Going Further

I’ve written about Compassion International more than any other subject here on Shlog. From the beginning of my relationship with Compassion and my first trip overseas to see their work ( See posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to a developing friendship with Wes, the president, and Jackie, grown up proof that their work works – I’ve said all I know to say about Compassion International.

And I’m not the only one you’re heard talking.  In the last week, as part of this 40 days project of ours, you’ve probably learned about Compassion International from Kat and Brant already.  So, odds are, most of you reading this post already know that Compassion International rescues children from poverty by feeding and clothing them, providing medical care, mentoring and counseling them, educating them and teaching them about the love of Jesus.  And if you’ve read all the links scattered throughout this post so far you know that it works and that I’d like to see every Christian in the developed world give a child life for the small price of $32 dollars a month. 

That’s easy.  And that’s usually all I ask folks to do when I’m on the road.

That’s not what this post is about.  That’s not my “cause.” Let’s go further this time.

I’m asking those of you who already sponsor children through Compassion International today to pray about getting involved in two more ways.

First, Compassion International has a couple relatively new initiatives I haven’t written about before.  The $32 child sponsorship program you know about meets the needs of grade school aged children.  But the Child Survival Program helps even younger children.  It meets the needs of children too young to go to school – babies – and the needs of their mothers.  The goal is to decrease the mortality rate in the third world. You can sponsor a baby through this program for $20 a month

Then there’s the Leadership Development Program which meets the needs of young adults who’ve been raised by Compassion’s regular child sponsorship program – these are the young men and women who’ve graduated from school and are now being educated at the university level and taught leadership skills by a Christian mentor in their field of study.  These young people are the future leaders of their countries, the ones at the forefront of changing their nations.  You can sponsor a university student through this program for $300 a month.

imageSecondly, Compassion International needs those of us who already sponsor children and believe in what they do to spread the word. Consider hosting a Compassion Sunday event at your church.  If you’re an independent artist interested in representing Compassion International at your concerts as I do, you can join their Independent Artist Network.  Put a banner ad on your blog or myspace page.  Share a video. Become a Child Advocate and represent Compassion at concerts and other events in your city (advocates man my Compassion table at every show and I couldn’t do what I do without them.) Spreading the word about the poverty-ending work of Compassion International is free

So, today, you can fill an empty stomach, educate a young mind, heal a sickness, and tell a child God loves them by sponsoring a child through Compassion International.  You can teach a mother how to raise her child, provide clean water and good food for a baby, and give friendship and relief to a tired mother by giving to the Compassion’s Child Survival Program.  You can mentor a young adult, educate her, inspire her, and shape her into a nation shaping leader by funding Compassion’s Leadership Development Program.  You can spread the word about Compassion, tell your own story, share with others how your contribution has changed the life of a child and how your life has been changed in the process.

You can do something today to end physical and spiritual poverty in Jesus’ name.

(If you have any questions about Compassion International – how they work, what they do – ask in the comments of this post and I’ll give you answers.  If I can’t there are folks from Compassion who read this blog and I know they’ll know anything I don’t.)