A sustainable, God-centered approach to compassion | with Hal Donaldson, Convoy of Hope

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:

I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!

So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.

**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **

Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!

In a world filled with hopelessness, rage, and despair, how do we, as Christians, respond with compassion and love, without eventually experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue? Stephanie is offering you today an enlightening conversation with Hal Donaldson, the founder and president of Convoy of Hope, where he shared valuable insights about the Christian responsibility to acknowledge truth while approaching it with compassion and care.

In a fast-paced world that celebrates achievements over rest, author and founder of Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson, emphasizes that taking care of yourself isn’t optional if you want to live selflessly and fulfill God’s calling on your life. When it comes to our personal well-being, success is often more dangerous than failure.

Hal Donaldson discusses the profound impact of witnessing hopelessness on a global scale. From his experiences traveling globally with Convoy of Hope, he has seen both the deep needs and opportunities for people to find hope and faith. In a world where despair can be overwhelming, Donaldson emphasizes the importance of responding to rage and disapproval with acts of compassion, mirroring the example set by Jesus Christ. Reflecting on Mother Teresa's advice to "do the next kind thing that God puts in front of you," he inspires us to embody compassion in our actions, particularly in response to hopelessness.

But we must be careful: When it comes to our personal well-being, success is often more dangerous than failure. As we try to fulfill others' expectations, we deplete our time, energy, and enthusiasm and end up feeling wrung out or burned out, sometimes even flaming out in spectacular ways. It may feel like the solution is just to quit--our jobs, our passions, our ministries--but there is a way to pour into others and take care of ourselves.

The conversation focuses on the pivotal role of the church in demonstrating love and compassion to all people, irrespective of their beliefs. Hal and Stephanie exchange thoughts on the Christian responsibility to acknowledge the truth while approaching it with compassion and care. This brings to light the significance of the church's role in responding to the needs of the world with a God-centered perspective. By shining a light of hope and love into the darkness of despair, the church can serve as a beacon of God’s mercy and grace to those who are hurting.

Hal sheds light on embracing opportunities to address the needs of the world with a God-centered perspective. Hal Donaldson shares personal experiences and encourages listeners to see the potential for the church to make a positive impact. In a world where hopelessness seems ever-present, he emphasizes the importance of not just acknowledging the needs, but actively seeking opportunities to serve and bring hope. Through stories of his work with Convoy of Hope, Donaldson inspires a call to action for individuals and congregations to seek ways to serve in their own communities, demonstrating compassion and love to those in need.

In a world where hopelessness and despair can be pervasive, Hal Donaldson provides a powerful reminder of the importance of responding with compassion and love. By acknowledging the truth with grace and demonstrating God-centered compassion, we can offer hope to those who are hurting. Through his work with Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson exemplifies the transformative impact of embracing opportunities to address the world’s needs with a mindset centered on God's love and mercy. As we reflect on his wisdom and experiences, let us be inspired to live out our faith by bringing God-centered compassion to a world in need of hope and healing.

MEET HAL DONALDSON

Hal Donaldson is the president and CEO of Convoy of Hope, a global, faith-based, nonprofit organization that works with communities to address root causes of poverty and hunger.

According to Forbes, Convoy of Hope is among the 50 largest charities in the United States.

Through its disaster responses and community development programs, Convoy:

Has distributed more than $2.5 billion worth of food and supplies.

Helped more than 250 million people.

Currently feeds more than 570,000 children every school day.

Hal has received numerous public service awards. He has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies from Bethany University.

He and his wife, Doree, have four daughters.

https://haldonaldson.org/

ABOUT “WHAT REALLY MATTERS”

When it comes to our personal well-being, success is often more dangerous than failure. As we try to fulfill others' expectations, we deplete our time, energy, and enthusiasm and end up feeling wrung out or burned out, sometimes even flaming out in spectacular ways. It may feel like the solution is just to quit--our jobs, our passions, our ministries--but there is a way to pour into others and take care of ourselves.

Sharing the dramatic, true, and untold story behind the creation of Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson and his daughter Lindsay Donaldson-Kring pull back the curtain on Hal's journey to greater mental, physical, and spiritual health amid the all-engrossing task of starting and sustaining a ministry. They reveal the toll ministry and compassion work can take on both individuals and families, then point toward healing and wholeness.

Insightful and encouraging, this book offers practical, real-world solutions to persistent problems associated with being the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.

In a fast-paced world that celebrates achievements over rest, author and founder of Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson, emphasizes that taking care of yourself isn’t optional if you want to live selflessly and fulfill God’s calling on your life.

When it comes to our personal well-being, success is often more dangerous than failure. As we try to fulfill others’ expectations, we deplete our time, energy, and enthusiasm. We end up feeling wrung out or burned out, sometimes even flaming out in spectacular ways. It may feel like the solution is to just quit — our jobs, our passions, our ministries — but there is a way to pour into others and take care of ourselves.

Sharing the dramatic, true, and untold story behind the creation of Convoy of Hope, Hal Donaldson and his daughter Lindsay Donaldson-Kring pull back the curtain on Hal’s journey to greater mental, physical, and spiritual health amid the all-engrossing task of starting and sustaining a ministry.

They reveal the toll that ministry and compassion work can take on both individuals and families, then point toward healing and wholeness.

Insightful and encouraging, this book offers practical, real-world solutions to persistent problems associated with being the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

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In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

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