Compassion Sunday

The first Sunday of June has become the annual date of Compassion Sunday at my church. We have the amazing honor and privilege of our pastor's blessing to use the entire service to present the ministry of Compassion. 

In past years we've had friends and fellow sponsors share their experiences, shared about our trips and meeting our children, and this year we had the special honor of welcoming Gilbert Mfitundinda to share his story with us.

Gilbert is currently one of Compassion's fellows and is also available to share his story around the country as one of Compassion's speakers this year. He is the youngest of 8 children and grew up in Uganda. At age 7 he was registered into Compassion's program through his local church. He shared with us that his family was "so poor, even the poor people called us poor". When he was 14 he gave his life to Christ, and that same year his father passed away from a severe asthma attack. His sponsor was a great source of encouragement and comfort to him during this time.

Gilbert had three sponsors during his time in Compassion, and all three were good letter writers. He brought several letters and photos with him and it was so encouraging to me to read those letters.

In addition to our morning service, we held an evening event.

We had some activities for kids, which I found on Compassion's Explorer page.

It's ALWAYS an encouragement to meet the young men and women who have been the recipients of Compassion's ministry. I loved how Gilbert kept saying his life was transformed because of "a caring person just like you". We saw 16 new children sponsored as a result of our efforts on Sunday, and while it's not a huge number, I know there is more happening that we can't see. Sponsor development is also an important part of sponsorship, and I know a lot of this took place as a result of conversations people had with Gilbert.

Compassion Sunday Ideas

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.

Compassion Sunday

Every year Compassion launches an annual campaign called Compassion Sunday. 

Each year there is a theme and Compassion puts together all sorts of resources that make it easy for sponsors and advocates to host Compassion Sunday presentations in their home church. 

This past year, Compassion created a website that was dedicated to providing information and encouragement to anyone who was considering participating. (you can find the website HERE). 

Compassion provides you with everything you need....

• a planning guide
• pastor testimonials
• participant testimonials
• various length videos to show
• t-shirt to wear
• videos to watch in preparation
• resources to download
• resources to set up a sponsorship table
• helpful speaking tips
• poverty facts
• Bible verses about poverty
• pastor's resources

I've been doing Compassion Sunday presentations for YEARS and each year Compassion gives us more to work from. It's amazing what they put together. 

It's such an effective way to share the message and ministry of sponsorship with your friends and family. If you haven't already participated, I hope you'll plan to next year!

Did You Know?

Here's a little history about Compassion Sunday....

• This year is the 24th official Compassion Sunday event
• Compassion Sunday used to be an "advocate" event, but in the 4th or 5th year, all sponsors were invited to participate in this annual campaign
• Last year, 2012, a new type of campaign was launched - a social campaign where sponsors and advocates can create personal pages and advocate via social networks

This year's official Compassion Sunday date is Sunday, April 21st. However, you can hold a Compassion Sunday event on any date. (Mine is June 2nd.)

There are approximately 1,600 registered Compassion Sunday events for 2013.

Compassion is anticipating 10,000+ new sponsorships will result from this year's efforts.

Would you take a moment, right now, to lift up all the Compassion Sunday events that have taken place or will be taking place around the country this year?

You can even say a prayer in the form of a comment if you feel led. (Can't see the comments? Click on the title of this post and you should see them....)

Compassion Sunday - Another Video

Watch this video and see what other fellow Compassion Sunday presenters have to say.

Be encouraged - you are not alone!

Compassion Sunday ~ More to Think About

My dream Compassion Sunday looks something like this:

• We've advertised a couple weeks before that Compassion Sunday is coming up.
• Prior to the actual event, I have contacted all current sponsors in the church and asked them to bring photos of their child to the service on Compassion Sunday. We will display these photos somewhere in the church - either behind the sign-up table on the wall with a banner that says "Children sponsored by our church members" or on a display board that is in the front of the church during the service.
• All current sponsors are invited and encouraged to participate in Compassion Sunday in some capacity so it's not all me.
• Everyone at church hears the message of sponsorship - the adults in the service, the youth group and the children. In one church several years ago, we shut down all children's ministries and had a corporate worship service. I shared a special message geared towards the children and all were exposed to the impact of sponsorship. In another church, I simply spent time with the children's classes - explaining the ministry of sponsorship at a level they could understand. 
• Everything from scripture to worship songs to the message ties in to the call God places on our lives to love others as ourselves - to spend ourselves on behalf of the needy - to care for orphans and widows.
• The Compassion video is shown
• Personal testimony is shared (either by myself or by another sponsor or both)
• Everyone in the church is moved to sponsor a child (I said it was a dream, didn't I?)

