Orphan Sunday: One Day. One Voice. One Purpose.

On November 4th, as well as the surrounding Sundays, thousands of events will echo across America and around the globe, all sharing a single goal: that God's steadfast love for the orphan will also stir in our hearts.  From many sources, one voice.  Orphan Sunday is an opportunity to excite family, community, church and friends to God's call to care for the orphan. As Orphan Sunday approaches, we pray you will dedicate time on one Sunday in honor of the fatherless.  Here are a few helpful and practical recourses for how to spend an Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans' Orphan Sunday.org website: Partnership Packages - Ideas and action points from over 20 different orphan, adoption & foster care organizations so you can find an activity that fits your church. (Be sure to check out Lifesong's Partnership Packages as well!) The Orphan's Table - Experiences impact us more deeply than words. On Orphan Sunday, share a meal eaten by orphans around the world.  Gather with family, small group or church for the meal, discussion and prayer. More Resources - Check out OrphanSunday.org for other church resources such as sermon starters, worship songs, bible studies, bulletin inserts, prayer guides, and much more! We are hopeful you and your church family will honor orphans by participating in Orphan Sunday.

Orphan Sunday Inspiration!

Orphan Sunday is just around the corner and it's never too early to start planning. November 4th will be a day celebrated nationwide in honor of adoption, orphan care and foster care.

But like all events there is a lot of planning, research, time & energy involved. Wouldn't it be great to have all the information you needed to host an Orphan Sunday event all in one place? 

We would like to introduce to you OrphanSunday.org.  This website is packed with resources from some incredible orphan/adoption/foster care organizations so you can pull off an event that will engage your church community.

We will be highlighting resources such as Partnership Packages, The Orphan's Table and many more! Stay tuned!

Simple Act With a Big Impact!

In partnership with Lifesong for Orphans, The Forgotten Initiative, seeks to bring joy and purpose to the foster care community.

They have many different avenues of how we can get involved and one is creating "Journey Bags" for your local foster care agency--ultimately reaching foster kids in your community. What is a Journey Bag you ask? Children often come into foster care with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Journey Bags are backpacks filled with personal items for kids to have when they are abruptly taken out of their homes.

I invite you to listen in as Heather, a foster mom, shares the impact these Journey Bags had on her foster kiddos!

Last night at midnight three precious little beauties showed up on my doorstep.  They each had with them a blanket, a stuffed animal, and a book bag....their Journey Bags of course.  I kept waiting for more, anything more, but nothing came.  The investigator told me that yes indeed this was all they had. 

Our 5 year old had come with shoes which were so bad they had to be thrown away, one of our two year olds had no shoes, the other two year old had two left shoes.  When I asked about getting anything out of the home the investigator said it just wasn't going to be possible.  The kids had nothing.  There worldly possessions consisted of Journey Bags. As I stared at those bags I began to cry.  What if no one took the time to fill those bags and deliver them.  What would our children have then.  Absolutely nothing.  Nothing to claim as their own, nothing to protect or cherish.  Thank you for all you do.  Thank you for my kiddos Journey Bags.

--Heather, Foster Mom

Interested in reaching out to your foster care community through journey bags? Check out The Forgotten Initiative's website to find out more!

We'd love to hear form you! What are other ways that YOU are reaching out to your foster care community?

Summit VIII Reflection from Rebecca...

Rebecca Maas, adoptive mother and orphan advocate, is part of our Lifesong Blogger Network.  We were excited to see her win our Lifesong Blogger Network contest and win a trip to the Summit this year.  Couldn't help but share her kind words and wisdom that she took from Summit this year.

I just wanted to thank you and Lifesong again for the wonderful opportunity to attend Summit VIII. What a great time of refreshment and encouragement for me. 

It was also a time God used to open my eyes to the realities adoptive and foster families are facing after placement.  I know that God had been slowly opening my eyes to families in my area who are struggling after bringing their child home. There is no support network set up for them.  The church is really failing in this area.  They are cheering for and encouraging families to adopt/foster children but are not educating and following through with the families once the child is in the home.  I truly think it is ignorance.  I don't think they realize that the hard work STARTS when the child comes home.  After five seperate adoptions I can honestly say adoption is not for the faint at heart.  It is a lot of work and takes a huge amount of faith.  Adoption is probably the hardest thing I have ever done and the most rewarding.  

Thanks again for the opportunity!

To learn more about Rebecca, follow her blog at www.thissideofeternityblog.blogspot.com.

Summit VIII Reflection

Listen in to Summit VIII reflection from Christian Alliance for Orphans' President Jedd Medefind:

Summit VIII was nothing short of amazing.  Even for those of us who spent a lot of time scurrying behind the scenes, the passion and wisdom and experiences brought not only by formal presenters, but by virtually every attendee, left us full-to-the-brim.  Many of the workshop and plenary sessions will be available for download online in the weeks ahead, and we’ll share more stories and reflections as well.  But here’s one window from an article in the Christian Post that accurately captured the theme that pulsed in every aspect of Summit: Justice and Mercy Flow from the Gospel. 

Here's a glimpse into the Lifesong booth displaying the 2300 handprints (2nd picture) representing the number of children Lifesong has help bring into Christian adoptive families. We were so excited to MEET some of these families who have partnered with Lifesong like Dustin & Katie (3rd picture)

We'd love to hear from YOU! Whether you were able to attend Summit in person or through the LIVE Webstream, what was your favorite part or how did God speak to you through this event? We'd love to hear from you!

Also: Register today for Summit IX in May 2013 in Nashville, TN!