As followers of Jesus, we’re called to serve the vulnerable. And children living in poverty are among the most vulnerable. Around 333 million children live in extreme poverty around the world. How is it possible to serve so many? By working together.
Compassion partners with more than 8,000 local churches in impoverished communities around the world who love and care for children in need. Through their work, we currently serve 2.3 million children (and counting).
Each church partnership can change many children’s lives. That’s why we work hard to build great partnerships and keep them healthy — so we can continue to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
What’s Here:
8 Must-Haves for Building Healthy Partnerships With the Local Church
At Compassion, there are eight must-haves we’ve adopted to guide us in building healthy relationships with churches. They’re adapted from Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller’s “Power of 2,” which includes extensive research on partnerships of all kinds.
1. Acceptance
When two partners come together, there’s bound to be friction from their different perspectives and skill sets. This can be a recipe for conflict unless both partners learn to accept each other’s differences.
In the work we do, we get to partner with churches from 29 countries, all with their own distinct cultures and ways of life. Acceptance and understanding are critical to working harmoniously and effectively serving children.
How do we practice acceptance? We’ve found that taking time to respectfully converse with our partners often helps us build a meaningful plan together that benefits all.
2. Forgiveness
People are imperfect. They make mistakes. In fact, this is why our Savior, Jesus, went to the cross. In the ultimate act of love and forgiveness, he sacrificed his own life so that we may have eternal life, despite all our sin.
In the same way, we’re called to forgive those around us. Without forgiveness, partnerships couldn’t survive. Forgiveness can, in fact, trigger deeper and better partnerships by bringing us closer. We’re called to forgive and to ask for forgiveness when we make mistakes.
3. Complementary Strengths
One of the most powerful reasons for partnering is to work with someone who is strong where you are weak and vice versa. It allows you to tackle challenges together that you couldn’t face alone.
Our local church partners have a presence in their communities. Because of that presence, they know how to serve those living there best. The local church knows more about the children who need served than we do.
On the other hand, we have access to resources and tools, such as finances and developed programs that children need to thrive. By combining our strengths, we provide the unique love and care children need to journey out of poverty.
4. Fairness
No one likes to be taken advantage of. It could be easy for a partner from a well-resourced country to callously use a partner in an impoverished area for their own agenda and to fulfill their own goals.
In the same light, it’s possible for a partner from an impoverished area to take advantage of the giving potential of the other partner. The key is for each partner to work fairly and respectfully with the other.
At Compassion, we carefully assess our internal policies, such as those involving our finances and those of our partners. This ensures we’re both being held accountable to the same standards, treating each other with respect and fairness.
5. A Common Mission
When partners are passionate about reaching the same goal, they’ll make the sacrifices necessary to see it through. For us, the common mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name unites us with our partners.
Despite any differences, struggles or disagreements, the call to serve the least of these (Matthew 25:40) brings us together and pushes us forward.
6. Trust
You aren’t likely to do your best work unless you trust that your partner will too. Our partners want to trust us to be there for them, not only in everyday matters but also to look out for their best interests in times of crisis.
In turn, we want to trust our partners to continually do what is right for the children we serve and the mission. We build this trust by consistently working together and showing that we’re for one another.
7. Communication
The only way partners can be united in one mission is when the pair communicates well. In our partnerships, partnership facilitators ensure a consistent flow of communication between church partners and our ministry.
Our partnership facilitators are of the same nationality and usually of the same culture and language group as the local church partner, enhancing our ability to communicate effectively.
8. Selflessness
The mission of releasing children from poverty is bigger than us. To complete our mission, we must remain selfless, working to help our partners succeed instead of focusing solely on our own success.
This is why we work to help our partners mature in carrying out the ministry within their communities. We work to empower them, so they’ll one day be able to do so without us.
A Healthy Partnership Saves Lives in the Philippines
By building healthy partnerships with local churches around the world, all of us are saving lives every single day. In fact, one healthy partnership with a church in the Philippines protected children from deadly disease.
Many homes in Dapitan, Philippines, lack basic sanitary facilities. In fact, many children live in homes without wash areas or toilets. Unfortunately, lacking safe washing areas exposes children to life-threatening diseases like dengue fever.
