Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Safe Families for Children

“True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us.” (James 1:27)

In the last week of 2007, Chicago was shocked by the actions of a young mother who quietly exited a train with her 3-year-old daughter leaving behind her two sons, ages 6 and 4.  Fellow passengers frantically attempted to get the mother’s attention, but she walked away, abandoning her young boys. Similar incidents of parents being unable to care for their children occur with greater frequency than many of us are aware, and not just in big cities. 

Here in LaGrange/Troup County, as well, many parents often find it difficult to adequately care for their children during times of crisis. For example, under current economic conditions, many families experience financial crisis, unemployment, and homelessness. Often these situations result in, or are made worse by, other hardships such as family violence, drug or alcohol use, physical or mental illness, or incarceration.

“Safe Families for Children” [www.safe-families.org] is a volunteer movement across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Africa that connects the children of parents in distress with host families from local churches who’ve answered God’s call to open their hearts, arms and homes to serve vulnerable children in need.  

The experience starts at church, where host families are invited not only to change the lives of a fellow family for the better, but to enrich their own with untold blessings by living out the gospel of Jesus Christ. By hosting vulnerable children temporarily (on average slight less than 40 days) along with support from the church, this extended family environment helps keep children (usually 5 years old or younger) safe and reunite families (93% return to their parent or relative).

Since its beginning in 2003, Safe Families has placed over 20,000 children in host families in over 1000 participating churches across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Africa, and Sunday, April 30th our church will officially be added to this number as we become a partner congregation of this international ministry (sponsored locally under the umbrella of Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services).

I hope you will join me on that day not only during worship but also for the “no-strings-attached” luncheon at 12Noon in the Fellowship Hall where we’ll have a brief program sharing more details about this ministry and how you can be a part of it.  The Bible is clear that – among other things -- one of our tasks as followers of Jesus is to look after the needs of at-risk children and other vulnerable people (the “orphans and widows” of the James 1:27 scripture, above).

I am excited that our church (through the leadership of our Missions Committee) has chosen to partner with Twin Cedars to become a “Safe Families for Children” church. To find out more about how you can become involved, be sure to attend worship and the luncheon on Sunday, April 30th, or if you have to miss that day you can email missions@lagrangefumc.org.  Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!