Orphan Sunday offers a unique and powerful opportunity for churches around the world to raise awareness, pray, and take action on behalf of orphaned and vulnerable children — not just for one day, but as part of an ongoing movement of hope, healing, and family restoration.
This initiative is more than a day on the calendar. It is a call to the global Church to reflect God’s heart for children and families in crisis — and to respond with compassion, prayer, and tangible support. Whether your church is large or small, in a city or a village, Orphan Sunday is a way to engage your community in the Gospel's call to love the fatherless and strengthen families.
The Bible reminds us that God:
- Defends the cause of the fatherless (Deut. 10:18)
- Places the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6)
- Calls His people to "learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless" (Isaiah 1:17).
As followers of Christ, we are invited into this mission — not just as specialists, but as the whole Church responding with one heart and voice.
Each year, World Without Orphans encourages churches and believers to mark Orphan Sunday on the second Sunday of November, but the date can be adapted to fit your local calendar. It can be called what works best for your culture and church. Whether you call it Orphan Sunday, Strong Families Sunday, A Day of Prayer for the Orphan, or Pure Religion Sunday, what matters most is the spirit of unity and active compassion that Orphan Sunday brings — an opportunity to reflect, pray, and act.
World Without Orphans is grateful to Every Orphan's Hope and CAFO for their leadership of this initiative!
Ukraine: A Living Example of Transformation
In 2011, Orphan Sunday took root in Ukraine under the name “A Day of Prayer for the Orphan”, initiated by the Alliance for Ukraine Without Orphans. That first year, over 6,000 churches across denominations joined in prayer for children without parental care. It became a milestone in the movement for family-based care.
By 2012, more than 18,000 churches were actively involved — hosting prayer services, visiting children in institutions, holding benefit concerts, and inviting vulnerable children into their homes.
In 2014, the initiative gained national attention when Ukraine’s First Lady, Maryna Poroshenko, and the Fifth President of Ukraine took part in a large open-air prayer gathering held in Kyiv. This significant event brought together leaders from nearly every Christian denomination in the country — heads of Ukrainian churches, religious unions and associations — alongside authorized ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions from various nations.
This unprecedented unity and high-level visibility demonstrated the power of collaboration — between churches, government leaders, families, and civil society — in creating a culture of compassion and care for orphaned and vulnerable children.
“Ukraine Without Orphans. There is no country in the world, no nation, where orphans do not exist. We have many orphans, and that number is growing due to the ongoing war.
But on the other hand, this name — Ukraine Without Orphans — is interesting. Why?
Because orphanhood is not only about being without the care of parents or relatives. Most importantly, it's about not feeling loved.
The absence of love — the absence of the feeling that someone cares about you — that is true orphanhood.
If we sincerely strive to ensure that every person, and especially every child, feels loved, then this name can truly become a reality. Then indeed, there will be Ukraine Without Orphans”.
- Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop and former head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Today, the Ukraine Without Orphans movement continues to offer leadership, resources, and vision — inspiring churches in Ukraine to host Orphan Sunday events and interdenominational prayer gatherings every year.
Orphan Sunday Is a Collaborative Movement
Orphan Sunday is most powerful when it is shared — across denominations, across ministries, and across nations. At its heart, it is not a branded campaign or one organization's idea, but a shared call to the Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world’s most vulnerable.
This toolkit is offered by World Without Orphans not as a formula but as a collaborative guide. We invite you — whether you are a pastor, ministry leader, volunteer, or simply someone who cares — to adapt, contribute, and share as part of this movement.
Together, we can help churches everywhere take their next step — whether it’s praying for orphans, supporting foster and adoptive families, mentoring a child, or helping a family in crisis.
Let’s stand together in prayer and action for thriving children and strong families!
Still have questions about Orphan Sunday?
Reach out to us at info[at]worldwithoutorphans.org