Even if the only thing you can do is pass out brochures and set up a table, DO IT!  Plant whatever seeds you can. Get your foot in the door in whatever way you can. 

With or without an official presentation, God can use any amount of awareness to stir people's hearts.

Most of all....keep in mind that you are doing your part by being available and sharing what God has laid on your heart. You are not responsible for how people respond. I have done my fair share of presentation where no one sponsored a child. For some, they will need to hear about sponsorship several times before acting on it. You are planting seeds and it's up to God to bring in the harvest.

Here are a couple more videos that might be helpful as you prepare for your Compassion Sunday.

Compassion Sunday: What to do the Day of My Presentation from Compassion International on Vimeo.



Compassion Sunday: What to do After My Presentation from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Compassion Sunday ~ What's Next

So...you've decided to do a Compassion Sunday presentation.

You've gotten permission from your church and set a date.

You've registered your event.

Now it's time to plan the event.

First of all, make sure you have the Compassion Sunday planning guide. You can order one HERE.

Next, look through the Compassion Sunday website and see all the resources that are available to you.

• Plan your presentation - this will walk you through the process of creating a presentation
• Bible verses
• Poverty facts
• Downloadable resources - videos, worship songs, sermons, logos, photos, activities for children and power point slides

Now it's time to decide what your Compassion Sunday will look like. 

Can you show a video? Compassion has two versions of the official video this year - a longer (almost 5 min) version and a shorter version (2 1/2 minutes)

Can you give a short testimonial? 

• Keep it personal - what drives YOU to sponsor a child? Is there a Bible verse that inspires you? You can share a few statistics, but don't overwhelm your listeners which a bunch of them. Try to share a bit of a letter with your audience to show how sponsorship is affecting your child's life. 
• Keep it simple - quite honestly, all you need for a presentation is a Bible and a child packet. It can even be the photo of the child you sponsor. 

Can you set up a table somewhere? Compassion will send you everything you need for this (except the table!) This is where you can have a small display and have child packets laid out for people to look at. 

Dream big when you are planning. Even if you are only allowed 5 minutes, dream about someday having the entire service (sermon, music, presentation) centered around Compassion. Give your dreams to God through prayer and ask Him to grow this dream into reality.

What else can you add to this conversation? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Compassion Sunday ~ Getting Started

This year's official Compassion Sunday date is April 21, 2013.

In case you aren't familiar with what Compassion Sunday is, let me tell you a bit. This is an annual, national campaign that is designed to spread the message of child sponsorship and recruit new sponsors.

As a sponsor or an advocate, YOU are invited to participate!

Compassion has fantastic resources for you and we'll get to those in a bit. But first I want to share some of my own advice from my experience over the years.

1. PRAY ~ Right now stop and pray about this opportunity.

• Pray for God to open doors so that you can do a Compassion Sunday presentation this year. 
• Pray that God will begin to soften the hearts of those who will hear the presentation.
• Pray for the kids who are waiting to be sponsored and who will have a chance at sponsorship through Compassion Sunday.
• Pray that God will raise up new sponsors as a result of these presentations.

2. CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE ~ Make a decision to participate in some capacity this year.

3. GET PERMISSION ~ Personally, I start with the leadership at my church. If your pastor does not know of your involvement in Compassion's ministry, share your story with him or her. Share how God has used sponsorship to grow your relationship with Him. I would share any or all of the following with my pastor:

• How I became a sponsor.
• What sponsorship means to me.
• How sponsorship has helped me understand what it means to follow Christ.
• Specific Bible verses that inspire me to give.
• Why I want to share this opportunity with the church.

4. SET A DATE ~ although the official date is April 21st, choose the date that best works for your church. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HOLD YOUR EVENT ON THE OFFICIAL DATE. Find out what works for your church and for you.

