2022 Orphan Sunday Coordinator Manual

2022

COORDINATOR MANUAL

WELCOME Dear Coordinators and Network Leaders, We have all heard the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” From Paul’s passage on the “Body of Christ,” to Nehemiah’s rebuilding a united community in Jerusalem, to Moses appointing 70 elders to “...bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it alone,” God’s Word exemplifies repeatedly that the “true religion” of James 1:27 is best fulfilled in community. We are truly better together.

This year, I invite you to leverage the power of Orphan Sunday to catalyze communities of Christians toward ongoing care for vulnerable children and families. Your mobilization of churches, organizations, and advocates in your country will accomplish far more for children and families than any could alone.

I also invite you to affirm the Better Together Vision of CAFO’s Global Network: Every child in a loving family, embraced and supported by collaborative communities This will be accomplished through these shared goals: 1. Collaborating to enable family and community-based care 2. Partnering with churches to inspire and support Christians in action 3. Cultivating competency with evidence-based approaches and best practices Your role as a Coordinator and Leader is central to achieving these goals in your nation.

We commit to pray as you unite local leaders in ongoing church-led community action, catalyzed through Orphan Sunday. Thank you for your dedicated work to see this vision become reality! It is a joy to get to labor alongside you in this story that carries consequences for all eternity.

For the Fatherless, David Hennessey, Director

Coordinator Manual

ABOUT CAFO AND ORPHAN SUNDAY HISTORY ABOUT CAFO The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) unites more than 200 respected organizations, over 50 global networks, and 800+ churches worldwide in joint initiatives that inspire and equip Christians to effectively live out the Bible’s call to care for vulnerable children and families.

Learn More at cafo.org

ABOUT ORPHAN SUNDAY On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for vulnerable children and families in their communities and around the world. We are a people called to defend the fatherless, seek justice, and show mercy and compassion. We do this not out of a sense of duty or guilt, but simply because He first loved us.

The seeds of Orphan Sunday come as a gift from the Church in Africa. While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor was struck by the local pastor’s passionate call to care for orphans in a community that had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty.

Members of the church faced deep needs themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food, and other goods - some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans.

That visitor, Gary Schneider, was so deeply impacted by what he had witnessed that he began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts across Zambia - and then brought this vision to the U.S. In 2009, the Christian Alliance for Orphans began providing united leadership to make Orphan Sunday a catalyst for awareness and year-round action across the U.S. and worldwide. Today, churches and organizations around the world observe Orphan Sunday annually.

Learn More at orphansunday.org

Coordinator Manual

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS When is Orphan Sunday?

Orphan Sunday is observed each year, typically on the second Sunday in November. However, events can take place any time during the year.

What are Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday?

Christians around the globe celebrate the heart of God to “defend the cause of the fatherless” and call us to do the same. Ultimately, these expressions make God’s true character and the Gospel itself visible as God’s people explore and respond to His heart for children in adoption, kinship care, foster care, and orphan ministry. While Stand Sunday is focused solely on the U.S. foster care system, Orphan Sunday is observed globally. Both Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday engage churches to inspire and support Christians in action. Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday are sister campaigns and catalysts for year-round ministry of Christians to vulnerable children and families.

Do We Have to Use the Name Orphan Sunday?

Orphan Sunday events have been observed in over 120 countries throughout the world with varied languages, cultures, and ethnicities represented. What matters most is a united vision for observances to serve as a catalyst for the formation and growth of collaborative communities surrounding the vulnerable. Recognizing this beautiful diversity of God’s people engaged to action is key in understanding that the words “Orphan Sunday” may not translate well in every language and culture. You may call the observance whatever makes the most sense in your culture and context; however, we do ask that you notify the Global Network support team of changes made.

Why Orphan Sunday?

God is vested, deeply and personally, in the plight of the vulnerable child (i.e. Dt 10:18; Ps 68:56). He calls His people to share this passion and bring to each child the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed (Is 1:17; Jms 1:27; Mt. 25:40). The Church is reminded of this truth and invited to act upon it. Orphan Sunday is intended to serve as a catalyst for local communities to come together to collaboratively serve vulnerable children and families year-round.

What does an observance look like?

Believers around the globe, both in local churches and NGOs, develop their own plans and programs according to their cultures and contexts. Each church and organization highlights the

desire of God’s heart to care for vulnerable children and families through the church community, teaching, and preaching - as well as by launching specific programs to engage the whole community toward awareness and action. Each observance is created by Believers in the local church, so its expression varies as much as the people and churches involved. Your church can participate through sermons and Sunday school classes focusing on God’s heart for vulnerable children and families, prayer gatherings, fasts and simple meals, student led fundraisers, foster family recruiting, and even live concerts. Outcomes of an Orphan Sunday observance should include tangible ways for Christians to serve the vulnerable, becoming catalysts for ongoing, yearround ministry.

Whom does it impact?

