WHAT IS THE PURE RELIGION PROJECT?

The Pure Religion Project is a focused initiative inspired by the members of the Christian Alliance for Orphans and the broader CAFO community designed to help churches live out their calling to care for vulnerable children and families while growing closer to Jesus as His disciples. Simply put, the Project aims to inspire and equip God’s people to live the “pure religion” described in the book of James and invited throughout Scripture. This “pure religion” is both a growing deeper in faith and a living out of that faith wider

Our goal as the Church is not recruitment or activism first; it is discipleship. Ultimately, to see the people of God deeply celebrating the love of God for us through the work of Jesus (identity - who we are) and then widely demonstrating that love in our work on behalf of those around us (action - what we do). This intricate and never mutually exclusive relationship between identity and actionallowing what we do to flow from who we are - has always been at the core of the heart of CAFO. This is not a new idea or shift in focus. In fact, it’s a doubling down on what has always been true with a laser-focused effort to serve the Church even more effectively moving forward into the future. .

Your aim as shepherds and leaders of local congregations is to help the people of God live in ways that are decisively different and set apart (holy) and embody self-giving sacrifice (helpfulness) for the orphan, widow and vulnerable among us. Our desire is to be a support and participant with you in that work of discipleship.

HOW DOES ORPHAN SUNDAY AND STAND SUNDAY FIT INTO THE PURE RELIGION PROJECT?

Orphan Sunday, Stand Sunday or any other name that resonates best with your church community are incredibly powerful tools that can be utilized to help disciple your people into greater intimacy with Christ and invite them into very specific opportunities to serve and support the vulnerable around you. As we look toward the future we recognize the need for the growing number of tools in the field to have a strong, solid and clearlydefined toolbox in which they rest. The Pure Religion Project provides the focused and consolidated framework through which tools and resources – like Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday – teaching, coaching and more, are made available to help pastors and lay leaders build effective foster, adoption, orphan care and family support ministries in their church.

CAN WE USE THE TERM “PURE RELIGION SUNDAY”?

Yes! We believe a great way to frame this day is as a “Pure Religion Sunday,” through which the options are many as to how you choose to coordinate and focus your efforts and calls to action. This of course could be done in an integrated way with the legacy stories of Orphan Sunday or Stand Sunday, as well as any other creative ways you choose to recognize and leverage this powerful, globally unified day of recognition, celebration and action. For example, we know of one church that calls it their “Justice and Mercy Weekend” because that language more closely aligns with how they regularly refer to their outreach, missions and engagement initiatives within the church.

DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS ON THE SECOND SUNDAY IN NOVEMBER?

No. We believe God calls His people to live out this vision every day of the year, so the date definitely isn’t the most important thing! That said, there can be something especially meaningful about joining with God’s people across town and all over the world on the same day – and we’d welcome you to do so if you can.