Churches urged to act on children’s behalf

The Austin District Children’s Advocacy Council urges all congregations to observe the Children’s Sabbath and to participate in the Week of Praying for Children.

Children’s Sabbath
The Children’s Defense Fund recommends Oct. 16 as the day for the 14th annual national observance of Children’s Sabbath. However, each congregation should observe the Sabbath on a Sunday most convenient for it.
The theme this year is “Putting our Faith into Action to Seek Justice for Children.” Never has there been a more important time for religious communities to unite in living out their faith in loving, vocal, justice-seeking action for children. Consider these facts from Children’s Defense Fund-Texas and the Children’s Sabbath manual, 2005:
> Nearly 13 million children in poverty need us to put our faith into action to seek justice for them.
> A child is born into poverty in Texas every seven minutes.
> 21.8 percent of Texas children are poor.
> 21.6 percent of Texas children have no health insurance.
> Our religious traditions call us to put our faith into action by seeking justice—not just charity—for children.

Week of prayer
In conjunction with the Children’s Sabbath, we encourage each congregation to participate in the Week of Praying for Children.
Our children need our prayers more than ever. We must not let them down.
These children include those in your congregation as well as in your community, across the country and around the world.
We suggest that each congregation set the week to begin on the Monday before the Sunday you will observe Children’s Sabbath. If that will be Oct 16, then plan to begin the week of praying Monday, Oct. 10, and to culminate with the Children’s Sabbath. Choose a time during this week to have your sanctuary, chapel or prayer room open and available to church members to come for 30 minutes of prayer on behalf of children.
Some churches encourage members to pray at home. Some churches have their prayer rooms open each evening for an hour before meetings begin. Some encourage members to stop for 10 minutes each day during the noon hour to pray. It does not matter when; it simply matters that we pray.

Resources available
Materials to help you plan Child-ren’s Sabbath may be ordered from the Children’s Defense Fund at www.childrensdefense.org.
Copy-ready materials about the Week of Praying for Children have been sent to every church in the Austin District.
We encourage your congregation to use these materials as your church participates in these actions on behalf of children.