We are fourteen days away from Thanksgiving and forty-four days from Christmas and the agenda books have already been looked at for both holidays. With every holiday comes the juggling act of trying to be able to make it to every family function so we can see and spend time with everyone. Sometimes this juggling act can become very frustrating especially when we have to decide one side of the family over the other. There are 20,000 to 30,000 people that would LOVE to have this problem. They would love to have to pick one side of the family over the other because that would mean they had family to pick from. You see there are 20,000 to 30,000 young people who age out of the foster care system so they have NO one to spend holidays with. They have NO one to call when they are sick or have a question they need answered. They have NO one to attend their high school graduation. NO one to visit, write, or call them if they go to college. NO one to attend their college graduation. NO one to talk to about the guy/girl they just met and know is the right one. NO one to walk them down the aisle or stand beside them on their wedding day.
When things get rough for us we ask God for help so how can we sit by and go about our own lives while we are failing to do what God has asked us to do? We expect him to help us but we are not willing to follow his command and help him. "Religion that God or Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..." James 1:27. If Christians will not take the step to reduce the number of orphans no one will. It is time for churches to get involved. As of September 30, 2009 there were 423,773 children in foster care. Over 250,000 enter foster care every year. There are 114,556 children waiting to be adopted in the United States. In North Carolina there are 9,399 children in foster care and close to 3,000 waiting for a forever family. This information came from the keynote speaker of the 7% Conference, Felicia Mason-Edwards. Felicia is known nationally for her successful efforts in Texas in bringing the church and state agencies together to care for our neglected and abused children.
Maybe you can't become an adoptive or foster parent for a child in need but there is something you can do. God has blessed us all with gifts, you could use those gifts to help a child. Here are just some of the ways Felicia Mason-Edwards said churches got involved while she was in Texas: Began a quilting ministry to make quilts to give to children that are placed in foster care.
Adopt a caseworker and prayer for them and their cases everyday.
Participate in Blue Sunday- usually the last Sunday of April churches spend 5 minutes praying for abused and neglected children and their abusers.
Take Child Abuse Awareness training to learn about the needs of children in Child Protective Services and how your church can help.
Create a children and youth clothing closet (Rainbow Room)-contribute clothing and personal items to the Rainbow Room, volunteer to find donations, work sorting the donations, donate space for a Rainbow room.
Become a Guardian ad litem so you can advocate for a child's best interest in the court system.
Tutoring program-be tutors, have a tutoring program within your church open to the community
Free hair cuts/styling
Foster/adoptive parent support group-provide meeting space and refreshments
Food Pantry-create one within the congregation or find volunteers for existing food pantry programs
After-School Child Care-for chldren and families in Child Protective Services or for adoptive parents
Special occasion celebrations/toy drives/school supply drives, etc-Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, creat toy drives or donate to existing ones
Independent Living Supplies-for youth aging out of the foster care system. Items could include towels, pots and pans, etc
Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Teen Parent Support Services
Respite Providers-people who provide temporary, short term care for children in foster care so foster parents can have a temporary relief from caring for children
Child and Youth Summer Camps
Transportation Resources-rides to appointments
Help provide financial support for foster/adoptive parents
Adopt foster care and adoption as a mission/ministry
Inform congregation and others of the need for foster/adoptive parents
Become a mentor for a troubled, at risk child or for a child that does not have a positive male/female example in his/her life
Become an out reach for DSS when they have needs such as car seats for transportation, etc
You Are Special Bags for children to get the day they enter into foster care
It is so easy for churches to get involved. It just takes one person to get the ball going...be that one for your church. I promise you won't regret that you helped make a child's life a little better.
