Be forewarned. What follows is pure rah-rah. It showed up in employee inboxes … from MARKETING. It’s just a small glimpse into the response Compassion Sunday 2008 has received so far.
We’re at over 9,700 children sponsored. Our goal is 22,000. It’s not too late to host your own event.
“Austin Bluffs Evangelical Free Church had a successful Compassion Sunday response. We had seven sponsorship commitments! That is a huge number for our church, which traditionally has two to three sponsorships on Compassion Sunday …. We had at least one current sponsor/family that wanted to sponsor another child. Others took brochures and information as they consider the opportunity to sponsor a child.”
– Pepe Alicea, Compassion Advocate and Lay Elder at Austin Bluffs Evangelical Free Church
“Richard Douglas of Christ Community Church in South Carolina called and requested 50 more child packets. He had 50, and people were running up to the table to sponsor the kids. He said the packets were gone in three minutes, and he had a list of people waiting for more! Once the extra packets arrived, another 29 children were sponsored”
– Valeen Tschamler,Advocates Network & Marketing Assistant
“Hilltop Assembly of God has 147 members, and I guessed the audience size was about 180-190 including children. They began the worship with the children bringing flags of all the 17 countries where their congregation has sponsored children (they sponsor 60 of them) and setting them in front of the church on displays they had made. Then the children sang their own worship chorus in Spanish
One girl, Emery (11 years old) was brought forward to tell how God had laid it on her heart to make jewelry and sell it at a consignment shop to give to Compassion, and then I was presented with a $20,000 check by the 11 new Advocates in their church to fund a Child Survival Program (CSP) in Ethiopia.
At the end of the service the children came in with balloons that had the names of all the sponsored children on them and the whole congregation went outside and had a “releasing children from poverty” ceremony! (Yes, they were biodegradable balloons).
After the service all of the chairs were moved from the sanctuary and we enjoyed an international buffet!
Oh yeah … another 24 children were sponsored, and they now have 12 advocates! The little church now sponsors over 80 children and a CSP paid in full!
They’re already planning fund-raising events for next year and have over $13,000 raised so far. Did I mention that they began all of this last December 2007? With God all things are possible!”
– Mark Pellingra, Relationships Manager Northeast Region
“Get this — I just got off the phone with brand-new advocate Beth Hathcock in the Dallas area. I guess during her interview she mentioned wanting to do Compassion Sunday at her church (small — about 70 people) and Mark Pellingra said that she would get a box of materials. He intended for her to fill out the materials order form, but she got her initial training kit with the one child packet and thought that is what we sent for a church of 70. So she used her one child packet, showed a couple video clips off the DVD she had gotten, got her one child sponsored and used a sign up sheet for the 10 other people who wanted to sponsor. Not bad for someone brand new, self-proclaimed as “not a public speaker” and no materials.”
– Doug West, Southeast Regional Advocates Manager
“Thanks for sending 10 more packets. I had one lady who kept looking at them for a long time, then scooped up five to sponsor. I was flabbergasted….”
– Mike Jennings, sponsor
8 Comments |Add a comment
I know there are tons of people who would benefit from being a sponsor b/c I have so much!!! I just need to get moving!!!
Debbie that was GREAT!!! I cried!!!
Greetings from Missouri! Through a chain of events, my daughter, who also serves as an advocate, and myself were given the opportunity to assist a sponsor with a Compassion Sunday at her church. Last year she had presented CS resulting in a few children being sponsored, but we joined her in believing for a much greater response this year. Upon arrival at the church we found her discouraged by the pastor’s decision that there would be no spoken presentation given during the services. She was still thankful that the sign-up tables could be up and that the power-point slideshow was going to be running as people entered the santuary, but very concerned that the end result would not be what she was hoping for. When I was introduced to the pastor, I thanked him for hosting their Compassion Sunday and then shared with him that I’d love the opportunity to speak – even for just two minutes, about what Compassion sponsorship accomplishes in the lives of these children. He asked curiously “can you really say something impactful in two minutes?” I emphatically replied “you bet I can!” He agreed that so long as I didn’t go over my two minute limit, he’d let me speak. The sponsor was thrilled! When the CS was over, 20 children had been sponsored and a new small group was launched for all Compassion sponsors! AND, as an added bonus, the pastor was the second person to sponsor a child and was absolutely thrilled by the response of his congregation to this opportunity! The prayers of a faithful sponsor were certainly answered! My encouragement to all of you is to never underestimate what the Lord can accomplish – even in two minutes – when you boldly lend your voice on behalf of the children and when you commit every opportunity to prayer. Praise the Lord – with God all things are possible!
Chris,
Thanks, I checked out the information on the site,it was most helpful.
Jason,
If you have any questions about becoming an advocate, ask away. We have plenty of them here that’ll be happy to tell you all about it. You can also get information on compassion.com or by calling Compassion, (800) 336-7676, to speak to a sponsor relations representative.
Good timing, for me! Our Compassion Sunday begins this evening–in about 4 hours–and continues tomorrow morning. We’ll also have one table up next weekend. We’ll be showing the video clip “$32 Buys – Brandon,” and a very brief announcement will be made about where people can find the table. I will not be speaking, but I’m praying that God will be!
Please put me down for two rahs as well…
cd
just recently found this blog, have began blogging about compassion myself and would like to learn more about becoming an advocate.