Last month I had the privilege of participating in the Global Children’s Forum and representing SIM’s children’s ministries there. It was great to get to know more about other organizations that reach out to children and to hear reports from all over the world, even from places you would not expect to hear from! As this was the second year I have attended the forum I have been able to deepen some informal partnerships.

In this edition, I would just like to point out two organizations which I think might be potential partners for you in your ministry.

AWANA (in South America it’s called OANSA): Awana has been a leader in children’s ministry for nearly 60 years, equipping Christian leaders worldwide to raise children who know, love and serve Christ. Each week in more than 100 countries around the world, churches take part in Awana.

I would like to recommend Awana for their excellent materials and their emphasis on discipling children. In some cases you might simply want to connect churches to Awana, or find ways to partner on a country and regional level.

COMPASSION: Compassion International cares for needy children around the world through sponsorship. They also speak out on behalf of children through their Advocacy Initiative, challenging and enabling the world-wide church to care more effectively and holistically for children.

I would like to recommend Compassion for their holistic approach and for their conviction that this ministry needs to be done through the local church. Their ministry includes programs to train local church workers in their programs.

Obviously there are many more organizations to partner with, and I will continue to mention others in subsequent editions of this newsletter. If you’re interested in getting in contact with any of these organizations in your country, please just let me know and I’ll try to connect you with the right person.

One of the ongoing working groups coming out of the Global Children’s Forum is the "1 for 50" initiative with the vision to train one leader for every 50 children on this planet. One of the main strategies is joining efforts and resource sharing, as well as awareness building. Watch this space for more on this initiative.

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