (I say real, because my teenaged year youth group mission trips were more of a summer camp to tourist destinations than any real mission work). And then of course, there is “read and review an advanced readers copy and uncorrected proof of a soon to be published book”.

Well! When I pestered Nelson Books Publishing to send me a copy of a book my husband really wanted to read (and one that I am going to make HIM review, so watch out for that soon!) they offered to send me a couple additional books to review. Me, being the gluttonous bookworm that I am, said, “OKAY!!!!” Which is how this little morsel of unpublished goodness found itself in my hands.

About The Book

Here is the description of Hope Rising: How Christians Can End Extreme Poverty In This Generation by Scott Todd from Amazon.com:

Extreme poverty does not have to exist. When Christians accept that fact and start living accordingly, we will find the solution is already within our reach.

Worldwide, 19,000 children die from preventable deaths every day. If that statistic leaves you feeling powerless, you are not alone—but you are wrong. If a false sense of powerlessness has lulled you into apathy, it’s time to shake off the grogginess of low expectations and get to work. We can make this world a place where kids do not die from easily preventable diseases.

In Hope Rising, Scott Todd of Compassion International pens a galvanizing, comprehensive vision of the movement that will eradicate extreme global poverty through transformative Christian generosity—and do it within our lifetime. Todd provides riveting evidence to show that we are much closer to that goal than you might think.

According to Todd, we live in an historic moment, and chances are you are already part of it. The gospel is already reshaping lives from thoughtless consumption to informed concern. Twenty-first-century Christians are generating multi-continent grassroots movements through communications and travel. Public and private sectors are working together.  It’s a whole new era of philanthropy, compassion, and justice aimed at eradicating the pandemic of extreme global poverty.

This is a future we have the God-given power to create. This is the history we hope to write.

Scott C. Todd, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President for Global Advocacy at Compassion International. During his ten years of service at Compassion he has held a number of posts, including Director of Compassion’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, Child Survival Programs, and a range of special programs serving children in poverty around the world.

My Thoughts On The Book

I have to admit, when I first read the introduction to this book, where Todd gently and lovingly rebukes the spirit of skepticism and apathy that many Christians (myself included) suffer from in regards to realistically ending world poverty, I found myself smirking condescendingly at this perceived naïve optimism.

Yeah. Sure. We’re going to end povery. Riiiiight.

Then I kept reading. Leisurely and passively at first. But soon, as each chapter passed, with increasing earnest and honest conviction. Because in the space of just a few chapters Todd takes the spirit of doubt that lulls Christians into inaction, binds it and then dispels all myths surrounding “inevitable world poverty” – using Scripture and cold hard facts and statistics to show that world poverty CAN END.

Even before Todd moves on to outline the HOW of ending world poverty, he shares facts that ignite the heart and quicken the mind with glimmers of hope for the future that are easily within our grasp. Facts like:

–          22 countries have cut their malaria rates in half in only six years.

–          Before the 1990’s 40,000 children would die each day from preventable diseases. In the 1990’s, that number dropped to 33,000. By 2008 it dropped to 24,000.

–          HIV infections have fallen from 2.3 million in 2005 to 1.6 million in 2013.

And these are just a sample of some of the examples Todd discusses. There is a very real downward trend, which is heartening and hopeful. Then Todd drops the bombshell.. this has all been accomplished with Christians in America only giving roughly 2.7% of their income to helping the poor! What would happen if we gave 4%? Or 5%? Or the standard 10%?And remember, if we’re not giving, no one else will. (Non-Christians average giving 0.7% percent of their income to the poor.)

Using realistic examples, with real figures Todd reveals that all of the money spent on Black Friday last year would provide the entire world with clean water.. TWICE!

Anyway, I don’t want to re-write his book. Nor could I even begin to. So to get the full scoop you’ll just have to buy it and read all these details for yourself.

This book is well written, passionate and compassionate, a true rallying cry to those who have been called by their Savior to care for the poor among us. Todd goes over the history of the church in regards to caring for the poor, he discusses verifiable facts and figures, and he goes on to outline detailed action plans that every Christian can take to help change the world.

From buying Fair Trade to donating time and money, to going on a mission trip yourself, Todd inspires, encourages and empowers Christians to fulfill their God given duties on this planet.

I can personally say, speaking as someone who regularly donates time and money to causes for the needy, and who longs to go on a mission trip and instill giving and charity and mission work into the fabric of my children’s homeschool experience – after reading this book I found that my view on a Christians duty toward the poor was shallow and pessimistic at best, and suffering from the sinful delusions of Satan at worst.

We CAN end extreme world poverty. And we can do it in OUR generation. Skeptical? I was too! Read this book, and prepare to be amazed!

Hope Rising is available for pre-order on Amazon now! The book releases April 29, 2014. Planning on buying it? Share below!

[Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.]