Who's Excited?

Check out this post at Lifeway's "Kids Ministry 101" blog by adoptive daddy, Jeff(with kiddos and wife, Abbey), complete with a video featuring one cool guy... our vp, Andy Lehman AND a chance to win another (that's right) give-away! 

This blog provides some great resources and has some great thoughts on Orphan Sunday this weekend.  Can you believe it's already upon us?  So who's excited to go out this weekend and pray, worship, and advocate on behalf of orphans?

I know I am.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and next time we meet, i'll be announcing our give-away winners!

Remember, you have till 11:59pm Sunday to comment for a chance to win!

 

Prayer Leads to Action

Wow!  Thank you for all of your responses this week!  So many great ideas.  Keep 'em coming!  You still have until 11:59 Sunday night to have a chance to win a new t-shirt!  ... oh the excitement of it all.

Recently we received an update from Ginny Stoller, one of our missionaries in Ethiopia.  I want to include a little excerpt from what she wrote.  I'll warn you... it's heart breaking... and oh so common...

Last week I had a young mother sit in the school office and beg us to take her seven year old son—not to merely register him, but to literally take him... for adoption—something we are in no way equipped to do.  Her eyes were pleading and hopeless.  A widow, she had lost her husband about three years ago, and has three children.   Her landlord gave her a week to get out of her home. Because she must care for her children, she cannot hold a job and earn money to support the family.  One child is already up for adoption in a town to the south, and the youngest is a three year old strapped to her back—too scared to even look at me. The 7 year old is recovering from TB, and has been on medication for four months.  He was registered in another school but has to take his medication with food, something our school provides for our students.  We were able to register him in kindergarten and ensure he can be fed, but this doesn’t solve his mother's desperate situation, and she’s terrified of having to live on the streets.

I also recently found out one of our 3^rd grade students lost her mother after a long illness (probably HIV).  Her father died a while ago.  Her uncle and his wife brought her in to discuss their living situation.  They were trying to keep her mother’s house to live in, but were unsure if they would be allowed to stay there. She sat quietly behind them, her head down.  Surely the loss of a mother and the threatened loss of a home is more than any child should have to bear.

I know that God has a plan for each of us.  I believe He loves and cares for the destitute.  I have faith that His heart breaks when He sees another family... another child thrust out on the streets.  

I also know that He desires to use His body to help protect the weak.  He wants to raise up His church to do powerful things... will we let Him?  

I won't pretend to have the answers.  When I look at situations like this I feel overwhelmed and small.  But i know God is faithful!  I KNOW it!  And HE has the answers.  He is not overwhelmed or surprised by any of this.  He is not small or weak.  He is BIG and mighty!

Will you join my in prayer this week? Pray that God's body will rise to the occasion of caring for the vulnerable.  Pray that He will give clear insight and direction.  Pray that we will take hold of His grace that is so sufficient and respond when we feel the Spirit move.

Pray... and then act!

Give-aways are Fun!

WARNING: As hard as I tried, I couldn't help making this post sound like it should be read by Bob Barker.

Alright everyone, today we want to hear from YOU because we are having, not 1, but 2 GIVE-aways!

Here's how it works.

Give-away #1: Answer this question:

How MANY children has Lifesong helped bring home to date?

The prize will go to whoever is closest.  If there is a tie, we will draw names for the winner.

Give-away #2: Leave a comment on Friday's post:

Those who have posted already, will automatically be entered.  Both give-away responses can be combined in one comment on today's post.

And what, you ask, will our prizes be?

NEW, never-before-seen T-shirts!

You will get first dibs on a Lifesong tee in brand new brown(males) and red (females)

NOTE: You will not be limited to only the new colors.  If you would prefer one of our other colors, we are happy to accommodate.

You have till 11:59pm Sunday night to comment, and then we'll announce our winners on Monday!

so COME on Down

Let's do this!

I was recently reading one of our "lifesong family's" blog and came across this great post which talks about how we are all called to care for the fatherless... ALL of us.  That's some scary terminology right there... "ALL".  It doesn't leave much space for translation, does it.  But here's the reality.  God tells us specifically that...

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we MUST care for orphans and widows in their troubles...

side note: this is NLT... i chose it cause it sounds the most urgent :) ...and rightly so!

Wow.  Now, I know we use this verse a lot in the orphan care scene, but stop. and really think about what that means?  Obviously we can't all adopt, but we can ALL come up with creative ways to advocate for orphans.  Brothers and sisters, it is what we as Christians are CALLED to do!  It is the purest form of our faith.  If we as Christian's don't rise up and change the way the world cares for its orphans... who will?  Boy, that's a scary thought, isn't it?

But how do we go about finding ways to advocate for orphans?  We do it through collaboration... through working as the body of Christ was designed to work.  We do it together.

In fact, (wink, wink) I even have something you can do now!  It doesn't involve thousands of dollars or a lifelong commitment to parent a child.  It doesn't even involve any planning or a lot of time!

Here's what you do... share with us your ideas.  Leave a comment... maybe about a ministry your church is involved in... or a family you helped support financially to adopt.  Maybe you have this aMAZing idea that has been just waiting to get out and be put in action.  Here's your chance!  Let's inspire each other to rise up on behalf of orphans!

Alliance Webinar Series

Check out this great webinar series put on by The Christian Alliance for Orphans.  It's not too late to register!

Alliance Webinar Series

The Christian Alliance for Orphans Webinar Series is designed to help individuals like you create and grow effective adoption, foster care, and global orphan ministry in local churches.

You're Invited...

The Financial Challenge of Adoption and How the Local Church Can Respond

Equipping churches to help adoptive families overcome one of the biggest barriers to adoption: money

Host Church: Southeast Christian Church

Presenters:

Darren Washausen, Southeast Christian Church/Orphan Care Alliance

Andy Lehman, Lifesong for Orphans

Dwain Gullion, Abba Fund

Wendy Cosby, Show Hope

Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Time: 2:00 PM Eastern

Each 60-minute webinar in this series will give local advocates access to the knowledge and experience of top Alliance member churches and organizations nationwide, covering key topics on adoption, foster care and/or global orphan care.  Every webinar will be hosted by a local church orphan ministry and co-presented by one or more national experts on the subject matter.  This pairing will deliver a combination of specialist information and resources alongside a "here's how it works in a real church" perspective.