5. REGISTER YOUR EVENT ~ Go to the Compassion Sunday website and register your event. This is an important step as this allows you to customize your order and plan your event.


We'll talk more about this throughout the week, but in the meantime, here's a short video you can watch.

 
Compassion Sunday: What to do Before My Presentation from Compassion International on Vimeo.



And here's the official Compassion Sunday video for 2013.

Long Main Video from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Our Compassion Sunday

I didn't take a single picture of the table display or anything that was going on, but I'll still tell you what we did and how it went.

This was not our first time presenting a Compassion Sunday, but it was the first time for us at our current church. When we first approached our pastor he told us to pick a date and plan what we wanted.

Let me back up a bit....7 months ago (last October) I was asked to share my Compassion story at the women's retreat. This was really my first presentation to anyone in our church. No sponsorships resulted, but the story was shared.

One month later (November 2011), we showed the film 58: at our church and 7 children were quickly sponsored (several of the new sponsors had heard me share at the women's retreat). We began meeting monthly to encourage one another and write to our sponsored children.

Now, 6 months later, we were presenting Compassion to the entire church. While our worship service was starting, I headed downstairs to where the children in our church had gathered for their classes. The three classes came together and I read them a book I wrote called "Birthday Buddies" - about my daughter and the girl we sponsor in the DR who share the same birthday.

Then I headed back to the main worship service to hear my husband present the message on compassion and what it means to live outside ourselves. Although an experienced speaker when it comes to teaching, this was his first experience preaching and I think he did a fantastic job.

After the sermon our worship team played and sang "A New Hallelujah" by Michael W Smith and we had a slideshow of all the kids sponsored by those in our church. Each child's photo, name and country were shown and after every 5 or 6 photo, there would be a Bible verse.

Then we showed a video our pastor put together - he interviewed several of the people who sponsor children in our church and asked them to talk about their sponsored child. It was a great way to get more people involved in the presentation.

And finally I spoke about Compassion's ministry and about the opportunity to sponsor a child. I used the Compassion Sunday presentation outline and shared the stories of Judith (my first sponsored child in Kenya) and Dominic (our soon to graduated child in Kenya).

And then, because we have two services, we did it all again!

I love sharing the ministry of Compassion with others. It was such a wonderful opportunity and I'm so thankful that more children were sponsored yesterday. I love having fellow sponsors in my church body that I can connect with and encourage as they begin their journey.

Did you do a Compassion Sunday presentation? If so, I would love to hear how it went!

Compassion Sunday

There is a buzz in the air these days ~ the buzz of Compassion Sunday. 

Never heard of it?

Tired of hearing about it?

Either way, let me give you the basics and a few reasons why you should consider signing up.

Compassion Sunday is an annual campaign to spread the word of Compassion. I think it's safe to say it's Compassion's BIGGEST annual campaign.

There is an official date (April 22nd), but you can participate when it works best for you.

There is also a theme of sorts and many, many resources available to you. On the official website you can find many of these resources including:

• worship song list
• presentation outline
• presentation videos
• testimonial videos
• promotional videos
• activities for children
• sermons
• poverty facts
• Bible verses
• photos of children
• logos

The website has everything you need and more - it's worth checking out.

So why should you do this?

The thought of standing in front of your congregation might terrify you. The thought of even approaching your pastor to see if you can have Compassion Sunday might terrify you. 

First.....PRAY. Ask God to give you the courage and words. He has made it clear in the Scriptures that we are to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. If He has put this on your heart, He will make a way for it. 

I speak from experience when I say I have given lousy Compassion Sunday presentations. I nervously mumbled my way through some sort of presentation and had no response. It's ok. God doesn't ask us to make sure we speak perfectly and get lots of kids sponsored. He just asks us to speak up - to do something - to put some action to our faith. 

We all have a story and it's such a blessing to share that story with other. It's never too late to begin thinking about a Compassion Sunday presentation. And there are so many within Compassion and within the advocate network that will help you prepare and hold you up in prayer. 

If you do have a Compassion Sunday presentation scheduled, I'd love to know so I can add you to my prayer list. Will you leave a comment letting me know?

And will you pray for my presentation on April 22nd? It's the first time I'm doing a CS at my church and I'm very excited.