I respectfully disagree. Even if you don’t want to compare apples to apples with the Internet to Episcopal Relief and Development, or to the Millenium Development Goals, we can focus on just one church – St. Francis in Great Falls. What our modest “Outreach” section on that web page doesn’t spell out completely is that we provide exclusive support to the St. Francis Basic School in Juba, Sudan. Our donations and fund raisers provide the building, supplies, teachers, uniforms and one meal a day for all the children who attend. Additionally, the school operates a well for the town which provides clean water – a precious resource in an underdeveloped region.

This is just one example with which I’m personally familiar. I’m certain that many parishes and congregations could tell similar stories.

Don’t get me wrong – I am pleased that the blogosphere has rallied around this little girl’s family, and I’m thankful that they’ve had such an outpouring of generosity. However, don’t sell short the church – no matter how one defines it.