A Vision for Catalyzing Compassion and Generosity in the Church
Dear Pastor,
This gift to your church is intended not only to bless poor widows in need but also to inspire the church to embrace and grow in its biblical calling to care for widows and the poor (including orphans). It is our prayer that this gift acts as a catalyst, igniting compassion, teaching biblical responsibility, and encouraging ongoing generosity from the congregation itself.
We recommend organizing the following:
1. A Dedicated Sunday Service (e.g., “Widow Care Sunday”)
Plan a Sunday service dedicated to the theme of God’s heart for widows and the poor. This service should include:
- Inviting 1 or 2 brothers who are part of our joint fellowship who live nearby to attend the Sunday service and witness.
- A sermon that teaches and exhorts the congregation to be generous to the poor using key passages like: James 1:27 (Pure religion involves caring for widows and orphans), 1 Timothy 5:3–10 (Guidelines for the church’s care of widows), Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17 (God’s heart for justice and compassion). These are just examples.
- A time of prayer for the widows in the church and community.
- Public presentation of gifts to selected widows. The widows chosen are present, and gifts are given to them during church services. If they cannot attend church, a representative can stand in for them. Additionally, on the actual Sunday, if concerns arise that thieves may come to steal the money from the church or from those who receive it on their way home, the pastor can exercise wisdom and send the money earlier or later.
- A picture is taken of them holding a cardboard that shows the amount given to them written on it.
- Testimonies (if appropriate) or words of blessing from the church toward the widows.
- A challenge to the church to continue and grow this ministry with their own resources. The pastor encourages the church to donate to help the poor in cash or in kind. You may challenge the church to donate and raise an offering to help more poor people in the church.
- The pastor can use this opportunity to launch an active church program that serves the poor (if they don’t already have one) and teach and encourage people to participate in giving to serve the poor, and God promises to bless them. Giving to the poor is something God repeatedly promises to remember and reward.
2. Appoint a Widow Care Team
Before the service, form a small team of trusted church members (elders, deacons, or mature believers) who will:
- Identify widows in genuine need, using the biblical criteria we provided.
- Plan the Sunday service and coordinate logistics (e.g., inviting widows, organizing prayer, preparing gifts).
- Don’t do this alone. Involve your people. You want to inspire a spirit of generosity within the body. God can transform your church if you let him bless the poor through his people.
3. Distribute Gifts with Dignity and Love
Whether the gifts are distributed during the Sunday service or through home visits afterward, ensure the process includes:
- Prayer and encouragement for each widow.
- A personal, dignified approach—recognizing them as valued members of the Body of Christ.
- If in public, keep focus on God’s provision and the church’s responsibility, not on individuals or the donor.
4. Use the Gift as a Catalyst for an Ongoing Ministry
This gift is not meant to be a one-time event. Encourage the church to see it as a seed:
- Create a Widow Care Fund or a quarterly offering dedicated to this ministry.
- Encourage small groups or families to “adopt a widow” for ongoing prayer and support.
- Challenge the congregation to match or multiply the gift over time.
This helps move from donor dependence to church ownership and growth in godliness.
5. Share a Brief Report (guidelines will be provided)
To help us celebrate and learn from this effort, you’ll provide a brief report that outlines how the event went, the number of widows served, how the church rose up to participate, any spiritual fruit, stories, or feedback from the congregation, etc.
All this takes time to prepare and execute. You may even preach and give for a few weeks, and preach again, and combine what the church has contributed to helping the poor, not just financially, but also in kind.
Then the report will show this. I believe God will bless His people as they become generous to the poor, and the testimonies of God’s blessing to those who are spurred to serve others will be great if available.
Infographic showing Suggested Timelines
Pastor Report Form
- Due 3 months after receiving money.
- Fields include:
- Were other brothers from the fellowship present to witness?
- How much money did each widow receive? Even though we give the same amount per widow, we expect the church to look at each person’s need and decide.
- How did the church go above and beyond what was given to help the poor?
- Briefly describe the Sunday service during which the gifts were given. Was there a sermon on giving? Did the pastor and elders pray for the widows? Did they preach and exhort people to be generous towards the poor? Did they start a program in the church for helping the poor in whatever way God provides if one didn’t exist already?
- What feedback does the pastor have for our fellowship?
