The air buzzed with excitement on Sunday, March 2 as members of Soul City Church in the West Loop clutched white envelopes, their hands trembling with anticipation. Inside was more than just a name — it was the face of a child from a Ugandan village who had chosen them as a sponsor.
Unlike traditional sponsorship programs, “Chosen” — a partnership between Soul City Church and World Vision, a humanitarian aid organization — empowers children to select their own sponsors, forging a deeply personal connection. The initiative provides Ugandan children with clean water, essential resources and spiritual support.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, Soul City Church held its third “Chosen” event, giving members the opportunity to be selected by a child in Uganda. After the service, members had their photos taken, and that night, a church team flew to Uganda with the pictures in hand. At a “Chosen” party the next day, children excitedly browsed the photos and selected their sponsors, forming a bond that would span continents. The church team then returned to Chicago with pictures of the children holding their chosen sponsor’s photo, which members received in envelopes the following Sunday.
Soul City Church and World Vision launched “Chosen” six years ago to aid communities in need. One of Soul City’s lead pastors, Jeanne Stevens, named the initiative when it was still just a vision, and today, entire villages in Africa are being sponsored through the church. This year alone, 457 children in Uganda have found sponsors through “Chosen.”
Dyamond Hill, director of partnerships at Soul City Church, played a key role in organizing the event. “It’s one thing to have partners, but to be able to see their work firsthand was such an honor,” Hill said. She was part of the team that traveled to Uganda to host the “Chosen” party for the children.
Hill believes that those with resources have a responsibility to help others in need. “We live in a world where there’s scarcity, but we believe in community. And we believe — even if our community is all the way across the sea — that when you’re in pain, we’re in pain,” she said.
Hill also had the rare opportunity to witness her sponsored child select her in person. Seeing the impact firsthand reinforced her belief in “Chosen” and the deep connections it creates. She was particularly moved by the presence of entire families at the event.
“The parents were involved, the whole family,” Hill said. “It was like these moms are going to go to the ends of the earth to get their kids what they need.”
Not everyone experienced being chosen in person or opening an envelope at church. Some members who joined “Chosen” after the initial Sunday received emails with their child’s photo. Jackie Shawn, 22, a student at DePaul University, decided to sponsor a child a week later, feeling a strong calling from God to make the financial commitment.
“A lot of kids don’t get to choose where they end up, so for them to have one choice to pick someone is important,” Shawn said. “Because kids are always told, ‘You’re too young to choose.’”
Whether it was a child in Uganda selecting a sponsor or a Soul City Church member receiving an envelope, “Chosen” is continuing to bring resources and support to villages in Uganda.
“There is a need, and we want to be a part of the solution,” Hill said. “You can’t solve it all, but we dang sure want to be a part of it. And that’s what I love about Soul City. We have souls, we have hearts, and our hearts are beating.”
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