“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!
