Compassion International in India

Callie

Dear Faith Family,

Today we write to you with heavy hearts as we share an update with you on our partnership with Compassion International in India.

The Background.

Our desire has been to put our faith into action (James 1:22) in a world where so many still have no access to the Gospel and where more than 26,000 children under 5 die every day of starvation or preventable diseases.  Since 2009, Compassion International has been a strategic partner with The Church at Brook Hills specifically in our efforts in India where 41% of the world’s poor live and where one of the highest concentrations of lostness in the world exists. 

Through our budget giving, Compassion International has allowed The Church at Brook Hills to care for mothers and babies living in poverty.  It has been our great joy and honor to sponsor and care for over 4,000 mothers and babies who have come through the Child Survival Programs in India. 

Collectively as a faith family, we have been able to provide a child and his/her mom with food, clothing, medical care, shelter, and other resources aimed at releasing them from poverty.  And because Compassion is Gospel-centered and local church-focused we have been able to both give wisely to the poor while sharing the gospel and strengthening the church in India.

The Situation.

Compassion has worked in India for over 48 years.  Many of you sponsor children in India and have been committed to helping children in extreme poverty there.  Months ago, the Indian government for political reasons began blocking funds from reaching Compassion field offices and church partners.  Without those funds, Compassion could no longer provide resources to the churches and children they serve.  Compassion did everything possible within their power to maintain their current ministry work there and resolve this issue with the Indian government.  But all of those efforts resolved nothing.  You can read more about those efforts here.

What this means for Compassion International.

As of March 15, 2017 Compassion International ceased operations and closed their offices in India.  This was a difficult moment in Compassion’s history.  One that has brought much grief over the 147,000 babies, children, young adults and mothers who will no longer receive the benefits of Compassion’s program.  As well as the 589 churches who are affected and the 127 staff members who committed their careers to helping the poorest of the poor in their own communities.

What this means for The Church at Brook Hills.

Compassion International has been incredible at keeping us informed and involved since the Indian government began restricting funds.  This has allowed us to pray, advocate, and most importantly develop a plan to immediately implement when the final decision was made to close programs in India.  Moving forward, The Church at Brook Hills will use the remaining portions of the 2016 resources designated for our India CSP’s towards CSP’s in Ethiopia and Bangladesh.  This will allow us to continue support through the same programming in areas of urgent physical and spiritual need.  We will also begin to develop a new plan for the 2017 resources that includes CSP’s and other development work in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and the Dominican Republic.  We look forward to sharing more in the future about ways you can be involved and sponsor children in correlation with our work in these countries.

What about those affected in India?

We have great hope for India.  Even though Compassion International has been closed in India, there are still 589 Indian churches that are passionate about caring for children and families in their community and throughout the country.

So we pray to that end. 

We pray that Compassion’s model to lift up the local church has left a legacy of strong fellowships that can now take up the mantel of leadership in caring for the poor and spreading the gospel.  We pray God provides the resources.  We pray that generations of children who have benefitted from Compassion’s program will be catalytic in advancing the gospel throughout India and that God will provide for their every need.  We pray for the church to endure even when their government may oppose them.  We pray for and are committed to the continued success of Compassion International’s ministry to serve 1.8 million children in 25 other countries and that one-day India will once again be included on that list.  We pray God receives glory in all of this.

So thank you Church at Brook Hills.  This represents almost nine years of faithful giving that has resulted in lives impacted not only in India but in our own lives here.  And it isn’t going away, just shifting.  We now look forward to partnering with Compassion International in different areas of the world where together we can sacrificially give so that children and families can live – both spiritually and physically - in some of the neediest parts of our world.

Ways you can Engage: