World Vision is working for transformation in countries all around the world. We aspire to achieve change that helps the poor experience life in its fullness.

The tips and tools outlined below are just some ways your church can take action and make a world of difference. We would like to add further ideas and examples from your church community. Tell us how your church is taking action to tackle the issues of poverty and we can add them to this page.

1. Reduce your carbon footprint
2. Consume ethically
3. Reflect and pray about the issues
4. Encourage visionary change
5. Bridge the gap
6. Hope for local kids
7. Serve the world’s poor
8. But wait there’s more...

1. Reduce your carbon footprint

God has entrusted us as caretakers of His creation. Let’s be good stewards of this gift and reduce our carbon footprint.

The following are some practical steps your church could take:

• Install energy efficient lighting
• Only use heating and cooling when necessary
• Install insulation and work to prevent drafts in winter and increase airflow in summer
• Recycle religiously - including things like printer cartridges, candle wax, newspapers and magazines
• Reduce your water use
• Maintain a community garden. Some churches have significant areas of land centrally located in communities. This space could be made available to people for community gardens.
• Monitor the use of paper. Churches can do a lot of printing. Look at using online communication or multimedia where possible
• Avoid using plastic bags

Your church can reduce its carbon footprint to zero by offsetting its emissions with Twice as Green. This support helps the environment and the world’s poor.

Tell us what your church is doing to care for creation and reduce its carbon footprint.

2. Consume ethically

Be fair and support Fairtrade. Fairtrade certification is a system that identifies products that meet agreed environmental, labour and developmental standards. The intention is to provide a return that ensures sustainability for producers and supports wider development work in their communities.

Your church’s Fairtrade journey could start with ensuring the coffee and tea used in your church is certified Fairtrade. The low price of coffee on the open market means that many coffee farmers in poor countries are forced to work very long hours in difficult conditions yet struggle to earn a sustainable living. Fairtrade coffee provides growers and their families with a fair go.

Click here to learn more about World Vision’s partnership with Jasper Coffee, Australia’s leading premium Fairtrade coffee company.

Look for additional ways that your church can choose to use fairtrade. This could include things like clothing (does your Youth group use Fairtrade t-shirts?), chocolate and sports balls. Find the retail outlet near you that stocks Fairtrade (they’re everywhere!) and make a change.

Tell us how your church is supporting Fairtrade and consuming ethically.

3. Reflect and pray about the issues

The battle to end poverty and restore justice is not just physical – it is also spiritual. A dedicated church focus on these issues heightens awareness, deepens understanding, promotes prayer and inspires action. Add a ‘Social Justice Month’ to your church calendar or highlight social justice issues during your existing ‘Missions Month’.

You could join with other churches and use the 40 Hour Famine as a catalyst for an annual prayer and fasting weekend in your church.

Tell us ways that issues of poverty and social justice have been highlighted in your church community.

4. Encourage visionary change

Support visionary leadership by writing or visiting local politicians and community leaders. Ask them to think big and take action on issues of poverty and injustice locally and globally. The potential for a church to influence leadership is enormous.

Don’t Trade Lives is World Vision’s latest campaign, which seeks to unite Australians against human trafficking and slavery. Human trafficking is a modern day slave trade. Learn more about Don’t Trade Lives by visiting the website and encourage other community leaders to join with your church in campaign efforts.

Visit the Micah Challenge website for advice on visiting your local politician and writing effective letters.

Tell us ways in which your church community has worked to influence others and campaigns for justice.

5. Bridge the gap

Diminish the gap between the very rich and the very poor by supporting a World Vision Community Development Program. These programs provide much needed impetus to the long-term transformation of entire communities. The development needs addressed in these projects require funding over and above that provided through Child Sponsorship and would not be possible without dedicated support.

Your church has the opportunity to be a part of this change and link with a community in a poor country. By giving regularly, praying and learning about the local people, you’ll begin to walk with them on their journey out of poverty. Community Development Programs provide an inspirational connection between your church community and a community of people in a poor country. As a result, lives are transformed in both groups of people.

World Vision has many Community Development Programs that qualify as Government Matching Projects. These programs provide your church with the opportunity to give more and impact further than otherwise thought possible. The greater leverage occurs with the support of the Australian Government through an initiative called the ‘AusAID and Non-government organization Cooperation Program’ (ANCP).

Click here to find out more about partnering with a World Vision Community Development program.

Tell us ways your church has fundraised for transformational work overseas.

6. Hope for local kids

You can reach out and provide hope to local schools, vulnerable children and their families through World Vision’s KIDS HOPE AUS. mentoring program. The KIDS HOPE AUS. team helps connect churches with local primary schools and provides practical support through the screening, training and supervision of volunteer mentors.

Working as part of KIDS HOPE AUS. will create a positive impact on your church in many ways:

• It's an effective outreach tool for the church to develop its presence and develop long-term relationships with the school and community
• For many church members, mentoring through KIDS HOPE AUS. may give them the first opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life
• Church members have the opportunity to engage with children and families in a practical way

Find out more about how your church can reach out and transform your local community at the KIDS HOPE AUS. website.

Tell us your KIDS HOPE AUS. story.

7. Serve the world’s poor

Make poverty personal and serve the world’s poor. Many people are passionate about helping the world’s poorest people and want to offer their skills and talents in a practical way. However not everyone is able to go on a short-term missions trip or be a long-term missionary in poor countries. A practical alternative is to volunteer at an organisation that works with the poor overseas but has support offices in Australia.

World Vision volunteers come from all walks of life – from professionals who want to contribute their skills and expertise, to teenagers who want to do something meaningful in their free time, to retirees with a passion to help change lives.

Learn more about volunteering with World Vision at the Volunteers page of the World Vision website.

8. But wait there’s more…

Tell us other ways your church is taking action to tackle the issues of poverty and we can add them to this page.