SAN DIEGO, Oct. 7, 2009 – With a church full of members that have started more than 100 different ministries, with more than 600,000 hours of community service committed for 2009, Pastor Miles McPherson is uniquely qualified to lead the “Do Something” charge. His new book tells readers that they can make a difference, gives them examples of people who have, and sets them on the practical path to make it happen.

McPherson says that there is no better time than now to get involved and try to help others. “Look around you. We’re facing economic chaos, endless wars, AIDS, famine, ecological ruin, political corruption – the list is endless. Your neighbors are in desperate need of love and a helping hand.”

But first, McPherson says, in order to help the broken people around us, each of us needs to understand our own brokenness. “Until you are able to identify with your own pain, the cries of those we need to help will only sound like mumbling.”

Next, McPherson continues, we need to understand our own giftedness. “God has prepared you with every necessary natural and spiritual skill needed, along with the ideal opportunities in life to use those skills to help people.” McPherson offers insight into indicators of what our purpose and gifts might be, through the people we meet and the experiences we have.

Each chapter in the book provides an example of someone who helped others in some way, and suggests Web sites or organizations readers can check out to get involved themselves. A specific call to action at the end of each chapter takes the reader down a path of “baby steps,” through prayers, written exercises and times of self- reflection that will lead the reader to involvement.

“Do Something” is filled with examples of individuals who learned they could use their own experiences – sometimes painful and heartbreaking – to help others in similar situations. They have found preparation and purpose in their own brokenness and through that, power and passion for helping others has been released.

Examples of individuals who found a way to “Do Something” to make a difference, based on their personal experiences, include Michelle, who learned American Sign Language to communicate with the deaf child of a friend. Before long, Michelle became a foster parent to deaf children. Then there’s 90-year-old Iva, who at first was bitter about being placed in a nursing home. She soon embraced her ministry of prayer for those surrounding her, and has seen God respond in miraculous ways in answer to her prayers.

Jessica, whose ex-husband raped and beat her, realized from her experience that she was stronger than she ever thought she could be, and now reaches out to other victims of domestic violence to help them be strong, too. Another “Do Something” ministry leader, Tamela, realized that her own experience with cancer – even though she was healed – was meant to help her understand what cancer patients go through. Today, Tamela leads The Rock’s cancer care ministry, providing transportation, help with chores, support for family members, meal service, tutoring, etc., for those battling cancer.

“Do Something: Make Your Life Count” releases from Baker Books on Jan. 1, 2010. At 224 pages it will retail for $19.99 in both mainstream and Christian bookstores. McPherson has written four previous books on parenting and teen topics, including “Parenting the Wild Child” and “Bad to the Bone: Fifteen Young Bible Heroes Who Lived Radical Lives for God.”

A companion website, www.DoSomethingWorld.org, is tied to the book’s release, providing suggestions for community service and a sample list of ministries started at The Rock by members profiled in “Do Something.”

Miles McPherson is founder and pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego. Prior to that, following his NFL career, he founded Miles Ahead Ministries, through which more than 45,000 young people have made decisions for Christ. When he started the Rock Church in 2000, more than 3,300 people attended on its first day. The predominantly young, urban congregation has grown to an average of 12,000 with more than 100 ministries, at least 74 of them volunteer-led community ministries. McPherson has appeared on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The O’Reilly Factor, and Fox & Friends. He and his wife have three children and live in San Diego.

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