As Orphan Sunday, Nov. 7, quickly approaches, don’t forget to make your plans.
During that first weekend of November join Christians around the world as they band together to raise awareness about the orphan crisis.
“Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan,” according to the official Orphan Sunday website. “On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.”
Inspired by a Zambian movement to care for orphans, the idea for an Orphan Sunday took hold in the United States in 2003 under the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
“While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor was struck by the pastor’s passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty,” according to the Orphan Sunday website.
“Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans.”
Since then, the movement has grown to include a number of organizations and a wide range of events to raise awareness and funding.
“On behalf of the entire staff of World Orphans I would like to say thank you to The Alliance and the volunteer team that has worked so hard to launch Orphan Sunday,” said Paul Myhill, World Orphans president.
“I am convinced that as more people know about the world wide problem of orphans that more individuals and churches will want to become part of the solution and those that respond in obedience to God’s command to care for orphans will grow in strength and in faith.”
From movie nights to prayer meetings, Orphan Sunday will be recognized in hundreds of cities around the world and yours can be one of them.
To schedule an Orphan Sunday event or read about event ideas, go to www.orphansunday.org.
World Orphans can also help you plan your community’s Orphan Sunday by providing literature, a speaker and other resources.