“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungryand to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.”

(Isaiah 58:6-8)

Isaiah 58 reveals God’s transformative vision of true fasting—in which the oppressed are freed, the hungry fed, the homeless sheltered, and the glory of the Lord revealed.

Firmly believing that God calls His people to actively participate in this vision, HOPE is excited to announce its partnership in the 58: movement, an alliance of respected nonprofit organizations from various sectors of relief and development who have joined together to engage the Church in the fight to end extreme poverty.

While this goal may seem impossible given the 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty in 2005, we’ve already seen positive momentum. Between 1981 and 2005, the number of people living in extreme poverty was cut in half, from 52 percent of the population to 26. We believe that this number can be reduced to zero—but we can’t do it alone.

That’s why HOPE is partnering with 58:, uniting with leaders in various sectors of relief and development—from clean water to agriculture to leadership development—to actively engage the time, skills, and resources of the global Church.

“58: is a modern-day prophetic call to wake up the Church from apathy and inactivity,” commented Peter Greer, HOPE’s president. “It leads us out of hopelessness and just good intentions by providing simple steps that collectively have a world-changing impact.”

We invite you to join us as we together participate in God’s vision of wholeness and healing, building momentum to fast forward the end of poverty. For more information or to be a part of this movement, visit www.live58.org.