How support for Life Center growth has impacted kids (you’re in this story!)

Hello there, faithful partners! It’s me, Bill. I’ve just returned from a trip to Kenya and Uganda, where I got to visit many of our Life Centers and sponsored kids. Because of that, the impact you’ve made on the lives of these kids is really top-of-mind, so I wanted to take a moment to remind you how far we’ve come, and where we’re going –together!

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Decades ago, when Childcare Worldwide (CW) first started a discipleship program for kids, some called it Christian Character Building or Christian Character Discipleship. Max Lange, our founder, liked to call it The Africa Revolution. Max believed that if enough kids were saved by Jesus, that could create a widespread impact that would spread across the continent, and the world.

I like Max's way of thinking. The vision for helping so many kids in poverty meet their God-given potential, that it impacts the world? That has always been God-sized. 

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In those early days, CW’s sponsorship model was primarily education-based, and we worked with schools to make sure sponsored kids had the support they needed for their education. We had a discipleship curriculum to share with your sponsored children to support their spiritual growth and character too, but some of the schools didn’t want to participate (or were told they couldn’t). The provision of school fees and this curriculum were the two primary ways sponsors supported kids in need - which was valuable!

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When I arrived at Childcare Worldwide as its President in 2018, I felt God expanding our vision for what Life Center could be and do. I began to think: What if we could partner with the local church in a child’s area, to reach children together? A church that (alongside the child’s educational support) could welcome them into a safe space, offer healthy meals, and share with them the life-changing power of the gospel?!

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So we prayed. And God showed up. That’s when “Life Center 2.0” was born.

Sponsors wanted this kind of holistic support for their sponsored kids, too - no surprise! So we began to implement the new Life Center model, an intentional evangelistic outreach program in the local church that also supported a child’s other needs. 

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Quickly, I realized that there was confusion among sponsors. Historically, we had raised money separately for needs like food, water, clothing, Bibles, and job training, and a sponsor’s monthly support covered the educational piece. So sponsors (this may have been you!) either thought that their sponsorship was 100% education-based (like it was in the beginning), or that it fully covered ALL of a child’s wide-ranging needs. Uh-oh. I realized clarity was needed.

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While that was happening, our search for churches to host Life Centers was bringing some challenges. As you know, relationships take time. We’ve realized that our field staff needs time to get to know church staff members, and vice versa. It takes time for churches to fully understand what Life Center is, how it works, and why to invest in it. My heart was to develop true partners with these churches in the mission of the Great Commission. Our mission should be the same as theirs! If Childcare Worldwide is teaching and talking around a gospel theme on Saturday, the children should hear the same thing on Sunday. Jesus died once and for all as a payment for all sins - Amen!

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Some of the churches that initially came on board weren’t fully aligned with where we saw Life Centers going. So it’s been a process to thoughtfully have conversations with churches to find who our true ‘partners’ are. This whole process (thanks for sticking with me here!) is what we’ve been talking about as Life Center 2.0. We are proud to share that we have 87 out of 98 churches that are solidly in partnership with us and ready for the Life Center 2.0 model. This growth has allowed us to create a more vibrant experience for sponsored children, with more students, more fellowship, and deeper interactive worship. 

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Yes, there are important updates we want to fund - like karaoke equipment for worship, additional training for Life Center teachers, and more nutritionally-dense meals. But it’s not just physical things. Life Center 2.0 is really a change of attitude, a directive, a mission, and a passion to work relationally with people to get it done — all so Jesus can be known and glorified.

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I want to thank you for being on this journey with us. YOU are a part of the Great Commission when you join this mission to provide an evangelical outreach program for kids in poverty. I hope that this blog can bring some clarity to you on where your impact has been, and where it’s growing. Through your support and intentional relationship with your sponsored child, they can learn about their Creator, understand their need for Him, and experience the eternal reward of knowing Him! 

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Your monthly sponsorship supports a child’s education and helps with the benefits they receive at Life Center. However, it can’t feasibly cover everything offered at Life Center, which is robust. This is why we will need to continue to raise funds from those who can provide a little extra, to bring these Life Centers up to the 2.0 level and maintain them there.

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We are grateful to our donors for their continued support and want to assure you that your contributions are making a significant impact on the lives of these children. Right now, we have an initial need of $7,200 for each Life Center to bring and then keep all of our Life Centers up to the 2.0 level. Thank you for joining us on this journey to share the hope and good news of the gospel with these children in need.

Obviously the change is large so the financial need is large too. We have 87 Life Centers that need to be funded and to upgrade them it costs $7,200 each. We know that’s a big number, but everyone can play a role in making it happen and this is really when we need you, our partners. Our family of Christ. If each person gave what they could, kids’ lives would be changed. They would more effectively hear the gospel, they would have better and essential food, and they would have a better chance of unleashing their God-given potential. To reach this goal, we need a huge response but we know that’s exactly where God shows up the biggest. We have 4 ways you can support Life Center 2.0 and ensure that kids have the “more” that they need.

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• Give $25 a month: Provide a child access to Life Center and 2 children receive food. 
• Give $50 a month: Provides 2 children access to Life Center and 5 children receive food.
• Give $100 a month: Provides 5 children access to Life Center and 11 children receive food.
• Give $200 a month: To make even more impact!

Each of these groups has a significant impact on what is happening at Life Center. What God has dreamed up for Life Center and what we all know God wants to do in the lives of kids. But, we can’t do it without you. In fact, did you know that we call people who give to CW on a recurring basis, Life Givers? That’s right. Because each gift you give brings exactly that: LIFE. Life for kids who might not otherwise have one. And it’s there that the work of Life Center is so profound. A safe place that meets holistic needs and more importantly meets ETERNAL ones… that’s what Life Center is. Would you be part of the plan of bringing this reality to kids all over the world? They will never be the same. And neither will you.  

Join us in bringing this reality to children worldwide, and experience the transformative power of making a lasting difference.  Scroll to the bottom of this page to give today!

Thank you for joining us on this journey to share the hope and good news of the gospel with these children in need.