Praying Daily for our Children!

I love this prayer calendar which give us focus and direction in praying for our children. Join us in prayer for children all over the world!

What can 250 kids in central CA do in 1 week?

Last week, Trinity Pres in Clovis, CA had their annual Vacation Bible School and decided to partner with Lifesong to raise money for the children in Ziway, Ethiopia.

Our friend Candice summarizes the week on her blog.

"Each day I would give the kids a scenario of what life is like in Ethiopia, show pictures on the screen and then introduce our prayer points for the day. They got cards to take home and show their parents and learned ways that they could be in prayer for the children in Ziway. Thursday night we showed the Ethiopia video and it touched many who were there. The kids really get into these mission projects and I am constantly amazed at how HUGE their hearts are for the orphans and less fortunate children. These young ones do SO much more in one week to serve the Lord than some adults do in a year!

They did everything from lemonade and kool-aid stands, to making bracelets, passing out baby bottles to fill up, painting rocks, baking cookies, and even selling frogs!"

"There were around 250 children last week bringing in their pennies, nickels and dimes to make a difference for the Kingdom of God- having complete faith that the Lord would provide the funds. And can you imagine being there on Friday morning- hearing all of their excited voices and seeing their little faces light up when they heard the total amount brought in... $4,700 for the children in Ethiopia!!!  This was enough to build an entire playground structure as well as an additional $1,200 for the children's school supplies such as desks, uniforms, books, etc. Our amazing God did that! These children truly have missionary hearts and I seriously cannot wait to see how the Lord will continue to use them throughout their young lives." 

Thank you Candice! Thank you Trinity Pres! We are amazed at how God moves hearts, including the hearts of these young children & pray that their hearts are captivated by His heart for the fatherless!

Dangerous Adoption

We are thankful to Paul Pennington and Hope for Orphans for their wisdom and discernment!

Dangerous Adoption

Remember that God wants to use you as an instrument of grace in the lives of your body of believers. He also wants to use that body to help you when the wheels of your life come off. Does your church have a support group for families adopting special needs children? Does your church have an orphans ministry at all? Pastor Chuck Swindoll says: “The test of our morality and theology is passed or failed by our response to the weakest and most helpless among us”. May God use you and your church as a demonstration of pure religion that is pleasing to Him.

[NOTE:  This post was originally written by Paul and Robin Pennington for the Hope for Orphans April 2010 E-Newsletter, which can be found here.]

By now you no doubt have heard about the Russian 8-year-old adoptee sent by his American adoptive mom….alone…back to Russia with a note. The repercussions of this decision on hundreds of Russian children waiting for families are devastating to be sure. What many don’t know is that failed adoptions, or disruptions as they are called, are on the rise and Christians are not immune even if it does not reach such a dramatic level. In fact, Christian families are in some ways more at risk.

Little noticed in the story of the Russian child is that his master-degreed, medical professional mom chose to pursue a “special needs” child because she wanted to get a child more quickly. It also appears that despite the routine communications of her agency post placement, she did not have an effective post adoptive support system.

This story teaches us about two very important trends in the North American adoption and orphan ministry movement.  One trend (though a very small percentage of the total number of adoptions) is negative and dangerous, the other positive and encouraging.

In an ever-increasing consumerist American church there is emerging a troubling trend — families who see adoption as a new badge of spirituality. At Hope for Orphans, we stress that those considering adoption should carefully examine their motivations before they ever begin the adoption process.

Common red flags we see are: pursuing adoption as a mission, wanting to please God as a result of sins of the past, desiring a sister or brother for a biological child, or thinking it will help a struggling marriage. Orphaned children do not want or need to be a mission, an act of atonement, a companion strategy or a marriage enhancer….no, they want and need what every child wants and needs…..a mom and dad that loves them unconditionally. Motives that are not geared towards the “unconditional” love of a child, but rather focused more on meeting a need in the parent(s) are dangerous.

It is a sign of a more “me-centered” Christianity that leads to adopting special needs children as a means of getting into the “express lane”. This sort of thinking, which minimizes or dismisses the true needs of hurt children and doesn’t take the time to count the costs, has led to an 8-year-old who sits today confused in a Russian hospital.

On the other hand, more and more there is a wonderful trend and work of God that is the counter to this very sad case. Lay leaders led by the Holy Spirit are launching orphan ministries in their local churches. Many of these new ministries are creating adoption support groups. Typically, adoptive families blessed with years of experience, come alongside new adoptive families, as mentors, coaches, crisis responders, prayer warriors and respite caregivers. This is what the Bible calls “body life”. The Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 12: “so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

National Foster Care Prayer Vigil

Many kids in foster care feel like they don't have a prayer...let's change that.

2010 National Foster Care Prayer Vigil
May 16-23, 2010

The National Foster Care Prayer Vigil is calling followers of Christ together across the country during the week of May 16-23 to cry out to God on behalf of children and youth in our nation's foster care system, their families, their workers, and the church as it responds to the needs of those involved in the foster care system. 

A prayer vigil can take on many forms. It can be a formal, church-wide event, or it can be an informal gathering with your family after dinner. In fact, the possibilities are endless. A prayer vigil can be:

Part of a regular Bible study group in your home Part of a regular Community Group meeting Part of a Sunday School class A Prayer walk through your city A gathering of friends at a park, or the beach A lunchtime gathering with co-workers Whatever and wherever you want it to be Are you ready to COMMIT to praying? Click here.

The important thing is not what the vigil looks like or how well it's planned, but rather that

believers come together to pray for those in need.

Is God calling you to be the voice for your city? See the map for a listing of vigils already scheduled.  See the links to the left to learn how you can become equipped to add your city to the map.

Gather together.  Pray for the kids.  Watch God work.

Insights & Gifts Video Series

It's so incredible to see the Body of Christ responding to a need... a need to equip parents... a need to bring healing to hurting hearts!

As we are answering the call to adopt, we need to understand that most of the children that God will bring into our lives through adoption will have deep hurts and needs. Therefore, part of our call is to be prepared to be used by God to help this child heal. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest joys, blessings and privileges of adoption – but it will not be easy. The resources and tools on ETC are designed to help those whom God is calling and has called to answer the call well. To know what to expect, to be ready and prepared and, ultimately, to help bring long-term healing to their child. It is precisely this kind of 'love in action' that I believe reflects what it means to be called by God to adopt."

-Michael Monroe, Irving Bible Church/Tapestry

This new 16 video series (developed in partnership with the TCU Institute of Child Development) offers seven insights and seven gifts that are highly relevant for those who are parenting or considering adopting or fostering children from hard places. ETC is also developing a discussion guide for this video series, which will be available in May 2010.

Insights & Gifts: Introduction from Tapestry on Vimeo.

View the rest of the series here. Follow us on Facebook as we highlight each video here.