GIVE: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Suzie and I first met four years ago on Bebo Norman's tour bus. It was my first time on the road and my first time to learn about the relationship between artists and Compassion International. Since that time we've continued to bump into each other on the road and here in Nashville, getting to know each other better and better with each much-too-short conversation. Today we sat down to finalize the details of my partnership with Compassion, finally committed to after all this time, and to celebrate.

Loving the least as a means of loving the Most High has been a constant theme in my music and my life for years. And so I've searched for someone, some larger entity with integrity, I could direct people feeling the urge to "do something" towards when they e-mailed or approached me after shows. I've tried directing people willing to give or serve back to their own church - the ideal place to partner with in showing mercy. But so many of my "fans" are twenty-somethings or college students with little or no connection to a local church. So that direction from me was often met with "Well, I haven't really found a church I like yet." Sparing them a lecture about the ideal church not necessarily being one they would "like" all the time, I scratched my head and searched on for someone who could put feet and hands on their desire to help others.

I tried other way of connecting people to service opportunities but none worked or were attached to the local church. That's a deal breaker for me. I believe God the only group God has entrusted the least to is His Church and the local church community can do more at deeper more eternal levels than any government program, institution or individual can.

So for the last several months I've had no one to hand the willing workers in my crowds over to, no one to turn their zeal for the lowest into practical provision through a church community.

Then Suzie bumped into me again and started talking about a partnership, something I'd not thought about in a long time. I visited their headquarters in Colorado, asked lots and lots of questions and even had lunch with members of their staff at GMA week in Nashville a few weeks later, including their founder. I learned a ton, including that Compassion works through the local church. Individuals or groups here in America help the Church in needy areas of the world help their own. the Church does the work and Compassion assists. I became convinced when I learned this that Compassion and I had the same priorities and goals in mind.

Compassion has an amazing program in place but a constant stream of givers is needed to keep it in motion. So I've committed to helping sustain that stream by promoting Compassion International's child sponsorship program at my concerts this Fall. And we'll soon take a trip to Salvador together as well (if all works out), so I can witness first hand what Compassion looks like in the field and exactly how the money given by sponsors helps children escape poverty, and even better, displays the love of Christ and makes known the character of God.

If you'd like to join us in this work TODAY by sponsoring a child, supplying his/her basic needs, you can click on the banner at the top of this post.

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