Status of Children Worldwide 2.2 billion worldwide 143 million orphans 2 million were HIV positive at the end of 2007 25,000 die every day due to poverty 3 million have no shoes every 3 minutes, in a developing nation, a child dies of malnutrition 9.2 million who were born in 2007 died before age 5 1 in 7 have no access to health services 400 million have no access to safe water 1 in 3 do not have adequate shelter 121 are not educated Church Financial Trends 2009 vs 2008 Less than one-third of congregations report a decline in giving during the first half of 2009, according to a recent report released by The Alban Institute. In the study of 1,500 congregations, almost 37% reported an increase in fundraising for the first half of 2009 over 2008. Another 34% reported that fundraising receipts stayed the same between 2008 and the first half of 2009. Nevertheless, nearly 30% of congregations experienced a decrease in giving in 2009. Congregations responded to the recession in a wide variety of ways, from feeding the homeless and providing emergency cash assistance to those in need to hosting community gardens, offering support groups and networking events for the unemployed, helping with financial planning, and increasing partnerships with other community groups. Some congregations fared better than others. "Growth congregations," those where attendance and finances have been growing over the past five years, were more likely to report positive fundraising results. Congregations with $600,000 to $999,999 in revenue, weekly attendance of more than 300 people, younger congregants (average age under 50), and those reporting a higher average income of congregants (greater than $60,000) were more likely to report an increase in fundraising receipts. Appeal of Churches that Serve the Poor A recent study from LifeWay Research shows that churches remaining obedient to Christ’s example of serving the poor are also more likely to attract guests. The report indicates that an active ministry to the poor is more likely to draw visitors to a church than knowing that it is made up of predominantly young families or neighbors. Thirty-four percent of the 1,600 Americans surveyed say that they would visit a church with an active ministry to the poor in their community while 31% indicate that they would visit a church where several families in their neighborhood regularly attend. Twenty-five percent say that they would visit a church made up predominantly of young families with children, and just 13% would visit a congregation made up predominantly of senior adults.