Ways Partnering With Compassion Empowers Your Church

Through a church partnership with Compassion, discover how members of Heartbeat Church developed a greater heart for children in poverty and learn how your church can start a partnership with Compassion too!

16 Mar, 2020

Before Heartbeat Church partnered with Compassion, the congregation was already missional in heart and nature. The church, consisting of 50 people mainly in their twenties, have supported overseas missions in five different countries over the span of six years. When one of the church leaders and Compassion Advocate, Sharon Kim, initiated a partnership with Compassion, the capacity of the church to give, disciple and love only increased.

With help from a local relationship facilitator from Compassion Australia, Heartbeat church launched their first Compassion Sunday. Members of the church heard stories of life transformation, learned about holistic child sponsorship and took on the challenge of sponsoring 50 children from Indonesia. It was the beginning of a fruitful partnership.

“Heartbeat Church has changed so much since partnering with Compassion,” says Sharon. “We’ve developed a greater heart for children in poverty!”

Compassion Australia partners with thousands of Australian churches across different denominations and postcodes to release children from poverty in Jesus' name. The impact our churches and supporters are making in the lives of over 90,000 vulnerable children around the world is an example of the strength of the universal church—but the blessing doesn’t end there. Partnership with Compassion supports the churches involved in complementary, innovative and refreshing ways.

Here are three ways that partnering with Compassion can empower your church:

1. Expand your hearts

As followers of Christ, we are constantly striving to expand our capacity to serve and love our neighbours, both here and abroad. In our day-to-day lives, the opportunities to experience Christ in a new context are limited and scarce—we easily succumb to the routine and predictability of our comfort zones and it can feel like poverty is a distant reality.

Child sponsorship with Compassion is an opportunity to look beyond our four walls and connect as a church to another Bible-believing community. Investing in the life of a child living in poverty impacts churches on both an individual and community level, providing opportunities to pray, commit and disciple a fellow child of God in a different context. The Bible teaches that it’s more blessed to give than to receive and child sponsorship is a clear example of what we gain when we look beyond our needs and become Christ-like in the way we pray, serve and financially commit to someone other than ourselves.

2. Provides new opportunities

We are dedicated to the local church. Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program is not in competition with a church’s vision but is designed to complement existing approaches to global missions and discipleship. With child development centres in over 25 countries around the world, partnership with Compassion provides an opportunity to witness the transforming power of discipleship throughout different cultural contexts.

When Heartbeat Church prayerfully partnered with Compassion, they recognised an alignment in Bible-based values.

“Heartbeat Church values discipleship and partnering with Compassion was an extension of our obedience to live out the call to disciple God’s children,” says Sharon.

Partnership with Compassion empowers the local church by providing different ways for Christians in Australia to engage in discipleship and missions. Contact us to find out more about church partnership.

3. Unites your community

Whether it’s through an individual supporter trip, church trip, letter-writing or a virtual experience, partnership with Compassion captivates the entire church community.

Being part of a transformation story, witnessing a church in a different culture and participating in the joy of connecting with sponsored children are experiences that will unite your church in the love of Christ.

Partnership with Compassion provides opportunities for individuals and churches to forge a new relationship and experience with different churches and cultures. Travelling to the field as a church is an invaluable chance for church members to serve and grow together. It's always fun to be able to share stories from trips or child letters within your church community.

Sharon recalls how a church trip forged deeper relationships with fellow church members.

“As a church, we visited children who were sponsored by other church members. While on a church trip, we talked about our letters and our experiences,” describes Sharon. “But most importantly, our hearts broke together for what breaks God’s heart. Together we found hope in Jesus for our sponsored children.”

How to partner with Compassion

Are you interested in finding out how your church can partner with Compassion? Here’s how to get involved:

1. Get in touch

Introduce yourself and tell us about your church’s vision and mission. You’ll get connected to a dedicated relationship facilitator in your area who’ll look for synergies with Compassion. Get to know your relationship facilitator over a coffee and share how God is at work in your church! Get in touch today.

2. Host a Compassion Sunday

A powerful way to advocate for children and introduce Compassion at your church is by hosting a Compassion Sunday. With the help of advocates and volunteers, Compassion Sunday is a momentous opportunity for you and your church to learn about child sponsorship and discover ways to share a hope more powerful than poverty. Find out more about hosting a Compassion Sunday here.

3. Consider a church trip

Each church trip is a life-changing opportunity to encounter the work of Christ. Get the chance to meet our local church partners, visit various child development centres and interact with sponsored children. Find out more about upcoming trips here.

We believe the local church is the hope of the world and it is our joy to equip and empower the local church to come alongside us as we release children from poverty in Jesus’ name!

Words by Shona Yang

Photos by Jodie S Lee and Daniel Robson