On Sunday, November 8, 2026, churches around the world will pause to remember children who are waiting for a family. It is called Orphan Sunday, and your church can be part of it whether you have 40 people or 4,000.
Diana and I have walked this road for more than 35 years, and five of our children came to us through foster care. Here is what we have seen work, and what your church can do this year.
What Is Orphan Sunday?
Orphan Sunday began in a small church in Zambia in 2002. Today it is coordinated by the Christian Alliance for Orphans and falls on the second Sunday of November, right in the middle of National Adoption Month.
The heart of the day is simple. God cares deeply for the fatherless, and He invites His people to care with Him.
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:5-6
Simple Ideas for Your Sunday Service
- Pray from the platform. Lead a two-minute prayer for children in foster care, kids waiting to be adopted, and orphans around the world. Name your county and your city.
- Share one local fact. In Florida alone, nearly 15,000 children and young adults are in foster care. Call your local agency and ask for the number in your county.
- Invite one voice. A foster parent, an adoptive family, or a former foster youth sharing for three minutes will reach people in a way nothing else can. Ask first, protect their privacy, and never put a child on the spot.
- Preach the text. James 1:27, Psalm 68:5-6, 2 Samuel 9 (Mephibosheth at the king's table), or Ephesians 1:5 on our own adoption in Christ.
- Give a clear next step. Put a card in every seat with three options: pray, serve, or learn more about fostering and adoption.
Ideas That Reach Beyond Sunday
- Host a short information night with your local foster care agency.
- Collect welcome bags with a duffel bag, pajamas, a toothbrush, a stuffed animal, and a handwritten note. Too many children still arrive at a new home carrying their things in a trash bag.
- Start a meal train for a foster or adoptive family in your church.
- Train a small team to provide babysitting and respite care, following your state's requirements.
- Take a special offering for orphan care, close to home or around the world.
- Pray for one foster or adoptive family each week through the end of the year.
Remember the Children Around the World
Orphan Sunday is also a chance to look beyond your own city. In India, our partners care for more than 70 children at a children's home in Kesinga, Odisha, providing meals, school, medical care, and the love of a family that knows Jesus.
If your church wants a global focus this year, we would love to share their story with you. Learn about our orphan care work in India.
Keep It Going After November
The goal of Orphan Sunday is not one great service. It is a church that keeps showing up for children and families. One Sunday can be the start of a ministry that serves for years.
If you are not sure where your church should start, take our free Church Readiness Assessment. It takes a few minutes and will help you see your next step. You can also read How Churches Can Support Foster Care Families or reach out to us. We would be glad to help.
The church was made for this.
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Your giving directly funds foster care support, orphan care in India, pastoral training, and clean water wells for rural communities in need.
Wayne Lanier
Founder & Executive Director, Labor of Love International Ministries
Wayne Lanier has 35+ years of experience in foster care, adoption, FASD advocacy, and global orphan ministry. He and his wife Diana adopted five children through the foster care system and co-founded Labor of Love International Ministries to equip local churches to care for vulnerable children in the U.S. and around the world.
Read more about Wayne & Diana →