Richard J. Foster, who lives in the Denver area, is the author of Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World (HarperSanFrancisco, 25th anniversary edition, 2005). He is a Quaker and the founder of Renovaré, a movement committed to church renewal.

Congregation Or Atid, a Conservative synagogue in Richmond, Va. conducts a “Switch Day,” when members take the shifts of Christian volunteers at nearby Beth Sholom Nursing Home.

The Self-Realization Fellowship, which has headquarters in Los Angeles, follows the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) that are based on yoga and on Jesus. The fellowship has temples and meditation centers around the United States.

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Boston has held a special Christmas Eve service in which the Nativity story is read and Christmas carols are sung. Contact Swami Tyagananda.

The U.S. Baha’i National Center is in Evanston, Ill . The Baha’is entered Africa in the 1950s and went on to establish outposts in every country. Rather than providing material assistance, the Baha’is encourage Africans to use their own resources to produce change.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Potomac, Md., runs Food for Life, a vegetarian food relief program in several South African cities, and operates several temples.

The Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston does outreach in seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Contact Adam Scherr.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a presence in numerous countries.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses is headquartered in New York and has offices throughout Africa.