STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
Christmas 202512/23/2025 a greeting from the Executive Director of Week of Compassion Dear Disciples,
As we arrive at these final days before Christmas – when candles burn low, travel settles in, and communities pause to breathe after a long year – I find myself returning to the heart of this season: God draws near to us in love. This truth feels especially profound as we look back on 2025. BEYOND: General Assembly 20257/24/2025 Week of Compassion highlights from Memphis What a joy to gather with Disciples and friends in Memphis July 12-15 for General Assembly 2025! It is always a treasured time, to worship and learn, pray and play, and imagine together what God has in mind for each of us and all of us in this moment and in the days ahead. Here are a few highlights of Week of Compassion connections during this full and meaning-filled Assembly.
a pastoral letter - on events in Iran6/21/2025  Dear Disciples,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I write to you today from Johannesburg, South Africa, where I am gathered with global church leaders at the World Council of Churches Central Committee meeting. As we have met in prayer and discernment, our hearts have turned often to the people of Iran and the growing tensions in the Middle East. In moments of silence and shared lament, we have lifted up those affected by the recent military attacks and the communities now facing deep uncertainty and fear. "Where are the Christians now?"5/29/2025 a pastoral letter from Week of Compassion As the Week of Compassion Board of Stewards gathers online today for the Spring 2025 business meeting, Executive Director Vy Nguyen offers this reflection, focused on the reality and import of the present moment, and the impacts on this ministry we share. We offer it here as a pastoral letter, confident that even amid desperately challenging realities, we are rooted and grounded in faithfulness and hope.
 Hello Disciples!
Week of Compassion is in our Special Offering season and we want to say THANK YOU. Your gifts to Week of Compassion continue to serve the most vulnerable people across the world. Every day, we witness weather-related disasters in the United States and Canada, an ongoing immigration and refugee crisis, and international conflicts that continue to disrupt nations and lives. The impacts are profound and long-lasting, and recovery will last for years to come. We are grateful for every one of you – those who take the long view, who know that God’s goodness is a constant presence and guide, and who understand that the work of compassion is work we do together. Global Interconnectedness2/13/2025 + Special Offering 2025 : Mission Moment (Middle East) Dear Friends, In 2023, I traveled to Juba, South Sudan – the world’s newest country, formed in 2011 after the decades long North-South conflict ended. South Sudan remains one of the world’s poorest nations, where access to clean water, food, and healthcare is scarce. As a young country, its infrastructure is fragile, and its people continue to bear the weight of poverty and instability.
I visited South Sudan to witness the work we support at a hospital providing life-changing surgeries for women suffering from obstetric fistula – a painful childbirth injury that often leads to isolation and rejection from their families and communities. These surgeries, performed in a clinic built by our ecumenical partners, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, restore dignity and hope. Each year, women travel hundreds of miles seeking this care, and because of the dedication of our partners, thousands receive the medical attention they desperately need. None of this would be possible without a network of collaboration. 2024 Year in Review2/5/2025 responding with compassion around the world Dear Church,
During the month of February, many congregations across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will take up a special offering, joining in the mission and ministry of Week of Compassion. For over 80 years, Week of Compassion has been the Church’s relief, refugee, and sustainable development ministry, working with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world. As your church participates in this offering, I also invite you to join in prayer for our partners and the people we serve across the globe. Now more than ever, the work of Week of Compassion is urgently needed. |
