Party with a Purpose

It's hard to believe it's that time already. The air is getting cool, the leaves are changing, and the holidays are just around the corner.

Our thoughts will turn towards making plans, setting tables, buying gifts...

...and hopefully our thoughts won't turn away from those who struggle to find anything worth celebrating.

As North-Americans Christians the holidays can be a challenge. We want to honor our friends and family but don't want to get lost in the waste and overindulgence. We want to enjoy celebrating, but it can be hard to do that in light of the daily suffering of so many people all around the world.

What does it look like, as an American follower of Christ, to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in a way that honors Christ and the Gospel and keeps in mind the struggle and devastation of orphaned and abandoned children and honors the tireless work of our brothers and sisters in Christ caring for those children and their communities?

I don't think there's a simple or easy answer, but here are some of the thoughts I have...

• Look to include those in your community who might be orphaned or abandoned in your holiday celebrations.
• Buy gifts that support people working to keep families together.
• Regularly remind yourself, your family and your friends about what reality is for so many around the world and talk together about what you can do.
• Really think through the money that is being spent...certainly give gifts that honor people, but don't buy gifts just for the sake of buying something.
• In lieu of a gift, make a donation to World Orphans or another ministry in someone's honor.
• And this holiday season World Orphans has a very specific way you can gather together and celebrate with the purpose of advocating for orphans with our Home for the Holidays Campaign

Our communications department did a great job putting this together - so in one click you can visit our website to read about the campaign, request invitations, download the party planning guide, and be on your way to planning a party that will support the work of World Orphans, raise awareness and encourage others to make their holiday season about being grateful and about considering others.

If you're interested in hosting a Home for the Holidays party and want to chat about it please let me know. If you're in the Maryville/Knoxville area I know a number of people who would love to speak about World Orphans at your party. If you're in the northern New Jersey area I would love to come speak at your party. And if you're somewhere else I can find you a World Orphans advocate or provide you with information so you will have all that you need.

Happy planning!

Time to play....

In our holistic approach at World Orphans we recognize the value of children getting to play and have the time to just be children and have fun. We also recognize that because of hunger, war, abuse, poverty, sickness and other struggles, that many children around the world do not experience the freedom of having a childhood that includes fun and games and time to play.

So as we seek to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ and care for children in a holistic way that meets all of their needs, spiritual, physical, emotional and mental, we desire to include sports and games. I have found it to be the case everywhere in the world I have been, that a big step in connecting with a child is to play with them...which is why we value our HisKids Sports Program.

Both in the United States and around the world we have seen that sports and games are a powerful tool for both outreach and discipleship.

Outreach: World Orphans short-term teams, in partnership with the World Orphans partner they are visiting, will host a HisKids Sports Outreach event. That involves sports and games designed to illustrate and talk about God's character, our need for Him, and the glorious truth of the Gospel of Christ. In addition to sharing the Gospel, it's a great opportunity to have fun, work with the local church, bring positive attention to the local church, and love on children in the community.

Discipleship: Sports and games as an avenue for discipleship - teaching and training children to help them better understand the Gospel and what it looks like to apply the Gospel to daily life and relationships. In the US we have seen success using HisKids Sports in both schools and churches, and we are pleased to announce that in November we will be doing vision-casting and training regarding an on-going HisKids Sports discipleship programs for our World Orphans partners. That will mean that in addition to outreach events done while teams are visiting, that our partner churches around the world will have HisKids Sports as a tool to use both in the homes where orphans are cared for as well as in children's ministry at the church for an on-going ministry with children of the community.

All this is why we are so excited about the soccer field that just opened at our Project in Iraq. We anticipate the opportunity to play being a door for relationships that ultimately will lead to sharing the Gospel and discipleship.

Bringing Hope to Desolate Places (Iraq) from World Orphans on Vimeo.

Click HERE to make a gift towards the completion of our project in Iraq
Click HERE to read the blog of the World Orphans family living in Iraq