12 million of the world's children are growing up homeless. The U.S. now has the highest rate of poverty in more than 30 years. More than 15 million American children live in poverty. 9 million lack basic health care. Every 2 hours a child is killed by gunfire in this country.
Children are victims of many poverties, including spiritual poverty.
Let us remember that Methodism was born among the impoverished in England. Everything John Wesley did in leading the Methodist revival was influenced by the impact on the poor. Children and their total needs were of particular concern to the early Methodists. For the most part, we know what to do and how to do it. What is lacking are the vision and the moral will.