Seeing the need for clean washrooms, Benlie, the Dapitan Compassion center director, reached out for help. With trust in the support he would receive from Compassion, he asked for the funding needed to construct new bathrooms.
Compassion approved the request, and new facilities were built that included four toilets, four urinals, an area for kids to wash their hands and feet, a water tank and even extra space to grow.
Now, children at the Compassion center have a safe, welcoming place to take care of their bodies, protecting them from disease.
Benlie used his strengths to see and find a solution to a desperate need within his community, reaching out to his partners here at Compassion. And at Compassion, we used our strengths to provide resources that helped fulfill that need.
Together, as partners, we took another step toward fulfilling our common mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
We can’t succeed without our partners. That’s why we focus on building healthy relationships that last, both with our church partners and supporters like you. We know that together we can achieve so much more than we could alone.
This was originally published on February 11, 2012 and was updated on February 4, 2025.
Will You Partner With Us to Release a Child From Poverty?
You too can partner with us to love and care for a child in need by becoming a sponsor.
39 Comments |Add a comment
Happy for what compassion ministry is doing. I’m a pastor, church planter and a founder of the organization called open Door of Heaven Global Church And Ministries. I’m working in the rural areas of Zambia reaching out to unreached communities, uneducated children and women,drug addicted young boys and girls. Here we have a number of children who don’t go to school due to lucky of sponsorship. Hence engage themselves in beer drinking,drug abuse, sexual activities which leads to early pregnancy,HIV and AIDs. How can you come in and partner with us here in Zambia Mumbwa rural to help the child
Hello, Bishop Mubambe! We are happy to speak with you further about possible assistance. Please send us an email to [email protected]. Thank you!
Hello Compassion!
I am Onel JEAN, I am Christian. I preach the world of God in the city of Jeremie Haiti, a lot of children can’t go to school in are that I am for less thant $10,
Please, help us to help more to go school. While I helping them to know Jesus
May God bless you,
Onel
Hello Onel Jean! Thank you for reaching out to us on behalf of these children who need help. Can you please email us at [email protected] to see if we can assist you further? Thank you, and God bless!
Very informative and valuable. I would wish to partner with concern through my local church assembly
Hi, Josephat. We would be happy to speak with you about potential partnership. Would you kindly send us an email to [email protected] ? Thanks!
Am a Pastor in rural town of Samfya under the Fire Baptised Church. In my church I have venerable children and women. How do I partner with you to help this families.
Hello, Pastor Chisholm. We greatly appreciate your heart for the children in need in your town. Please email us at [email protected] to see if we are able to help you. Thank you!
My name is pastor James olufemi Cooper Sierra Leone an pastor and founder faith for salvation outreach ministry ,my ministry have children with single parent (mother) shelter, clothing ,and education is a challenge to them as we are in the same kingdom may we find favour in your eyes to help them be whom God wanted them to be
Pastor James Olufemi Cooper, thank you so much for your work to minister to these precious children and mothers in Sierra Leone! We welcome you to email us at [email protected] so we can speak further with you. God bless!
Hello. My name is Moses Nyau from Zambia. I am a Coordinator of Vine Branch Ministries of Zambia. We run a community school for needy children and a women empowerment programme. We are based in rural Zambia. We are asking for help to enable us change the lives of the so many needy women and children in rural Zambia.
Hello Moses Nyau, thank you for reaching out to us and for the work you are currently doing to help those in need in Zambia. Please send an email to [email protected] so we can discuss if we can help you. Thank you!
How can I join this group and work with you?
Hello Daniel! We are grateful for your desire to work with us in our mission. Please email us at [email protected] to learn more. Thank you!
Am Alice from Kenya,l have an orphanage and school for the poor in my community what I lack is finance to enable me I supporting them
Hi, Alice! Would you kindly send us an email to [email protected], so we can learn more about this situation and see if we can help? – Nicole
Hello, my name is Pstr. Leanne from NH. I began my little ministry – Inspiration Africa – a bit ago and it is growing. What saddens me is a pastor I currently have in my ministry who cares for children; who he is trying so desperately to assist and find proper care for. There is so much good will in Africa, yet so many unwilling to be the Hands and Feet of our precious Lord and Savior. We have no idea who these children could become, if only given the chance and taught how to fish. God bless…
Hello Pastor Leanne! We are very encouraged to hear about your work ministering to children in Africa. Can you please send us an email at [email protected] so we can speak to you further there? Thank you very much!
