Discussion Guide for "Precious in His Sight "video by laurie delgatto

Discussion Guide for

“Precious in His Sight” After viewing “Precious in His Sight,” use this guide to research global poverty, its effect on children, and sustainable community development; reflect on how the video impacted you; recall what you learned; respond in tangible ways; reach out with life-changing help; resolve to follow God’s Word; and rely on His goodness and power.

Research »

» » »

M o r e t h a n 1 billion children are severely deprived of at least one of the

essential goods and services they require to survive, grow, and develop. Source: UNICEF, Millennium Development Goal # 1: Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger

W o r l dw i de, there are an esti m ated 145 million orphans ages 0-17

years. Source: UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children, 2009

W h i l e e x act figures are not kno wn, the United Nations estimates that

there are more than 250,000 children serving as child soldiers worldwide. Source: UNICEF, Children Associated with Armed Groups

O n e o u t of three people in developing countries is affected

by vitamin and mineral deficiencies and is therefore more subject to infection, birth defects, and impaired physical and psycho-intellectual development. Source: WHO, Nutrition for Health and Development, 2007 PA G E 1 O F 6

» »

O f t h e 7 7 6 m illion adults world w ide who lack basic literacy skills, some two-thirds are women. Source: UNESCO, Global Monitoring Report, 2009

W om e n work t wo-thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of

the world’s food, yet earn only 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Source: End Poverty Millennium Campaign

HIV a n d AIDS destabilize fa milies and entire societies. Families lose income

when breadwinners die or become too ill to work, resulting in lack of food, medicine, and other basic needs. Children are forced to work and as a result may forfeit their education. Countries or regions lose a large percentage of their working population, which results in lowered food production and fewer professionals in vital roles such as education and medicine. “ A l m o s t one-tenth of the global disease burden could be prevented

by: increasing access to safe drinking water; improving sanitation and hygiene; and improving water management to reduce risks of water-borne infectious diseases …” Source: World Health Organization, “How does safe water impact global health?” De v e l o p m ent theory has changed drastically in recent decades.

Decisions around development were once made outside local communities, and programs were not always tailored to fit individual community needs. Today, there is greater emphasis on empowering those who are poor to be agents of change in their own development process. Communities need to plan, budget, implement, and own their own development with outside aid as needed and accepted by the community.

Reflect Di s c u s s t h e d i f ferences bet ween root causes and symptoms of poverty. Consider media, public discourse, government leaders, and humanitarian organizations; for each group, discuss whether they seem to put more emphasis on the root causes or the symptoms of poverty and how their focus affects how we see and respond to the poor. W h y i s i t im p o rtant that the poor help themselves out of the cycle of poverty

rather than simply receiving temporary assistance?

PA G E 2 O F 6

Recall W h at i s t h e c omm on world vision the children described in the video?

C o n s i d e r c h i l d ren w ho are living on the streets with little to no resources

or relational support. What sort of future can they anticipate if someone does not promptly intervene to provide positive change in their lives? What illegal or harmful activities might these children turn to when they see no other options?

R e c a l l t h e s p e cific challenges facing women and girls living in poverty and

regions shattered by war and violence.

A s a g r o u p, d i s cuss ho w education, healthcare, employment opportunities and

small loans, clean water, and agriculture are all vitally important for a community to move from poverty toward self-reliance. How are these elements interdependent and how does this interdependence impact plans for sustainable community development? (You may find it useful to make a list and draw lines between different items to help visualize the complexity of development work.)

Respond W h at w o u l d y ou be willing to sacrifice to help ensure that a child has access to clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, education, and hope for the future?

C o n s i d e r y o u r co mmunity. How can you serve and provide for the needs of people

who have been otherwise overlooked or underserved?

Reach Out Consider making a difference in the following ways:

Âť

Do n at e i tems fro m the World Vision Gift Catalog to help communities

with development projects that will benefit their children for generations to come. Gifts

PA G E 3 O F 6

include items such as wells, contributions to water and sanitation funds, trees, goats, mother and child health care, small business loans, school fees, and bicycles to help children get to school. Visit www.worldvisionresources.com and click on ‘programs and events” for more information.

B e c o m e a n advocate. Sign petitions and participate in events to encourage

your legislators, communities, and peers to prioritize the needs of children. Visit www.worldvisionresources.com and click on ‘programs and events” for more information. S p o n s o r a child through World V ision for just about a dollar a

day. Provide him or her with access to critical basics, such as clean water, improved nutrition, healthcare, and education. Your gifts can make a world of difference for one child and his or her community as they continue development efforts. You may also choose to sponsor a HopeChild in an AIDS-affected country. For sponsorship information, visit www.worldvisionresources.com.

Resolve » » »

“ I h av e c o me that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

—John 10:10

“ T h e K i n g will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” —Matthew 25:40

W h at g o od is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no

deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. —James 2:14-17

B u t t h e needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the

afflicted ever perish. —Psalm 9:18

PA G E 4 O F 6

Rely Pray that:

Ev e ry c h i ld will receive the opportunity to experience life to the

full, and that we will be willing and available for God to use us to provide them with essential resources. O n g o i n g efforts by lawm akers, nonprofit organizations, professionals,

and volunteers will help communities provide for the diverse needs of children living in poverty and affected by abuse, violence, and war. Go d wi l l equip leaders, young and old, in communities where people

are suffering from issues related to poverty. Pray for their ability to engage others, find and utilize resources, and be agents of change.

The Scripture in this resource is from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

During the preparation of this resource, all citations, facts, figures, Internet URLs, and other cited information were verified for accuracy. World Vision Resources has made every attempt to reference current and valid sources, but we cannot guarantee the content of any source and we are not responsible for any changes that may have occurred since our verification. If you find an error in, or have a question or concern about, any of the information or sources listed within, please contact World Vision Resources.

PA G E 5 O F 6

About World Vision W o r l d V i s i o n is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people.

We envision a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. We know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. World Vision is unique in bringing 60 years of experience in three key areas to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. We bring our skills across many areas of expertise to each community where we work, enabling us to support children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

About World Vision Resources E n d i n g g l o b a l poverty and injustice begins with education: understanding the magnitude and causes of poverty, its impact on human dignity, and our connection to those in need around the world.

World Vision Resources is the publishing ministry of World Vision. World Vision Resources educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to respond, and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world.

For more information about our resources, contact: World Vision Resources Mail Stop 321 P.O. Box 9716 Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 Fax: 253-815-3340 wvresources@worldvision.org

PA G E 6 O F 6