COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – February 10, 2026 – Thanks to the ongoing dedication of one of Compassion’s largest and longest- tenured church partners, the ministry celebrates one of its most successful Compassion Sunday events in years.
Compassion Sunday is a special event for churches to inspire their congregations to sponsor children through Compassion International. By hosting a Compassion Sunday, churches can help transform the lives of children living in poverty, connecting them with a loving, local church community and providing children the spiritual, economic, social, and physical care they need to thrive.
The Church of Eleven22 and its congregation based in Jacksonville, Fla., is responsible for more than 4,500 child sponsorships (and counting) from its most recent Compassion Sunday held in December 2025.
They are Compassion’s largest church partner in America and have been partnering with the ministry for more than 17 years. Over the lifetime of their partnership with Compassion, the church is responsible for approximately 28,000 sponsorships.
Pastor Joby Martin is the founder and lead pastor of the rapidly growing church in Jacksonville, Fla., with locations strategically placed around the greater Jacksonville metro area and other locations including a campus in Eastern Georgia.
The church recently added two new campuses as the non-denominational ministry continues its regional expansion. They recently announced on social media that it opened a new location in St. Augustine, in a 29,000-square-foot former commercial space, and another campus in San Mateo, near Orlando.
As a result, Eleven22 now draws upwards of 20,000 in-person attendees each week and maintains a strong online following, including more than 176,000 YouTube subscribers.
Although Martin, heavily tattooed, bearded, and a purple-belt jiu jitsu practitioner cuts an imposing figure, church members and supporters describe him as having a preaching and ministry style described as “gospel-centered, challenging, and truth filled.”
He founded Eleven22 with his wife Gretchen in Jacksonville in 2012. According to Martin, he named the ministry after its first worship service which began at 11:22 a.m.
Since launching the church, he has led a movement described as “for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ.” In addition to leading the church, Martin is also a national and international preacher, teacher, and motivational speaker. He is also a nationally renowned author, with his most recent book “Stand Firm and Act Like Men,” which examines biblical manhood and its modern applications.
Since its partnership with Compassion began, the church committed to hold a Compassion Sunday every year that is intentionally tied into a specific passage of Scripture the senior pastor is teaching from. In fact, the church plans to hold its next Compassion Sunday event in June with a focus on Jesus’ preaching on the feeding of the 5,000 contained in Matthew 14.
Hosting a Compassion Sunday is a powerful way for churches and their congregations to engage in meaningful action. It allows congregations to see firsthand the difference they can make in the lives of children around the world. Individuals who sign up to host a Compassion Sunday at their church will receive all the necessary materials and support to make their event a success.
Across the United States, more than 10,000 local churches have lived out their faith by engaging in global missions through child sponsorship with Compassion International.
Martin explained that participation in and sponsorship through Compassion Sunday provides opportunities for its congregation to put their faith into action globally.
"We don’t just want to be a 'cul-de-sac' of God’s grace where the blessings come in and just stop with us. We want to be a conduit. We believe every single child is an image-bearer of God, and we are called to fight for them from 'womb to tomb',” Martin said.
“When you pick up a packet and sponsor a child, you aren't just sending money; you are responding to a direct command from God to care for the 'least of these'. You are stepping into the gap to provide hope in the name of Jesus Christ to a kid who might be sitting in a slum right now feeling completely hopeless,” he continued.
Ultimately, Martin and his congregation share a vision that partnership with Compassion can play a significant role in transforming the lives and communities of the children living in poverty around the world.
“We partner with Compassion because we’ve seen the 'full circle'—we’ve seen kids go from being sponsored to being leaders who are now rescuing others in their own communities. It's all about John 10:10, fighting against the enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and instead, ushering in the abundant life that only Jesus can provide," Martin added.
According to Kevin Myers, Compassion Senior Principal Church Partnerships Manager, the ministry recognizes the value of its Church partnerships as a natural extension of its desire to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name, and to engage in all-important discipleship of its participants, who will eventually grow to impact the communities where they will live, work, and play.
“We’re extremely grateful for the ongoing partnership with Eleven22 and look forward to continuing to make an eternal difference in the lives of the children, families, and communities we serve.”