For as long as I’ve been a Disciple (and that goes back to before my birth), I can remember the emphasis our church has placed on The Week of Compassion.  Although I didn’t really quite grasp what it was all about when I was a child, I did understand enough to know that it was a pretty big deal in our little church in Childress and that it was pretty important to my mom and dad that they contribute to that yearly special offering. 

 As years went by and I became more and more aware of the extent of human suffering throughout the world, I finally began to understand more clearly what Week of Compassion was all about. We take a special “Week of Compassion” offering during two Sundays in February each year.  What is this offering for? The stated mission of Week of Compassion is to equip and empower disciples to alleviate the suffering of others through disaster response, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and the promotion of mission opportunities.

 In practical terms, the Week of Compassion works through implementing partner organizations to facilitate relief and development efforts in areas of great need by providing financial resources.  Through Week of Compassion, we channel our resources and concerns to the humanitarian needs of suffering people within the United States and in the world.

 This means that we, as a church, were doing something through Week of Compassion when tornados hit Missouri and Alabama and when wildfires struck Texas last year.  We were also in Japan responding to those affected by earthquakes and tsunamis and in East Africa offering aid in the midst of devastating drought and famine.  Week of Compassion special offering allows us to respond immediately when a need arises. 

 The strong commitment to Week of Compassion offering that I saw as a kid at Central Christian Church in Childress, Texas is just as evident today at Northway Christian Church.  It is one of the ways we fulfill our mission to serve others enthusiastically. It is one of the ways we embrace the stated mission of our denomination to be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps “to the ends of the earth.”  It is one of the ways we respond to Jesus’ command that we “love one another” as Christ has loved us.

 To learn more about Week of Compassion, visit http://www.weekofcompassion.org/.