In this series
From 2006 to 2021, I had the joy of supervising another Christian magazine’s annual compassion awards. Reporters and I sought recommendations and made site visits that resulted in profiles of 120 Christian ministries—homeless shelters, medical clinics, prison programs, and much more.
I loved honoring Christians who for years had loved their neighbors without receiving much pay or publicity. We gave groups small financial awards. Some readers gained inspiration to start their own projects or support those already active.
Now, Christianity Today is giving these awards a new home. In the following pages, you’ll read about seven Christ-centered ministries across the US. These groups will receive $2,000 each to continue to serve their neighbors. Given their past performance, I trust they will find ways to multiply the dollars and the impact.
Historian Demetrios Constantelos noted that, nearly two millennia ago, Christian compassion became known for “transcending sex, race, and national boundaries. Thus it was not limited to equals, allies, or relatives, or to citizens and civilized men, as was most often the case in other ancient societies.”
That’s the common denominator for the seven uncommon efforts profiled in the following pages. Four of them focus on a major 2025 pressure point: transcendence of ethnic and national boundaries.
Last year, some politicians falsely accused immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating pet cats. Our first article takes us inside a Springfield church to show us what Haitian immigrants are really doing—in this case, working hard to learn English while their children play in the church gym.
The stories that follow are not PR spin. Some document hardship, like a legal dead end that a client of an immigration advocacy group faced during our journalist’s visit. Others confront cultural problems, like the high attrition rates and distrust that continue to plague a Christian school serving low-income boys. But these stories also highlight hope. One organization that helps refugees displays its Christ-centered mission on a whiteboard—a handwritten reminder to all who enter that Jesus is a refuge for asylum seekers. Another profile highlights the stark contrasts in America, taking us from the stunning glory of the Garden of the Gods to a stunningly wretched street in Colorado Springs.
The last report focuses on a challenging outreach in nearby Aurora, Colorado. Christians walk the streets, inviting young immigrants to learn about the good news of Christ—while offering all kinds of tangible help to their families.
Our reporters eyeballed ministries and profiled ones that model Christian compassion. The ministries depend on churches, volunteers, and individual donors. They deal with problems that have an undersupply of solutions. They grow bottom-up through community efforts. They move beyond easy answers and tribal affiliations.
Historians may one day wonder whether 2025 was a year of cruelty or compassion. The former rightly gets attention. The stories behind these awards provide reliable evidence of the latter.
Marvin Olasky is the executive editor for news and global at Christianity Today.
