Gary Schneider was just an American visitor in the Zambian church service. But he was struck by what he saw and heard there. The African pastor passionately pleaded with his church to take seriously the biblical call to care for orphans. The local community had seen more than its share of orphans, products of the AIDS epidemic and poverty. Gary watched as members of the church came forward to give of their meager resources—money, food, even the shoes off their feet.
 
Soon the vision of that one church spread across Zambia, and, in 2003, Gary joined with Every Orphan’s Hope to bring Orphan Sunday to the United States. In the years since, thousands of churches have used Orphan Sunday as a call to action for ministry to orphans.
 
This year’s Orphan Sunday falls on November 6, 2011, and churches throughout America—and around the world—will join hands and give voice to the cry of the orphan. Perhaps at no point are we more attuned to the Gospel than when we become one in service to the orphaned children of our world. Surely, if an impoverished African church can give sacrificially to care for the orphans in their midst, we can join hands with them and give from our abundance. Will you and your church join with us as we observe this day? You can learn more about Orphan Sunday at www.orphansunday.org.