By Tami Hubler -

Send Relief Sunday: Bringing Hope Through Compassion

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." — John 13:35 (NKJV)
Every church desires to make a difference in its community. Send Relief provides Southern Baptist churches with practical opportunities to do exactly that—meeting physical needs while sharing the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.
Whether your church is large or small, Send Relief offers countless ways to become the hands and feet of Christ both across North America and around the world.
What Is Send Relief?
Send Relief is the compassion ministry of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB). Together, these two Southern Baptist mission entities partner to help churches respond to crises, care for vulnerable people, and open doors for gospel conversations through acts of compassion.
Send Relief ministries include:
  • Disaster Relief
  • Foster Care and Adoption
  • Refugee and Immigrant Ministry
  • Human Trafficking Prevention
  • Hunger Relief
  • Community Ministry Centers
  • International Compassion Projects
The goal is simple: meet needs, change lives, and share the hope of the gospel.
Why Was Send Relief Created?
Southern Baptists are known for responding when disaster strikes. But compassion ministry is much broader than disaster response.
In 2016, NAMB and IMB united their compassion ministries under one name—Send Relief—to help churches engage in gospel-centered ministry every day, not just during times of crisis. This partnership allows Southern Baptists to combine resources, strengthen ministry efforts, and provide churches with opportunities to serve both locally and globally. Whether responding to a hurricane, serving refugees, supporting foster families, or helping communities experiencing poverty, Send Relief exists to help churches demonstrate Christ's love through meaningful action.
As followers of Christ, we are called not only to proclaim the gospel but also to care for those who are hurting. Send Relief equips churches to do both.
Mission Opportunities: Every Church Can Make a Difference
One of the greatest strengths of Send Relief is that churches don't have to create ministry opportunities from scratch. They can partner with ministries that are already making an eternal impact. My church has experienced this firsthand through a three-year partnership with Chanku Waste Ranch, a Send Relief ministry serving the Oglala Lakota people on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation. During our partnership, we've had the privilege of serving alongside local ministry leaders, building relationships, supporting community outreach, and encouraging missionaries who faithfully shine the light of Christ in one of the most economically challenged areas of the United States. Rather than simply completing a project and leaving, we've seen the value of returning year after year to build trust and invest in long-term Kingdom relationships.
And that's the beauty of Send Relief - it connects churches with ministry opportunities where volunteers can serve with purpose while making an eternal difference.
Whether your church serves in your own community, across the country, or internationally, Send Relief offers opportunities for every congregation to become actively engaged in God's mission.
Your Church's Send Relief Sunday Challenge
Use Send Relief Sunday to move your congregation from awareness to action. During worship;
    • Assemble hygiene kits.
    • Collect diapers for a local pregnancy center.
    • Pack backpacks for foster children.
    • Prepare snack bags for homeless ministries.
    • Collect school supplies for underserved students.
    • Write encouragement cards for first responders or disaster relief volunteers.
    • Organize a neighborhood food drive.
  • Challenge Every Family: Invite every family to answer one simple question: "Who can we serve this week so someone can experience the love of Jesus?" Encourage members to complete one intentional act of compassion before the following Sunday.
Additional Resources to Help Your Church
Every act of compassion opens a door for the gospel. This Send Relief Sunday, invite your church to take that first step. You may be surprised how God uses one act of kindness to change a life for eternity.
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Tami Hubler currently serves as President of Indiana WMU.