Orphan Sunday

Check out the video....

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

[HT: JT]

This is awesome...

New scanning technique lets an expectant mother hold her unborn baby....


I wonder how this would alter the debate?

[Source]

Keeping the Heat ON!

Check out this video of folks who are making a difference. Its the story of Mark Richt (Georgia football head coach) & his family and their journey into adoption.



"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:27

I think I might even cheer for Georgia now!

[HT: Vitamin Z]

On Eliminating the Foster Care System...

Filed under: "Because it needs to be said..."
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The Resurgence Blog has a blog entitled, "Orphans vs. American Dream." In it, Anthony Bradley asks, "Why are there 115,000 orphans in a country that has over 224 million Christians...? Let's break this down further. The Washington Times reports that there are about 65 million evangelicals in America. So, again, why are there 115,000 orphans in America's foster care system?"

He lays down the challenge...

Some wonder how this is possible in a country with Christian families. Surely, there are 115,000 missional families in America, right? Missional families, for example, embrace the redemptive mission of God and practice "true religion" in their local communities (James 1:27). Missional Christians in America could eliminate the foster care system tomorrow if we would stop "shootin' up" with the American Dream (heroine) in order to get high on a lame life lived for the sake of comfort and ease.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," writes James (1:27). As a matter of fact, the Bible has over 40 verses mandating God's people to look after orphans and the fatherless for various reasons.

According to the American Religious Identity Survey, conducted by the City University of New York, there are over 224 million Christians in the United States. So, why are there 115,000 orphans in a country that has over 224 million Christians...?

...If your church is not cultivating an ethos that practices "true religion" it may not be missional at all. It may be dying or sinking into a consumeristic, entertainment quicksand where people come to have their "felt needs" stroked. Your pastor might wear "cool" clothes, have a "cool" blog, or be in the process of trying to make God and Jesus androgynous but God seems to care that his people are being led by capable men who lead the rest of God's people in bringing the Kingdom to their local neighborhood in all its forms.

While not all Christians are gifted or equipped for taking in orphans it's pretty convicting that 65 million American evangelicals can't rescue 115,000 kids from an unstable hell.

'Nuff said. Time to step up to the plate.

[HT]

Adoption by the Adopted

Al Mohler has a new post out called, "The Culture of the Congregation: Celebrating Adoption."

In recent years, American Christians have seen a recovery of adoption as a living concept -- and as a focus of congregational celebration....Many evangelical congregations actively encourage families to adopt and offer support, education, and encouragement for international adoptions.

You should check it out.

The Chapmans on Tragedy, Orphans, and the Call to Engage

Popular Christian artist, Stephen Curtis Chapman, & family have been in the news lately. Many of you heard about the tragic death of Maria, one of their three adopted daughters from China in a terrible auto-accident.

In Thursday’s edition of CNN.com, Chapman wrote an article called, “OurTragedy & God’s Love for Orphans.” In it, he mentions that there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both of their parents. In America, there are some 120,000 waiting to be adopted. When we adopted, we were told that there were some 18,000+ kids in the foster care system of Texas alone.

At the conclusion of his very moving article, he lays down this challenge,

“If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.

“We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan.”

Not every family can adopt. Some have their hands full with young ones already. But some can. Certainly a lot more than 7% of the worlds Christians can.

Begin asking, “Why not?”

The Chapmans were on Larry King Live Thursday evening. Check out the interviews...

Part 1/6







Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Begin asking, “Why not?”

[HT|HT]