Leading up to Hope Sunday, it is vital that the congregation has been prepared along the way, weeks in advance, to participate in Hope Sunday, and ultimately, to sponsor children! Various churches have developed a variety of strategies to ensure that their congregation is knowledgeable about Congo and Covenant Kids Congo powered by World Vision. Many churches have taken up the charge of collectively reading “A Hole in Our Gospel,” by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. Some have opted to develop a walk through museum in their church to allow their members to get a sense of what the Democratic Republic of Congo is like. Others have used the videos available at Covchurch.org/covenantkidscongo under the Hope Sunday Resources tab to lead up to their Hope Sunday event. And still other churches have tapped into the speakers bureau and brought in guest speakers from the Covenant Kids Congo team to present either before, during, or after the Hope Sunday event. Many have used the PowerPoint presentation from the website to present their congregation with more information on the project.
The ways in which a congregation can go about “gearing up” for Hope Sunday seem endless. The main thing though is that there are activities and information available to the congregation to become both educated and prepared for child sponsorship. This, we know, is essential for maximizing any Hope Sunday event. For more ideas and best practices on how to prepare your congregation for Hope Sunday, join the Covenant Kids Congo powered by World Vision Team on a conference call on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at 11:00 am CDT. The number to call is 424-203-8400. Use access code 286277# when prompted. A question and answer period will happen towards the end of the call. We hope to hear from your congregation on the line!
