Dear Sponsors and Friends of Children of Promise,

 

I am thrilled to write to you today. I have some great news. I know you will share my enthusiasm when you hear what I have to share. Grab a cup of coffee. This is exciting.

 

Children of Promise announces the first-ever training and development conference for our directors around the world. The conference theme will be “Sponsorship to the Max.” Its goal will be to offer the directors of our sponsorship programs training sessions, workshops, and forums for discussion led by Christian leaders in areas such as

 

Nutrition for children

Stages of child development

Spiritual development of children

Getting the most from a child’s education in third world settings

Using the sponsorship program to impact the church and community

Utilizing technology to administer the local program

Reaching the child’s family for Christ.

Program leadership

 

The Board of Directors and I believe this will be a landmark event in the lives of the programs and the children around the world. Equipping our leaders is vital for the well-being, growth, and health of the children as well as the ministries overseas. 

 

As part of this conference, program directors will also be introduced to, and trained in the use of, a new database to be developed on our website. This system will enable them to submit children’s applications, photos, stories, etc., directly to our office electronically. At present, the paperwork each year is substantial and very time-consuming. This new technology will allow us to communicate and process sponsorship data much more efficiently and quickly.

 

The Board of Directors and I are very excited about these endeavors. Whenever we share this vision, people get excited.   

 

I am confident that our sponsors will want to partner with us in this landmark event.   As a convenient way to involve our sponsors and friends, we invite you to participate in an exciting plan called

 

                        The 13^th Month.

 

It works like this. If each sponsor and donor contributes an extra month of their sponsorship amount in 2008, we will be able to provide this outstanding learning opportunity and technology development for our directors around the world.   

 

In simple terms, if you sponsor one child at $25 or $30 per month, would you consider making a one-time extra donation, above your regular gifts to Children of Promise, for that amount for the purpose of the conference? For many, spread out over the year, this would be only about $2 dollars per month. There may be many who would like to give beyond that amount since we will have some sponsors who may be unable to give the 13^th month amount. If you sponsor several children, we are hoping you will consider making a 13^th month donation for each child sponsored.

 

“Sponsorship to the Max,” will be held June 21-25, 2009, in Anderson, Indiana. Then, immediately following our training conference, the North American Convention of the Church of God will take place, June 26 – July 1, 2009, during which time the church will be celebrating 100 years of mission activity overseas. Children of Promise will be partnering with Church of God Ministries and Women of the Church of God in celebrating this milestone. The directors of Children of Promise programs worldwide will lead several Children of Promise conferences during the convention, as well as participate in events and sessions sponsored by Church of God Ministries and Women of the Church of God. It will be an exciting time.

 

Please join the Children of Promise Board of Directors and me in praying for a successful conference for our overseas program directors – and for an overwhelming response in giving by those who love and support this ministry to children in need.

 

Directors from the programs in 22 countries will be invited to “Sponsorship to the Max” in Anderson, Indiana, in June 2009 for the training conference.   The 13^th month will cover airfare, visas, food, lodging, ground transportation, and conference hosting and event costs.

 

Joining us in the 13^th month campaign is easy. Donations can be received in two ways: 

1) Just send a check and indicate that the donation is for the 13^th month.  

 

2) Pay by credit card on this website by following these steps:

*Clicking on Sponsor/Support, then on Make a Contribution. 

*When you arrive on that page, click on the words "online here" under the category General Fund. 

*Fill out all the information requested. 

*Under the Payment Information section, include the amount of your donation, and then select General Fund. 

*To make sure that your contribution goes toward the training conference be sure to write "13th Month" in the Comments box. 

*When all information is complete, hit "submit" and we'll receive your donation! 

 

All gifts designated for the 13th month will be used for training conference purposes only. Please feel free to contact our office if you have specific questions regarding the 13th month. We’ll be very happy to speak with you.

 

Thank you for blessing the children of the world by providing the best care possible for them physically, nutritionally, educationally, and spiritually.

 

God bless you.

Dr. Paul L. Maxfield

Executive Director

           

           

P. S. Perhaps you are in a position to sponsor a director’s attendance in full or in significant portion. We will be bringing program directors from 22 countries to this conference, and we invite you or your church to fund directly the participation of one or more of them. If you believe the Lord would have you cover the cost of one of the directors in full or significant portion, please contact me, and I will be happy to help you facilitate this. The cost per director will be $2,000 each. This will include travel, food, lodging, and conference hosting and event expenses.