Today, and every day, nearly 22,000 children under the age of 5 will die, most from hunger or a preventable illness. Sponsoring a child can help prevent needless deaths. By sponsoring a child, you help a boy or girl gain access to things like clean water, nutritious food, education, basic health care, and other essentials of life. You help give children a better future so they can grow into the fullness of their God-given potential. back to top

Many people are seeking for ways to live out their faith in daily life. Sponsoring a child is a tangible, practical way to demonstrate God's love. It offers a way to share our blessings with those in need. It gives us an opportunity to follow the Bible's teachings about showing compassion to the poor and advocating on their behalf. Child sponsorship can unite a congregation with the joy of sharing Christ's love with those who are in need.

See the Video “Working with your pastor”
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The type of sponsorship you offer depends on what you believe your church would feel most passionately about. Regular child sponsorship provides basic essentials to a child, while HopeChild sponsorship adds the extra benefits of care for children who are affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. You can also ask World Vision to simply indicate which type of sponsorship is most needed at the current time.

• Traditional child sponsorship gives you the opportunity to build a life-changing relationship with one special child. You'll learn about that child's family and community as you exchange letters, photos, and more. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your monthly sponsorship contributions are making a huge difference in the life of a child, a family, and a community, because sponsorship helps provide things like clean water, nutritious food, health care, and education.
• HopeChild sponsorship cares for children in AIDS-affected communities. Like traditional sponsorship, HopeChild sponsorship lets you get to know one special child, and it provides the essentials of life - water, food, education, and basic health care. But HopeChild sponsorship adds the extra benefit of programs that meet the needs of children living in communities affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Through HopeChild sponsorship, you help train volunteers to care for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of orphaned and vulnerable children, and you help them receive HIV prevention education based on biblical principles.

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Churches around the country will host Hope Sundays during the months of May and October, but you can plan for a date that's most convenient for you and your church. back to top

Our Hope Sunday Event Kit contains all the resources you'll need:

• Event Guide The complete step-by-step guide to make hosting a Hope Sunday easy and rewarding.
• Sponsorship Picture Folders When you sign up for Hope Sunday, we'll mail you these pictures of children from around the world who are waiting to be sponsored.
• Business Reply Envelope When you sign up sponsors, return forms and checks in this envelope.
• Sponsorship Display Promote sponsorship year-round with this attractive display.
• Brochures Take-away brochures to give people more information about child sponsorship.
• Poster An attractive, eye-catching poster (16.5" x 16.5") to draw people to your sponsorship sign-up table.
• Table Top Display Draws attention to your sponsorship sign-up table (size 25.5" X 11").
• World Vision T-shirt Wear this free T-shirt on your Hope Sunday.
• DVD videos Videos are of different length - choose the one that works best for your Hope Sunday.
• Hope Sunday bulletin insert A prepared insert that describes child sponsorship and explains Hope Sunday to your church.
• Guide for Church Leaders Booklet that outlines the faith basis for responding to children and families in poverty.

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Be creative - do what works best for your church. Most successful events include four basic elements. You can:

• Show one of the videos we provide.
• Have your church leader give an endorsement of World Vision and child sponsorship.
• Speak from your heart about your sponsorship experience.
• Have someone direct people to the sponsorship table at the end of the service.

See the Video “Presenting”
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• Pray about your decision to share child sponsorship. Ask God to give you confidence and guidance to share clearly and purposefully.
• Order your free Hope Sunday Event Kit and get started right away.
• Discuss your Hope Sunday presentation with your church leader. When leadership supports your efforts, your church members may be more likely to respond, and more children will be helped.
• Set your event date. Plan to keep your sign-up table available for several weeks if possible.
• Make arrangements at your church to display posters and put an announcement into the bulletin.
• Identify the location for your presentation and reserve any necessary equipment, like tables or DVD players.

