"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. Greetings from the Executive Director12/23/2024 As we move through the sacred season of Advent and Christmas, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support you have shown to Week of Compassion. In this time of reflection and hope, we are reminded of the spirit of giving that defines our mission. Your generosity has enabled us to respond to numerous disasters and displacement crises around the world, and we are deeply thankful for the part you play in this vital work.  update: Turkey & Syria2/10/2023 a letter and update from the Executive DirectorDear Church,
All of us continue to pray for the people in Turkey and Syria as we hear and watch the impact of the 7.8 earthquake that has devastated so many lives. The death toll numbers continue to rise daily - as of this writing, over 22,000 - and this number is expected to rise with each day. Like many of you this week, my heart has been aching for the people in Syria and Turkey as thousands of families are searching for their loved ones. The winter cold continues to make the recovery efforts even more difficult. “A crisis within a crisis” is how many of our partners on the ground are describing the devastating earthquake. A Letter on Ukraine3/24/2022  Grace and peace, Disciples. Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, and with our deepest gratitude for each of you and for this ministry.
In the first days after the February 24 start of the Russian attacks on Ukraine, the humanitarian response, led especially by faith-focused communities, was immediate and significant. Week of Compassion has been in constant contact with our ecumenical partners at home and around the world. |
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