Please take time to read this press release I received this morning and to look into the face of New Spirituality–a spirituality where there are no separate religions, only different "denominations". I have noted that this is increasingly the term being used by global poverty activists. I will have another post on this shortly. Take time to read all of this and note the highlighted portions, which are mine.

Faith Leaders Launch New Effort to Mobilize Congregations around Global Poverty & Disease

** New survey finds Christian leaders eager to step up advocacy efforts on behalf of poor **

On World AIDS Day and start of holiday season, 'ONE Sabbath' effort engages faith community on poverty issues as Obama Administration sets agenda

Washington, DC-This Wednesday, December 3, national faith leaders will join pollster David Kinnaman on a media conference call to discuss a new effort to engage America's faith community around global poverty and health issues. The call will also feature results of a new survey by the Barna Group of Christian leaders on the priority of global poverty issues in their congregations and outreach efforts.

The effort from ONE, called ONE Sabbath, gives congregations and individual believers opportunities to respond to such global challenges as AIDS, malaria, lack of clean water and children out of school. ONE Sabbath informs congregations about the proven solutions that can save lives and transform impoverished communities, and offers concrete ways to raise awareness and advocate on behalf of the world's poor. The program coincides with the first 100 days of the new Presidential Administration and new Congress, an important moment when U.S. leaders will be setting budget and foreign policy priorities, and will be laying out their vision for America's role in the world.

What:Press conference call on ONE Sabbath effort and discussion of new survey on faith leaders' priorities

Who:

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Director of Outreach at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center

Ishani Chowdhury, Director of Public Policy for the Hindu American Foundation

David Kinnaman, President of the Barna Group and author of the best-selling book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity

Mark Brinkmoeller, ONE Sr. Director of U.S. NGO Partnerships & Faith Relations; and National Coordinator of ONE Sabbath

Where: Conference Call Number: 1.800.862.9098
Conference ID: "ONE Sabbath"
When:    11 a.m., Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The telephone press conference will be a chance for reporters to hear from respected leaders of various faith denominations on the importance of addressing global poverty and health. The call will take place just days after World AIDS Day and at the start of the holiday season, a time when many Americans take more time to reflect upon their own faiths and helping those less fortunate in the world.

Faith leaders will share their stories of addressing these issues in their own places of worship, and the role ONE Sabbath will play in connecting more congregations to these issues.

Polling expert David Kinnaman will also present findings of a recent survey indicating that many pastors are committed to combating global poverty and would welcome help or support from efforts such as ONE Sabbath.

After brief statements from the faith leaders and polling experts, reporters will have an opportunity to ask specific questions of our speakers.

More About ONE Sabbath:

The ONE Sabbath effort includes Jewish and Christian congregations and encompasses ONE Sadaqa in the Muslim community and ONE Seva in the Hindu community.

ONE Sabbath aims to raise awareness among America's faith communities about the opportunities our new President and Congress have to implement proven, affordable solutions that will save lives, make our world more secure and live up to America's best convictions. The ONE Sabbath season will run through the first 100 days of the Obama Administration and the new Congress, a critical time when budget and foreign policy priorities are set.

ONE Sabbath provides participants with tools to become advocates within their own faith traditions. Whether through a small study group, a question to a candidate, a sermon, a multimedia worship presentation, a petition, a gift to charity, a community organizing event or a conversation with a neighbor, ONE Sabbath participants will help to educate their communities and make a difference.

A wide-range of content and resources have been developed for participating ONE Sabbath congregations, including: materials developed by SermonCentral.com, a Nooma film by Rob Bell, Christian service guides, Torah and Parashat readings, a Tzedek guide for campuses for the Jewish High Holidays, a reflection and action guide for the Hindu tradition, a prayer and reflection guide for masjids, a Ramadan advocacy resource on hunger and poverty, Christian hymns, PowerPoint templates, youth group and children's materials and music videos. ONE is providing these key materials at its website, www.ONE.org/ONESabbath.

One is a nonpartisan, secular organization dedicated to fighting global poverty and disease, the ONE Campaign celebrates the fact that communities of faith and individual believers are central advocates in this effort, and have been for years. ONE welcomes people of all faiths and those who profess no faith into the growing global movement to eradicate extreme poverty and end deaths from preventable and treatable diseases. ONE Sabbath is one way people of faith can lend their voices and contribute through action.

ONE Sabbath is an effort by the ONE Campaign to rally individuals and organizations of all faiths to address the challenges of extreme poverty and global diseases such as AIDS and malaria. The ONE Sabbath effort includes Jewish and Christian congregations and encompasses ONE Sadaqa in the Muslim community and ONE Seva in the Hindu community.

The ONE Campaign is a global advocacy organization uniting millions of people to press government leaders to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease around the world. For more information, visit www.ONE.org.