See the Video “Planning and Preparation”
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• You'll need a convenient area to display World Vision child sponsorship picture folders wherever your present child sponsorship, so people can easily choose a child to sponsor.
• If you (or your church leader) present sponsorship during a church service, talk to your church about having at least one long table in a prominent place that is easily accessible to church members after the service.
• Staff the tables with at least two volunteers per table—and have plenty of pens available. Make sure volunteers have reviewed these FAQs and the World Vision brochures so they can respond to questions.

See the Video “Display table”
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• Make sure your sign-up tables are all set up with pens and at least two volunteers per table.
• Set out your child sponsorship picture folders with sign-up envelopes enclosed.
• Have plenty of World Vision brochures to help answer frequently asked questions from potential sponsors.
• Review your presentation notes and ask God to open people's hearts as you share.

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• Direct your audience to visit the sign-up table after the service or meeting.
• Answer questions and sign up new sponsors. These FAQs tell you all you need to know to help people choose a child to sponsor.
• Celebrate when new children are sponsored by ringing a bell or throwing streamers!
• If possible, keep your sign-up table available for one or two more weeks to reach more potential sponsors.
• Share your Hope Sunday experience with other World Vision child sponsors.

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• Expect a crowd to gather around the tables. Make sure the picture folders are spread out so potential sponsors can read the child's information easily. Sponsors often look for a child with a specific age or birthday, so it's a good idea to arrange the picture folders by birth dates.
• We have reserved children for your event. Each child is available for sponsorship through your program through the date that is listed on the sign-up envelope inside the picture folder. After this date, the child will become available for sponsorship elsewhere. This ensures the child has the best opportunity to be sponsored quickly, but not twice.
• Important: Because each child sponsorship picture folder represents a real child in need, do not let anyone take a picture folder home unless they actually sponsor the child and give the completed sign-up envelope back to you or someone who's staffing the table.

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• Each child sponsorship picture folder contains an envelope with all of the sign-up information needed. Once a new sponsor chooses a child, make sure the sponsor fills out this envelope and returns it to you or someone staffing the table.
• Sponsors can keep the picture folder with the information about their sponsored child.
• Within a few weeks, they will receive a Welcome Kit from World Vision with information such as how to write to their sponsored child.

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The sponsorship sign-up envelope lists three options:

• Credit Card Ask the sponsor to fill out the envelope, including all credit card information: type of card, account number, expiration date, and signature. (Encourage this option as a great way to support improved stewardship! Because it eliminates check processing charges, it increases the amount of funds available to serve children by saving $12 a year in overhead costs for World Vision.)
• Check or cash Ask the sponsor to fill out the envelope and enclose a check for the first month of their sponsorship. Checks should be made payable to World Vision. (A check is preferable to cash; however, if the sponsor wants to include cash, make sure there is no loose change.)
• Pledge Ask the sponsor to fill out the envelope. World Vision will send them a way to give their first gift and will send monthly pledge reminders.

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• Following your Hope Sunday activities, please use the pre-paid envelopes addressed to World Vision to return the completed sponsorship sign-up envelopes and gifts. If you hold sponsorship activities over multiple weeks, please send in the sponsorship sign-up envelopes with gifts after each presentation.
• You don't need to return the picture folders of children who were not sponsored during your event. A date is listed on the sign-up envelope enclosed with each picture folder. The child is available for sponsorship during your program through this date only. After this date, the child will become available for sponsorship elsewhere. This ensures that the child has the best opportunity to be sponsored quickly, but not twice.
• If you have misplaced the return envelope, please send envelopes and gifts to:

World Vision
Incoming Mail M/S 110
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716

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Now's the time to start! The fact is, it's easy to make a difference for children. All you have to do is speak from your heart about your own experience as a sponsor. That's the key. People will respond when you share with sincerity and conviction. We'll give you the backup resources you need, including bulletin inserts, posters, and videos. But it's your story, and your words, that are the important part. back to top

Please call us at 1.888.511.6461. We love talking about child sponsorship and can give you all the help you need to make your Hope Sunday a great success. back to top