Orphan Sunday

I came across this post about Orphan Sunday by Bill Blacquiere today on Bethany Christian Service's blog. It's a great tie-in for my post, Conviction, from the other day.

"As National Adoption Month approaches in November, it is a time for us to pause and consider the plight of 153 million orphans around the world. These children have lost one or both parents due to war, AIDS, disease, abandonment, poverty, or natural disaster. And because Bethany’s vision is to see a world where every child is cared for in a loving family, we encourage you to join us and support Orphan Sunday on November 4.

Orphan Sunday was established in 2003 to raise greater awareness of the growing global orphan crisis, remind us of God’s command to care for orphans, and invite churches to work together in drawing attention to and support for vulnerable children and their families. Nine years after its inception, Orphan Sunday has expanded around the world, with events and activities varying at each church and community in which they are held.

Here in the U.S., churches from every state participated last year, not only by providing statistics and stories on the harsh realities orphans face, but also by offering tangible ways their congregations could get involved. In places such as Europe, thousands of churches participated in Orphan Sunday. And in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya, church members were quick to donate what they could and held services proclaiming what God says about caring for orphans."
Read more at Bethany's blog.

Interested in organizing an Orphan Sunday event in your area? Check out these resources:
http://orphansunday.org/
http://www.bethany.org/main/orphan-sunday
http://www.efca.org/reachglobal/reachglobal-ministries/globalfingerprints/orphan-sunday
http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/2012/06/10/2012-orphan-sunday-video/