Sponsering a child through Compassion International

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Hello. I was at a christian concert last month “Rock and Worship Roadshow” and in between one of the bands, they handed out cards of some kids to be sponsored through Compassion International. I took one of the cards home, and I was just about to sign up to sponsor this kid. But a few things popped into my mind

Compassion International is a Christian Charity, but not catholic. In the pamphlet, it says that they work in partnership with the local church. It also says that 70 percent of the population (in Brazil) is Catholic. On the website it even Says Brazil is the largest Catholic Country in the world compassion.com/about/where/brazil.htm

However, I found this blog.compassion.com/child-development-center/

Where in the comments, (which looks like it could be one of the employees says That they don’t partner with Catholic churches)

“Many of the countries where we work have a history of antagonism between the Catholic Church and the evangelical Christian church. In these countries, it can be extremely difficult to work with both Protestants and Catholics. Attempting to do so can easily be misunderstood by church leaders and could lessen our ability to work effectively on behalf of children living in poverty. Additionally, the Catholic Church has developed its own methods and programs for fighting global poverty.”

Should I still go about sponsoring this kid? I was handed this specific card with this kid on it. Almost as if This is the one God wants me to help. I don’t want to deny this kid food and education simply because he wont be getting a catholic bible class. What should I do?
 
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. cfcausa.org/

An excellent Catholic lay organization. I have sponsored an elderly woman in Bolivia for several years now. Have a look, and thank you for investigating, as much of the work that non-denoms do is intended, in one way or another, to lure souls away from their mother faith. Sad, but true.

Their choice not to work with the established mechanisms of the Catholic Church tells you about their attitude toward our faith.
 
Whether you sponsor thei paticular child or not the fact remains this child needs help and needs to be sponsored!

I sponsor a child ‘Scovia’,in Uganda through PLAN and have done for 5 years. A child is a child is a child.All who live in these poorer countries need our help and if you are able to give this help and wish to do so then do so.

I also make monthely direct debit payments to CAFOD which gives money to them to be ditributed generally as they see needed.I also support many other charitable organisations particularly the homeless.

Did Jesus only help Christians? Or a particular group of people? No He helpded all,

So if you would like to sponsor this child go ahead. We are all Gods children whether we are all catholic or not.God loves ALL of us and so should we.
 
You both have great points. I don’t necessarily want to work with an organization with that kind of attitude towards our faith. yet this is real living breathing person.

I’m considering mailing in back the form with a 1 time large donation asking for it to go to this kids family.

The truth is, I don’t know if I’m ready to sponsor a kid. and I don’t want to eventually have to cancel, but I feel guilty if I don’t do something. Like I’m turning my back on him. (I think that’s intended) .

So maybe I should do a 1 time donation, and actually think about it whether or not I can sponsor a kid at a later time.
 
Bryan77 said:
You both have great points. I don’t necessarily want to work with an organization with that kind of attitude towards our faith. yet this is real living breathing person.

I’m considering mailing in back the form with a 1 time large donation asking for it to go to this kids family.

The truth is, I don’t know if I’m ready to sponsor a kid. and I don’t want to eventually have to cancel, but I feel guilty if I don’t do something. Like I’m turning my back on him. (I think that’s intended) .

So maybe I should do a 1 time donation, and actually think about it whether or not I can sponsor a kid at a later time.
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There are real, living, breathing children at various Catholic sites that also need, beside help with the basics of life, a deeper foundation in their faith. Have you checked this organization with Charity Navigator or other watchdog groups? Just because there is a photo and a name may not necessarily indicate that your cash is going to go where it should. The spirit of division is at work in agencies that are outside of the one true Church. My opinion is that Christ did not preach spiritual apartheid, but rather, unity. I would talk this over with your Priest.
 
po18guy said:
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. cfcausa.org/

An excellent Catholic lay organization. I have sponsored an elderly woman in Bolivia for several years now. Have a look, and thank you for investigating, as much of the work that non-denoms do is intended, in one way or another, to lure souls away from their mother faith. Sad, but true.

Their choice not to work with the established mechanisms of the Catholic Church tells you about their attitude toward our faith.
Click to expand...
Love the CFCA! We have been sponsoring a little elderly lady for a few years now!! Awesome group of people. Highly recommend them!
 
Interesting, I have a child I sponsor who I committed to after attending Night of Joy at Disney. I was Methodist at the time. I am now newly Catholic and I wrote to my sponsored child today in response to her letter and having a feeling that it may be the case that my new found Catholic faith may not be necessarily welcomed I was careful in talking about my faith life to say attending Church not Mass and prayer not rosary just in case. Seeing this now confirms what I thought might be the case. My child will age out of the program soon- she is attending University in the fall and I am very proud of how well she is doing and that she seems to be devout. Actually talked to her in the letter about practicing her faith at University and keeping sight of God as many college kids don’t and I don’t that is very different around the world. I think for my next sponsorship I will seek out a Catholic opportunity- so sad these divisions in the Body of Christ but I don’t regret being involved in this now young woman’s life in even my very small way. I purposely chose an older teenager three years ago as most people tend to choose the younger kids. Anyway, this is an older thread but I always look to Catholic Answers when I have a question!

Blessings,

Val
 
Lifesong said:
Interesting, I have a child I sponsor who I committed to after attending Night of Joy at Disney. I was Methodist at the time. I am now newly Catholic and I wrote to my sponsored child today in response to her letter and having a feeling that it may be the case that my new found Catholic faith may not be necessarily welcomed I was careful in talking about my faith life to say attending Church not Mass and prayer not rosary just in case. Seeing this now confirms what I thought might be the case. My child will age out of the program soon- she is attending University in the fall and I am very proud of how well she is doing and that she seems to be devout. Actually talked to her in the letter about practicing her faith at University and keeping sight of God as many college kids don’t and I don’t that is very different around the world. I think for my next sponsorship I will seek out a Catholic opportunity- so sad these divisions in the Body of Christ but I don’t regret being involved in this now young woman’s life in even my very small way. I purposely chose an older teenager three years ago as most people tend to choose the younger kids. Anyway, this is an older thread but I always look to Catholic Answers when I have a question!

