For the Christian community, every day is a good day to pray for orphaned and vulnerable children. Yet one day on the calendar uniquely reminds us of that invitation—Orphan Sunday, which is being observed on November 10 this year.
The Bible reminds us that God's heart is for orphans and widows (James 1:27; Deuteronomy 10:18, 16:10; Psalm 68:5-6; Isaiah 1:17) and that "God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6). As Christians, we are called to share God's particular concern for the fatherless and motherless, and engage in caring for them.
Orphan Sunday is a dedicated day each year that offers a unique opportunity to raise awareness, pray, and engage your church in bringing care and love to the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in your community and beyond.
The need to help orphaned and vulnerable children is more urgent than ever.
Today, the need to help orphaned and vulnerable children is more urgent than ever. Wars, epidemics, poverty, and natural disasters are making the situation for children far worse. Twenty years ago, there were 16 million people displaced from their homes because of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations, and now there are 122 million. Almost 50 million are children—over seven times more than 20 years ago.
Hosting an Orphan Sunday event, no matter how big or small, can make a very real difference in helping these children, as is reflected in testimonies from around the world.
Orphan Sunday first began when a Zambian pastor invited his church 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. The idea soon spread around the world.
The Ukraine example
Around that time, God was growing a vision in Ukraine to see every child in a safe and loving family. Leaders of this new movement, Ukraine Without Orphans, were inspired by Orphan Sunday to launch a "Day of Prayer for Orphans." On Sunday, 6 November 2011, 6,000 churches of different denominations joined in prayer for children deprived of parental care. Ukraine’s Day of Prayer for Orphans became an ongoing and significant part of engaging the Church there to foster, adopt, and care for orphaned and vulnerable children. Between 2010 and 2020, it helped contribute to the number of adoptable children in the country decreasing from 30,000 to under 5,000.
In 2014, the president of Ukraine personally joined denominational leaders, ambassadors, members of parliament, foster and adoptive parents, and children, who together prayed for the well-being and protection of all families and orphaned children in the nation. Over 20,000 churches across Ukraine held a Day of Prayer for Orphans that year.
Several years ago in Ukraine, a church began to pray for a little girl named Olena* as part of Orphan Sunday and the "One Church - One Child" program. She had been born with a severe disability, and her mother abandoned her immediately after birth. The entire church prayed for Olena for more than four years, and people visited her in the orphanage. When she was five, Olena was welcomed into Happy Home, a loving, caring place where she experienced rehabilitation. Her health improved and today a family hopes to adopt her. Seeing how God answered their prayers for healing and a better life for Olena has been a joy for that local church community.
Could you invite your church, friends, and family to pray for vulnerable children?
God hears the prayers of His people, and when we intercede together, our hearts are united with His heart. Could you invite your church, friends, and family to pray for vulnerable children in your community and country? Every Orphan Sunday event, no matter the size, is a unique opportunity to take a simple step on the journey to see children thriving, families strong, and churches engaged. Here are some other examples...
Around the world
In Africa, Zimbabwe Without Orphans has conducted Orphan Sunday campaigns for the past ten years, engaging churches and communities in person, on the radio, and on social media.
Last year, Kenya Without Orphans initiated Foster Care Week, honoring 100 foster families in one county. This year, the government took the idea and made it a national event!
This November in South Africa, ministries have come together to host a "Sound of Hope" movie watch party with churches and orphan care organizations offering a “call to action,” prayer guide, and next steps for engagement.
Romania Without Orphans introduced prayer cards featuring a symbolic graphic, name, and profile of an orphaned child. Through prayer for a specific child, people felt a personal connection that sparked a sense of responsibility, and many expressed how they began to see the urgency and reality of the orphan crisis.
Inspired at the 2016 Global Forum for a World Without Orphans, churches in Jordan started Orphan Sunday, and it soon expanded to Egypt, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Kuwait, West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates. Each country adapted Orphan Sunday to fit its own culture and needs, inspiring many churches to take additional steps to support orphaned children.
A church in Hong Kong has been observing "Fostering and Adoption Awareness Month" for the past four years. This congregation has established a dedicated ministry focused on family-based care, aiming to advocate and inspire families to open their hearts to children in need through testimonies from adoptive and foster parents, inspiring videos, and a six-week sermon series.
In Singapore this year, activities include a 13-day devotional for Orphan Sunday, a worship and prayer night for vulnerable children, and a round table discussion for pastors and lay leaders in charge of social justice, mercy, or missions. The devotional is freely available at https://worldwithoutorphans.org/story/join-us-for-2024-orphan-sunday-in-southeast-asia
World Without Orphans’ partners in India have provided an excellent short prayer guide for churches across their region.
In the future, a national Christian council in Sri Lanka plans to provide sermon guidelines to all churches.
In Brazil, children are an important part of Orphan Sunday. One family adopted a child because their 3-year-old began to pray for orphans and ask for an adoptive brother. Orphan Sunday has opened the door so the Church can see these hidden children who need safe families.
God’s call for the Church to care for orphaned and vulnerable children is clear, and the Church is making a real difference.
On the World Without Orphans website, you will find practical resources for Orphan Sunday, including prayer guides, devotionals, activities, and tips for engaging your church in next steps: https://worldwithoutorphans.org/resources/orphan-sunday
Let us pray together to see a world without orphans where children are nurtured in safe, loving families and know their Heavenly Father.
* Olena's name was changed to protect her privacy.
Karmen Friesen is a founding member of World Without Orphans and the Principal Coordinator of the Executive Team (Executive Director). With a business background, a degree in intercultural studies, and experience organizing inter-denominational conferences, teams, and events since high school and college, Karmen has a passion for seeing Christians come together for what is on God’s heart. He led the CoMission for Children at Risk for 20 years, networking, resourcing and equipping leaders, organizations and faith communities globally to effectively serve orphaned and vulnerable children. In helping to develop the Russia and Ukraine Without Orphans initiatives, Karmen experienced the power of Christian leaders coming together to engage faith communities in their own countries for family-based care and a vision for a world without orphans. Karmen lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
