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By Leanna Summers May 26, 2008
As Pastor John Bristol sat in his office, a heartrending vision from God brought him to his knees. Sobbing, he cried out, "Lord, what does this mean?" That moment changed his life — and the lives of hundreds of children — forever.
That gripping vision 13 years ago inspired Bristol, who is Senior Pastor at Christ Community Church in Milpitas, Calif., to cultivate a long-lasting relationship between his congregation and Compassion International. As a result, his church members now sponsor more than 1,000 children in need worldwide. And it all started with a simple photo.
"A family in my church showed me their photo of their Compassion child," he says. "They talked to me so glowingly about their sponsorship experience that I investigated the organization further and liked what I saw. Our leadership team decided to participate in Compassion Sunday on Mother's Day of 1997."
During the countdown to this event, while working in his study, Pastor Bristol says, "All of the sudden I felt a wave of sorrow sweep into the room. It filled my heart to overflowing. As I cried out to the Lord, I saw the face of a hurting child and felt the Lord say, 'I will bless what you are doing with Compassion.'
"I don't know how long I stayed on my study floor," he says, "but when I was able to get up eventually, I knew something wonderful was going to happen!" For 11 years Pastor Bristol has been passionately encouraging as many church members and other pastors as he can to sponsor children.
"When you become a giver, you're not going to suffer for it," he tells them. "God's got it all." His church, near the technological power and wealth of Silicon Valley, has become the center of a compassionate revolution.
Last summer, Pastor Bristol and his 600-member church reached a milestone: their 1,000th sponsored child. To celebrate, they brought Julio Figueroa, their 21-year-old Leadership Development Program student, from Guatemala to California.
Julio's journey from poverty to computer engineering student started when he became a Compassion-sponsored child 15 years ago.
In a world where wealth and power are prized, Julio was poor and powerless — and in danger of believing the worst lie of poverty: that he was no better than the garbage clogging the streets near his home.
Every day Julio worried that his home, barely anchored to a cliff, would topple off the mountain. The other end of the house was close to a busy road, and one terrifying day a trailer slammed into his house.
The roof crashed down around Julio and he broke his clavicle running from the falling debris. Amid this shaky existence, Julio found his anchor as a Compassion-assisted child when he was 6.
At Compassion's student center Julio learned about God's love for him and began to dream. He dreamed of going to college, of helping his family and community, of even starting his own business someday.
When Julio graduated from Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, his pastor and teachers recognized his academic excellence and commitment to Christ and recommended him for a spot in Compassion's Leadership Development Program.
Julio applied, was accepted and Christ Community Church started sponsoring him. Julio's visit to California allowed church members to see the success of Compassion's program come to life. Julio shared his testimony during church service, visited a technological company and university, and spent time in fellowship with church members.
Julio returned home with new ideas and a resolve to advance his country's technology and services. Julio's face could have been the hurting child's face Pastor Bristol saw and so desperately wanted to help years ago. He was the kind of child that Pastor Bristol and his congregation continue to rescue today.
"It's amazing how Pastor Bristol works and how unified the church is to help children," Julio says. "They are visionaries. They reach a goal and continue fighting for more children."
Pastor Bristol's determination to fight for and love children runs deep. "When you love a child," he says, "you plumb deep, untapped reservoirs of compassion and generosity. Our church has felt God's hand move upon us in a greater way ever since we connected with Compassion.
"It feels like we're in God's embrace together and His smile is upon us as we share in this good work."
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