It's coming.....
May 4th is the official date, but Compassion Sundays are already happening and will continue to happen throughout the summer.
Over the past 19 years of advocacy, I've had the opportunity to present Compassion Sunday in many different churches and in many different ways. I thought I'd share some of my ideas here and ask you to add your own ideas in the comments.
There are SO MANY ways to be involved. Maybe your church will give you 5 minutes to present. Maybe you will have the entire service. Maybe you can't actually present, but you can set up a table. Maybe you can't formally do anything, but you can show up at church with a Compassion shirt on and a child packet in your hand.
Please read through the list and find a way that resonates with you....depending on what your church will allow, mix and match ideas to create your own Compassion Sunday.
- set up a sponsorship table with child packets
- have a child packet or two that you simply carry to church with you every Sunday for a month. As you wait for the service to begin, hold that child packet in your hands (where it's visible to others) and pray for that child - and pray for an opportunity to share about child sponsorship with someone at church
- create a My Compassion Sunday webpage - HERE
- show the 3 minute video
- suggest Bible verses to be read during the service
- suggest sermon topics to be used during the service
- suggest worship songs to be sung during the service
- create a lesson for the children's ministry
- read a letter from your sponsored child
- hang a large map near the sponsorship table and take a picture of new sponsors standing in front of the map with their child packet
- hold a letter writing event in the afternoon or evening
- have a sponsor development session in the afternoon or evening
- invited current sponsors or those who are interested in learning more to come back for a potluck meal
- involve other sponsors by asking them to be available to share their experience
- as a congregation, pray for all the children who are sponsored by people in your church
- if you have quite a few sponsors already, THANK THEM for what they are doing - ENCOURAGE them in their sponsorship
- hand out correspondent kits to current and new sponsors
- involve the children of your church
- have the children of your church sing a special song during the service
- present to a Sunday school class or Bible study or small group
- present to the youth group
- wear a Compassion shirt
- invited all sponsors to wear Compassion shirts
What else can you add to this list? As you leave your ideas in the comments, I'll come back and edit the list. Remember, if you are having trouble finding the comments, try clicking on the individual post title.
