We've all been there. Someone who is obviously poor or homeless approaches you and asks for money. What do you do? Do you give money knowing there's a good chance it will be used on drugs or alcohol or do you say "no" or even ignore the person as you walk by? No one wants to be a sucker in these situations, but at the same time Jesus' call to help the poor echoes in our hearts and minds. Servant or Sucker? will help viewers discern appropriate, Christ-centered actions when it comes to addressing poverty on a personal or organizational level. It includes the realities of poverty such as the concepts of time, relationships, money and values; a "poverty tour"; interviews with those who are homeless or poor; interviews with those who have helped and/or have been suckered; and steps you can take to be an effective servant without getting suckered. Leaders guide included on DVD.

5 sessions include:
1. The Dilemma
2. Why Do People Beg?
3. An Individual's Response
4. Making Compassionate Decisions
5. Churches and Organizations' Response

The wondrous gift of the Christ child is often given to us in ways we least expect. This is what happens in this winsome story for Christmas and all seasons. The second basement of the Church of the Good Shepherd holds a secret. No one knows that several street people live there - the Professor, Mrs. MacTuggle and young Isaiah. Then little Nanny, an abused and lonely child, finds her way to the basement with her cat, Gabriel. Through Nanny's action, the street people, the minister and members of the church are able to experience God's gift of love in a wonderful way. Played by the delightful Peppercorn puppets, this video will move the viewers to count their many blessings and thank God for His goodness. Issues of homelessness, poverty and love for all are addressed.

1. Texas Annual Conference: a conference-wide approach to understanding and serving the need of the homeless.
2. New Jersey: Palisades Park UMC: a growing new congregation serving the needs of an immigrant Korean- American community trying to adjust to life in the United States.
3. Africa and Europe: war and devastation in the former Soviet Union and throughout Africa, and the rebuilding of churches with the Millennium Fund for Mission.
4. Zimbabwe: excerpts from GBGM's "A Gerneration of Hope" video on AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe, where one out of every four people is HIV-positive or has AIDS.

Rev. Eddie Lopez is the host for this edition of Mission Magazine which includes video reports on:
-An agricultural missionary, Don Cobb, who works with small farmers in Kenya to improve their substance agriculture.
-Restart: an effort to help the homeless in Kansas City, 6,000 volunteers work with a United Mehtodist pastor, Rev. Stuart Whitney, to meet the needs.
-Sustainable agriculture: Denise O'Brien is an Iowa farmer and United Methodist laywoman who promotes small-farm sustainable agriculture globally. "Farming should be a ministry that both provides for the needs of people and respects the earth and God who created it."
-An excerpt from a new video, Love, Justice and Service: The Ministry of Deaconesses. It shows some of the variety of ministries which challenge women to enter the Order of Deaconess.

Meet Ron and Mabel: a homeless couple living in a shack beneath an interstate highway bridge in a sizeable city. They collect aluminum cans to sell for cash. This engaging middle-aged pair represents thousands of homeless people across America - at the very edges of society, yet managing to hold onto pride and dignity. You'll find their story touching, disturbing, revealing, provocative, and poignant. You'll have some stereo-types broken...because Ron and Mabel are not very different from you and me.

This is one of "Beyond the News" series. This look at contemporary homelessness helps us realize that it can happen to anybody. Encounter mothers, children, educated persons--who are homeless. Four segments are: 1.Homeless 2.Changing Realities 3.Shelter 4.Doing Your Part.