Last November our church, Gospel Community Church in Coxsackie, NY, did an Orphan Sunday service. This was a natural fit for our church since we have families who have adopted and families who are doing foster care. Plus we've always informally done orphan care through short-term mission trips and sending blankets, clothes, etc. to orphanages in Ukraine and we support a ministry that helps children and girls in Cambodia. Orphan care has always been preached from the pulpit since our pastor is an adoptive dad himself. After Orphan Sunday my pastor's wife, Mary, and I began to feel the Lord leading us into orphan ministry on a more formal and purposeful basis. We attend Christian Alliance For Orphans' 8th annual Orphan Summit in Southern California in May. We came home excited and overwhelmed.
God has been stirring our hearts for the fatherless. There are some 163 million orphans in the world and 500,000 children in the American foster care system. The Lord has given His Church the mandate to care for orphans, not the government: Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles. James 1:27a. Adoption reflects the heart of the Father. He adopted us and made us sons and daughters not because He wanted children, but because we needed a Father. God created the family as the perfect place for children. The Church is made up of Christian families...and we need to be doers of the Word. The purpose of family is to raise up a generation for God. We adopt to redeem, restore, to give the Gospel. The Gospel is the reason why we do what we do. Justice and mercy flow from the Gospel. Your Christianity doesn't mean anything unless it is demonstrated. Stern words I know, but consider the fact that the American church is busy building mega-churches with mega-buildings, mega-worship teams, mega-budgets, and after an ear-tickling-feel good sermon members stroll out to the mega-parking lot, hop in their mega-cars, and go out for a mega-lunch. I ask why? How does this make sense in light of the Scriptures? The Church has been asleep far too long on this issue.
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.
Psalm 10:17-18
God uses US, His Church, to bring justice to orphans and the oppressed. Wake up, Church!
In an effort to rally the Church to awareness and action, Mary and I are putting together an orphan conference for Saturday, October 13, 2012, at 10am at our church. We're inviting all area churches, pastors, lay leaders, and members. Orphan ministry encompasses three main areas: (1) adoption (international/domestic), (2) foster care, and (3) global orphan care. We know not everyone is called to adopt or do foster care (though if Christians were to actually pray and seek the Lord's will in this matter AND walk in obedience to His will, there would be way less orphans globally and less kids in the foster care system.) But every member of the church, from Sunday School children to Youth Group kids to seniors...everyone can help in some way. Our conference will present the Father's heart for the fatherless and share practical ways everyone can help. Our hope is that people will bring what they learn back to their churches and begin to make a difference. We will have local families share their experience with adoption, foster care, and orphan care. Representatives will be on hand from Bethany Christian Services, Albany and Greene Counties, Christian Alliance For Orphans, and others.
Another area that I've gotten formally involved in is Orphan Sunday. Orphan Sunday originated in Zambia of all places. A Zambian pastor with a heart for the orphans around him dedicated a service to orphans and he called it "Orphan Sunday." Christian Alliance For Orphans brought that idea back to the States and has been running a campaign to get American churches to dedicate a service to Orphan Sunday the first Sunday in November annually. November is National Adoption Awareness Month here in the U.S. While at the Orphan Summit I learned that barely any churches in NY are doing Orphan Sunday. I was surprised, assuming since our church does it that most churches do it (naive I know). Well now I'm the Regional Coordinator for Orphan Sunday for all of NY State! My job is to get churches on board to bring awareness to the orphan crisis. Whether a church dedicates 15 minutes or an entire service to the orphan and whether it's actually on November 4th or anytime before or after, the mission is to rally the Church. I have resources to share and can be as hands-on or as hands-off as the leadership wants.
Mary and I are considering the name "Justice For Orphans" for our ministry. This is a whole new direction for us to walk in but we believe the Lord is leading. We've got years of hands-on experience with our own "orphans" and God is directing our steps. To Him be the glory!
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