About the Book
A practical guide to changing the world with gospel action, from the CEO of a leading global nonprofit agency. Global social justice issues are motivating a new generation of evangelicals, most of whom grew up within a simple, 'Jesus Is the Answer' world view. What's often missing for these new activists is a clear understanding of how individual and social transformation happens, and how a culture of 'haves' can bring good to a culture of 'have nots' without inadvertently also bringing harm. Bauman's book is a stirring yet pragmatic treatise on how individuals and churches can be catalysts for radical, positive and lasting change. He sees ours as a crucial moment in history--when Christians could, with a wiser and more creative approach to faith and action, go on to effect unprecedented good around the world. Drawing on a wealth of experience on the front lines of Christian ministry as well as international relief and human rights, he shows his readers the breathtaking yet, as he argues, entirely 'possible' scope of their calling.
About the Author :
Stephan Bauman is the President and CEO for World Relief where he leads approximately 2,500 staff in 20 nations. Stephan oversees programs in the health, economic, agriculture, and refugee areas. Stephan joined World Relief in 2005 as the Country Director in Rwanda. Prior to joining World Relief Rwanda, Stephan served as Director of International Programs for World Hope International, where he oversaw relief and development programs in 25 countries worldwide in the agriculture, education, economic development, anti-trafficking, and health sectors. From 1994 to 2001, Stephan worked for Mercy Ships International as Director of Programs and Training, where he directed medical, water and sanitation, community health, and capacity building programs for over 300 staff on the Anastasis, a hospital ship based in West Africa. Prior to joining Mercy Ships, Stephan worked in the private sector for Anderson & Co where he consulted on mergers and acquisitions, legal matters, treaties, and tax issues for Fortune 500 companies. Stephan is a Certified Public Accountant (since 1990), an ordained minister, and holds a Masters in International Public Policy (Johns Hopkins University), a Masters in Missiology and Intercultural Studies (Wheaton College Graduate School), as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Business (University of Wisconsin).
Review :
"Inspiring. Hopeful. Needed. Possible: A Blueprint for Changing How We Change the World is a beautiful road map for us all as we discover our role in bringing God's heart to the whole world."
--Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church and founder of the Passion Conference "Possible is a beautiful, remarkable book. Stephan Bauman gives us a blueprint for changing the world that is light on superficialities and heavy on essentials. Whether you're a young activist discerning your path or a seasoned leader recalibrating for the road ahead, you'd do well to say a prayer and then start here."
--Joshua Dubois, director of Values Partnerships and former executive director of the Office of Faith-
based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the White House
"This is an inspiring book! Written by the leader of one of the world's most effective relief and development organizations, it is full of stories that taught me and equipped me to be more effective in helping the way Jesus did."
--Dr. Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed
"There are many resources available on how to make a difference in the world. Stephan Bauman presents the most compelling blueprint I have read on how to do that. I wish I'd had this book as a reference and guide forty years ago!"
--R. Tim Ziemer, Rear Admiral, United States Navy (retired)
"Stephan Bauman is a visionary for what the people of God can do with a little faith. Possible doesn't just encourage us to believe in the impossible but gives us a blueprint for action. When so much can overwhelm us with what's wrong with the world, this book helps us act with, learn from, and come alongside those who are vulnerable. Weaving personal stories with practical application, this is an essential handbook to create a community of change makers."
--Jenny Yang, vice president of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief and author of Welcoming the Stranger
"Possible is the book for everyone who wants to move beyond complacency to commitment and from doing little to truly changing the world. Lots of writers tell us that our world is a mess, but Stephan Bauman shows us how to fix it."
--Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
"This is a book about not shrinking back from the challenges of the world but leaning into them with love, resolve, and inexplicable hope. It's about not doing easy things but doing lasting things. Stephan Bauman has rolled out something beautiful on the table. But it's not for us just to look at but to act upon. Part memoir, part manifesto--this book will challenge some of your assumptions and confirm others."
--Bob Goff, author of Love Does
"Possible is not just a blueprint for change; it's a cartography of courage. Stephan Bauman has personally challenged me to go beyond the safety of facile and distant engagement so pervasive in our age to the arduous but promising incarnational work of world changing. If you, like me, resist the cynicism that too often accompanies world changing, Possible calls you to leave the Shire with renewed hope."
--Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition
"In a world of poverty, suffering, and downright evil, Stephan Bauman calls us to live lives of hope, justice, and vision. He challenges us not to passively accept what is but to courageously rouse ourselves and our communities to make a difference in the world."
--Alec Hill, president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
"Stephan Bauman's new book, Possible, has all the marks of greatness. It avoids common pitfalls of many justice books that can either be overly optimistic or idealistic on one side or pessimistic and cynical on the other. This book is for people who still believe it is possible to change the world but want a deep and meaningful conversation on how to get there. Stephan has accomplished something special in this tight and compact treatise. It is passionately written, marked by Bauman's years of radically hopeful living. It is intellectual and deep yet remains accessible and inspiring. Possible is sure to spark your imagination and fire your passions."
--Ken Wytsma, founder of the Justice Conference and author of Pursuing Justice and The Grand Paradox
"The weave and texture of Possible catapults this book to high levels of literary beauty, yet at the same time it emotionally and intellectually intertwines our lives with the most vulnerable of the world. Stephan Bauman's personal vulnerability connected with solid biblical, historical, psychological, and cross-cultural models make Possible a seminal book for our times."
--Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent of the Wesleyan Church
"Possible invites us to take the first step toward living out God's purpose for our lives as agents of reconciliation and restoration in the world. Wonderfully accessible, user friendly, and faithfully grounded, Bauman's book challenges the status quo, answers the question 'what can I do?' and unleashes what's possible for ordinary people to address root causes of suffering and really change the world."
--David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World
"Stephan Bauman is a poet practitioner with the dirt of the world's biggest challenges under his fingernails. Many books point toward the world's problems, but few lay out reasonable solutions as Possible does."
--Justin Dillon, founder and CEO of Made in a Free World.
"I love this book! In Possible, Stephan Bauman helps us understand that if we want to responsibly steward "our moment in history," we need to turn our self-focused paradigm upside down. We need to recognize the 'enormous resilience, creativity, and unwavering hope' of those who suffer and then thank God for the privilege of coming alongside them as co-creators of solutions and change. Stephan and his wife, Belinda, have lived out the vision of Possible. When you read their story, I know you'll be as inspired and challenged as I have been."
--Lynne Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church
"A powerful combination of gripping stories, solid theology, and probing challenge. This book does not just call us to change the world; it convinces us that we can do it. A wonderful summons to do justice."
--Ron Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Distinguished Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry, and Public Policy at Eastern University
