The Compassion Card program began with the goal to help make contact with folks who have significant life-changes (ie. Death in the family, new baby, new job, surgery, painful diagnoses, etc.) and to bestow the church’s love and care for them—with the purpose to follow up and introduce the recipients to Jesus and His church. Here are a few ways to remind us of what’s important about this program:
It begins with compassion. We feel with and for people in difficult circumstances. Jesus was always a Savior with a heart of compassion (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34). His disciples ought to cultivate hearts that are the same. Who in your life do you “feel for”? Who in your life do you see needs the love of God? Compassion can open the door and make a “seasoning difference” in the life of someone YOU know (Matt. 5:13-16; Col. 4:5-6). Submit their name for compassion cards and then commit yourself to write every time!
It continues with prayer. Even if we do not know about specifics of the individuals or the difficulties/joys of what they’re going through, we can always pray to God for them (1 Tim. 2:1-2; 1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 12:12). God can make a way when there seems to be no way. Our Lord is bigger than any problems we face and our intercession for others before Him may be the very thing that makes the difference. Pray for open doors. Pray for contacts and studies. Pray for God to work in their lives and in their hearts!
It must be followed with contact. The success of the evangelism model that utilizes compassion cards uses a personal contact and invtiation to worship or study within a week or two after the sending of the compassion cards. If we just send the cards with no follow-up or personal faceto-face encouragement, we are throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bath water.” The compassion of God’s people moves us to pray for opportunities, and then to be able to say, “come and see!” in a face-to-face setting (John 1:39, 46).
A program should never be kept around for the reason just because “it’s what we’ve always done.” Rather, we need to remind ourselves about why we have it, revitalize what is good about it, and strive to make it better. How have you and I committed ourselves to taking what is good, reminding ourselves why it is good, and then making it better?
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