After announcements on the website, flyers and a personal note from the senior pastor, the people of High Rock Covenant Church in Arlington, Massachusetts had an idea that this church service would be different.
This past Spring, High Rock held their Hope Sunday. This is an awareness-raising event for Covenant Kids Congo that gives congregations an opportunity to learn about and respond to the need for child sponsors in DR Congo. Resources are provided to create awareness on history, current events and the specifics of the Area Development Project we support. Cornelius Kuteesa, a member of High Rock’s global missions committee reflected on their church engagement through child sponsorship; “We want to…raise each one of them as leaders in their sphere of life so that in turn they will rebuild their nation…we want to see these kids grow up to become responsible Christians and productive citizens in Congo.” (photo credit Miriam Cameron)
Future leaders of DR Congo.
High Rock’s senior pastor, Dave Swaim, and the Executive Minister of Serve Globally, Curt Peterson, shared their personal connections to Congo. This included a video of Pastor Swaim’s adopted children, originally from Congo. It is a powerful narrative of these three Congolese young people and their challenges and triumphs as they escaped war in Congo, fled to Uganda, and finally to Boston, USA. The Swaim family has had the privilege to welcome these children into their home and share their life with these inspiring young people.
After the service, the congregation was given the opportunity to choose a child to sponsor, browsing photos, ages, and names of these beautiful and resilient kids. Every single child was sponsored that day. Those who didn’t receive a brochure before they ran out were referred to World Vision’s website where there are many more Covenant Kids waiting to be sponsored. The total number of sponsorships from High Rock was over 200 that day!
Since there was such a blessed response to their Hope Sunday, High Rock hopes to make it an annual event, and looks to the future to plan regular trips to Congo and other areas.
Cornelius Kuteesa remarked on the event, “I was just overwhelmed to see that many High Rockers respond to this call, and I look forward to seeing God enable us to do much more than what we started with”.
For more information on Hope Sundays, and how to get your congregation involved and receive resources for your day, go to our website.