As Christians respond to God’s call to care for vulnerable children and families, lives are transformed. Certainly, vulnerable children and families are changed forever, but it doesn’t stop there. Individual Christians are drawn beyond a self-focused religion to vibrant, sacrificial discipleship and servanthood. Their churches grow, too, as the community sees God’s heart and mirrors it. Finally, a watching world is changed as it sees the Gospel made visible in Christian adoption, foster and kinship care, and nurturing wraparound care for families.

Who leads the campaign?

The campaign is led by the Christian Alliance for Orphans and its Global Network members, an international coalition of individuals, organizations, and churches committed to living out the Gospel through the effective care of vulnerable children and families.

Who can participate?

Churches, individuals, CBOs, NGOs, and businesses can all participate in Orphan Sunday. While many Orphan Sunday observances do take place during a church service, observances are not confined to a church service or building. We want to empower you to be creative and think outside the box. God has equipped His people in unique and diverse ways to carry out His work.

As Orphan Sunday is a tool used globally, each observance will look different depending on the culture of the host community.

Are there experts I can rely on?

Yes! The CAFO Global Network support team, as well as volunteer Regional Coordinators, are here to support you. We strongly encourage you to also rely on others who are doing just what you’re doing, all over the world! Visit orphansunday.org/contact to contact a Regional Coordinator.

As a Coordinator, am I an official CAFO representative in my country?

While you are a deeply appreciated volunteer for this global campaign, you are not an official CAFO representative in your region or country. All Orphan Sunday Coordinators (regional, national, and local) are independent volunteers united with a common vision and shared goals that are defined in this Manual. Coordinators shall not have any right, power, or authority to speak, act, or create any obligation, expressed or implied, on behalf of CAFO.

Coordinator Manual

COORDINATOR EXPECTATIONS Effective Coordinators are passionate about seeing collaborative communities of care surround vulnerable children and families at the local level.

The Orphan Sunday Coordinator will work hand-in-hand with orphan care advocates and leaders in their sphere of influence to increase the depth and breadth of Orphan Sunday, integrate Orphan Sunday campaigns with local churches and organizations’ ongoing ministry, collaborate to merge Orphan Sunday networks with CAFO Global Network members, and identify and engage emerging networks in nations without a CAFO Global Network member.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Engage orphan care advocates in their sphere of influence (regional, national, or local).

• Collaborate to maintain an advocates list in their sphere and share with Global and Regional Coordinators as needed.

• Collaborate to recruit, onboard, and coach new advocates for Orphan Sunday campaigns.

• Coordinate all communications concerning Orphan Sunday with advocates in their sphere of influence.

• Gather and share Orphan Sunday success stories with CAFO. • Integrate Orphan Sunday activities with CAFO Global Network members where they exist.

• Collaborate creatively in the process of resource contextualization and translation of Orphan Sunday resources, when necessary.

• Encourage local churches and advocates to move events beyond awareness and into action.

• Collect reports of every Orphan Sunday observance in your area of influence and report them periodically to your Regional and Global Coordinators.

DEVELOP THE FOLLOWING REGULAR ACTIVITIES • Respond to email and phone inquiries about Orphan Sunday campaigns.

• Collaborate in designing your regional, national, or local Orphan Sunday campaign.

• Reach out to churches, ministries, and NGOs in your sphere of influence and encourage them to participate in Orphan Sunday, register their involvement, and connect them to appropriate national networks and resources.

• Participate regularly in local and global sessions to connect, share, and learn with other Coordinators.

• Encourage local churches and advocates to move events beyond awareness and into action.

We expect every Orphan Sunday Coordinator to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ, an effective communicator with a passion for sharing the good work God is doing, and an able facilitator of collaboration among team members and participating churches and organizations in their communities.

Coordinator Manual

GETTING STARTED

FIND YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK Look to see if there is a Global Network already operating in your area. If so, contact the network to see how you may best collaborate with them to inspire communities to rally around Orphan Sunday to catalyze ongoing ministry.

To see the CAFO Global Networks, visit resources.cafo.org/global/networks.

As well as connecting with an existing network, connect your church members who are adoptive, foster, kinship, respite and host families, social workers, children’s homes volunteers, and those with a heart for vulnerable children. This will provide a base of support for any Orphan Sunday related events or activities in the local church.

DOWNLOAD THE ORPHAN SUNDAY FIELD GUIDE The Orphan Sunday Field Guide will serve as a reference as you seek to best collaborate with others around advocacy for vulnerable children and families in your community throughout the year.

THANK YOU! Thank you for being an important piece of Orphan Sunday!

We are glad you decided to join us in answering the call of God to defend the cause of the orphan through Orphan Sunday. We want to work with you all the way from the first contact with church and organizational leaders, to ongoing involvement of local churches and organizations in building a healthy community of care for vulnerable children and families.

As you step up to coordinate Orphan Sunday, we invite you to become an active member of a global community of like-minded Christians who strive to learn from and build up one another. Our team commits to pray for you as we journey together to awaken the global Church to care for vulnerable children and families. Please feel free to reach out to me or our team if you ever need support.

Alex Cáceres Global Coordinator, CAFO

orphansunday.org

© 2022 Christian Alliance for Orphans