Blessings,

Val
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Thats so wonderful Val thankyou for sharing this.I too am a sponsor to a child in Uganda called Scovia.There are so many children indeed people in need throughout the world.I was guided to help this child and I trust in God to give me a compassionate heart to help wherever and whoever I can.
God bless you
 
Bryan77 said:
Hello. I was at a christian concert last month “Rock and Worship Roadshow” and in between one of the bands, they handed out cards of some kids to be sponsored through Compassion International. I took one of the cards home, and I was just about to sign up to sponsor this kid. But a few things popped into my mind

Compassion International is a Christian Charity, but not catholic. In the pamphlet, it says that they work in partnership with the local church. It also says that 70 percent of the population (in Brazil) is Catholic. On the website it even Says Brazil is the largest Catholic Country in the world compassion.com/about/where/brazil.htm

However, I found this blog.compassion.com/child-development-center/

Where in the comments, (which looks like it could be one of the employees says That they don’t partner with Catholic churches)

“Many of the countries where we work have a history of antagonism between the Catholic Church and the evangelical Christian church. In these countries, it can be extremely difficult to work with both Protestants and Catholics. Attempting to do so can easily be misunderstood by church leaders and could lessen our ability to work effectively on behalf of children living in poverty. Additionally, the Catholic Church has developed its own methods and programs for fighting global poverty.”

Should I still go about sponsoring this kid? I was handed this specific card with this kid on it. Almost as if This is the one God wants me to help. I don’t want to deny this kid food and education simply because he wont be getting a catholic bible class. What should I do?
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You might also want to check out Mary Mother of God Mission Society as an alternative.

www.vladmission.org
 
Bryan77 said:
You both have great points. I don’t necessarily want to work with an organization with that kind of attitude towards our faith. yet this is real living breathing person.

I’m considering mailing in back the form with a 1 time large donation asking for it to go to this kids family.

The truth is, I don’t know if I’m ready to sponsor a kid. and I don’t want to eventually have to cancel, but I feel guilty if I don’t do something. Like I’m turning my back on him. (I think that’s intended) .

So maybe I should do a 1 time donation, and actually think about it whether or not I can sponsor a kid at a later time.
Click to expand...
If you decline to sponsor this child, that does not mean he will NEVER be sponsored. He will just have to wait a little longer and eventually be sponsored by someone else. If you do decide to send in a one time donation, consider that you will be forever on their mailing list and subjected to future requests (read: guilt trip). I am on my second sponsored child through CFCA. Not only does she get to regularly attend school, the program is also involved in community projects in her area. Best of all, she is receiving an excellent CATHOLIC education so I am contributing to her physical needs and also her spiritual. Protestant organizations who set up charities in mainly Catholic third world countries are there to take the people out of the faith, supporting them is indirectly supporting this goal.
 
Catholic1954 said:
If you decline to sponsor this child, that does not mean he will NEVER be sponsored. He will just have to wait a little longer and eventually be sponsored by someone else. If you do decide to send in a one time donation, consider that you will be forever on their mailing list and subjected to future requests (read: guilt trip). I am on my second sponsored child through CFCA. Not only does she get to regularly attend school, the program is also involved in community projects in her area. Best of all, she is receiving an excellent CATHOLIC education so I am contributing to her physical needs and also her spiritual. Protestant organizations who set up charities in mainly Catholic third world countries are there to take the people out of the faith, supporting them is indirectly supporting this goal.
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I think this makes a lot of sense.

Why support an organization that actively undermines the Church and your faith, when you can give to an organization that provides the same services but doesn’t try to undermine your faith?
 
It is not about undermining faith but about taking a child out of poverty.

We are all Gods children not just catholics.We all need to love one another as we were commanded to do.
 
I sponsor several children with Compassion International but I don’t sponsor in countries where there is a Catholic majority. I sponsor 4 children in Burkina Faso (2 Muslim, 2 practice traditional religions), 2 in Indonesia, and 1 in India.
I also sponsor with CFCA (Uganda) and my mother sponsor and older person with CFCA, also in Uganda.
In addition, I sponsor 3 children with Children International - 1 in Ecuador, and 2 in the Philippines (all are Catholic), 3 with IHF - all 3 in Indonesia and all 3 are Muslim.

All are excellent organizations but only one is Catholic, all aim to release people from poverty. I know quite a few Catholics sponsoring with Compassion International and some of of the children they help, are Catholic. I had an Evangelical friend e-mail me a few weeks ago asking where she could get First Communion cards for her Compassion-sponsored child in Ecuador.

Overall, I’ve had positive experiences with all of these organizations but have found Compassion International and IHF best for communication between child and sponsor.

Gearoidin
 
tbcrawford said:
It is not about undermining faith but about taking a child out of poverty.

We are all Gods children not just catholics.We all need to love one another as we were commanded to do.
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Sorry been away from the forums for a while.

Maybe I miss spoke. I think that if you only have the money to sponsor one child then why not give it to an organization that takes the child out of poverty and exposes him to God’s Church rather than only taking the child out of poverty at the risk of losing his/her soul later on down the road. Therefore it makes more sense to me to give to an organization that is directly in line with your values and there are many Catholic organizations that do the same thing without, as the orginal poster said, refusing to fellowship with the Church. This refusal is in a way a direct undermining of it because it is saying Catholics are not Christian enough.
 
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