One of the most misunderstood ministries of the Christian church is her responsibility to orphans and widows, but the Scriptures are not silent regarding our responsibilities. The Bible teaches that God has tremendous compassion and concern for these children.

1. God has declared that he is the Father of the fatherless and protector of orphans.

Psalms 68:5 – Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

Deuteronomy 10:17-18 – For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

2. God identifies orphans as objects of His love and compassion; and He has declared that He will defend them. Of all the great things God has done, he particularly wants you to know that He claims orphans as His own.

Psalms 10:17 – 18 –  O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Isaiah 40:11 – He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Our care of orphaned children is an aspect of our service in the Kingdom that is close to God’s heart–That’s the place to be!

3. God has provided for the financial needs of orphans today through the gifts of the followers of His Son. You are blessed to be a blessing.

Tithing, giving one tenth of one’s increase, is part of God’s plan for caring for orphans. Every third year the tithe was for widows and orphans. This is not just a charitable cause one gives money to when one feels sorry for someone. This Old Testament institution is essential and integral to being a Christian.

Deuteronomy 14:28 – 29 – “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Deuteronomy 24:17 – 22 – “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

4. Giving to orphans is a sign that you are practicing authentic religion. When you give to orphans, you give to Jesus Himself.

James 1:27 – Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 25:37 – 40 – Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

5. God commands us to do good and seek justice for the orphans and vulnerable. His anger is directed to those who despise and take advantage of them; He promises His blessing to those who help them.

Isaiah 1:17 – learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Jeremiah 5:28 – they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,

Jeremiah 7:1 – 7 – The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2“Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. 3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ 5“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

Exodus 22:22 – You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

Isaiah 1:23 – Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

Isaiah 10:1 – 2 1Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, 2to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

Jeremiah 22:3 – Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Ezekiel 22:7 – Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.

Malachi 3:5 – “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

The need is so great. In Uganda alone, there are more than two million orphans. In the past twelve years, Trinity Church Central Oahu, through its church planting ministry in Uganda has tried to minister to many orphans. We continue to learn; we have found this ministry to be challenging, frustrating, stretching, overwhelming at times and yes, fulfilling and bringing tremendous joy to our lives.

We helped build an orphanage near the capital of Uganda.

Later, partnering with Elder Rashid Luswa, we helped build a Christian school for these orphans and other children:

Then we helped build an orphanage in Northern Uganda:

Most of the 14 churches we have helped start are supporting orphans.

How can YOU help?

Through your support of Children of Grace, you can partner with local churches in Uganda to assist in their efforts to care for the many orphans living in their communities. For just $80 per month, you can provide a fatherless child with food, clothing, medical care, and an education, often a solid Christian education. Your giving will enable precious children to grow up hearing the good news of the gospel as they receive the love of Jesus through a local church body that cares for them in His name. If you would like to sponsor an orphaned child*, please fill out our Orphan Sponsorship Pledge Form. We will respond to you by sending a photograph and profile of your child, whom you can then begin to sponsor by mailing in your first check. After that, you will receive annual updates on your child so you can see the difference your generosity is making in his or her life. It’s that simple! If you have any questions about our sponsorship program, please do not hesitate to contact us at: trinitycwm@gmail.com

*For the purposes of our program, an orphan is defined as a fatherless child.
Until recently, these children were living on the streets of Kampala, Uganda. They needed blankets, clothing, mosquito nets, food, funds for school, and a clean safe place to live. Here are pictures of where they used to sleep until their small hut was washed away in a flood a few weeks ago.

Now these children have a new start: They are enrolled in a Christian School like this one pictured here. They have temporary shelter and food each day and Trinity Church is committed this year to build them a small house and train their caretaker in bringing them up in the instruction of the Lord.

Click to read about some vulnerable children who need help. I pray they too will become Children of Grace.

To sponsor a child, simply download and complete the Orphan Sponsorship Pledge Form.  You may mail it to us at:

Trinity Center for World Mission
95-388 Wikao Street
Mililani, HI 96789

Or, scan and attach it to an e-mail and send it to us at trinitycwm@gmail.com. Thank you!