I’m a pastor serving God in Western region in Kenya. I have faith based organization which is comprised of fourteen Churches of different denominations. In this organization there is an orphanage which helping children who are orphans and vulnerable. The orphanage at her capacity is managing 56 children with provision of food, clothes, school uniform and fees. We have accommodated only to 56 but there are other 70 children who we do not have the capacity. These children are completely in critical situation where by they have no food, clothes and education. This has resulted due to COVID 19.Their parents used to work in different firms but now they are jobless due economic situation in the Country. I therefore request you to partner with me for the purpose of prayer and extend your hand of support to these children so that to my they may aquire the basic needs for there life.
Hi, Pastor Benjamin! Thank you so much for reaching out to us! We are deeply encouraged by your ministry in Kenya and by your helping those around you, and we are praying for you community! As for your request for partnership, would you kindly send us an email to [email protected], so we can further discuss this situation and any possibility of our helping your ministry and orphanage?
Dear Madam,
Good afternoon. I would like to introduce myself to you through this discussion on the partnership of build local churches. iam looking for partner to work together in Mozambique to build church in Angonia. The name of the church is Rejoice International Ministry.
lam also passionate to pray together so that we can strengthening our relationship
regards,
Stanley JZ chitukwi
Hello Stanley, we appreciate your heart for children and your desire to partner with our ministry! Please send us an email to [email protected] so we can discuss whether we can help you. Thank you!
I feel this is God’s call to alleviate many orphans and vulnerable children who are in dare need of help. Church has been called for this in this present generation where many children live in abject poverty. I thank God for the work you are doing.
May Bless the work you are doing and gives fresh ideas on how you do to reach more people across the world
Christopher,
Thank you so much for your support! We truly appreciate your heart for those in need!
It is good help each other
Hello I am Pastor Peter Obonyo Odhiambo from Rambula north in Ugunja sub county siaya county in Kenya ,I do evangelism care for orphans and vulnerable children in rural area and I would like to partner with your esteemed organization compassion, because I find it very very difficult for just one person at the moment I have 122 children please I appeal for your partnership to remove these children in poverty and add more value for the kingdom of God to this community, hope for your response
Hello Pastor Peter! Thank you so much for your interest to partner with Compassion! We would love to talk to you about a possible partnership.
Please send us an email us at [email protected] so that we can further assist you.
It is nice, I have an idea of establishing the ministry that will will help the village people to overcome their poverty problem and empowering village churches to grow. But I miss only one thing, which is capital, can compassion join my ministry?
Hi Keneth! If you are interested in having your ministry partner with Compassion, please email us at [email protected]! We look forward to hearing from you!
I would like to partner with you .
Hello Pr Outa Ben,
Thank you so much for your interest to partner with Compassion! We would love to talk to you about a possible partnership. Can you please email us at [email protected]? From there, we will be happy to talk with you more. Thank you so much!
This is a good work you are doing God bless you
very good job people of God,the way to get more blessings is helping orphans.i have the same bunden to help orphans but i request to partner with you.joseph from uganda bukedea.thanks
Dear Sir,
Greetings in Jesus name.
I am vikash from Jharkhand, I have a church in uttar Pradesh.i am looking for partner for
my church. please let me know. if you can join me.
Thank you
Vikash
Hi Vikash! Please email us at [email protected] for more information on partnership. Thanks!
Hi I am Lamuel paster of The Redeemer church 150+ congregations at Nashik Maharashtra India,we having disciplieship collage every year we make 25 descipal after that handover to each of them cell group so that the they win the sole for Christ and make descipal.i wanted to become mission partner with compassion international for furthermore.
Hi Pastor! Please email us at [email protected] for more information on partnership.
I will be thankful to GOD if I am accepted
Hi Varney! Please email us at [email protected] for more information on our program!