Is Your Church Engaged?
by Christal Gavin, Clement Care Director
What do you think of when you hear the words, “Church Engagement”?
The word Engagement means emotional involvement or commitment.
Is your church emotionally involved &/or committed to vulnerable children?
Here are 6 things to ask yourself to determine if your church is engaged when it comes to Vulnerable children and the foster care crisis that is sweeping the nation:
Recruitment & Discipleship
Does your church have a clear path of direction? Do those who are willing to help know how to help families before, during and beyond foster care?
Communication
Do church attendees/members know who to talk to if they want to be involved? Does your church regularly observe Stand Sunday, Foster Care Awareness Month, or a designated Sunday devoted to vulnerable children? Do your pastor and leadership regularly share God’s heart for vulnerable children?
Tangible Support
Does your church partner with and/or financially support agencies who help vulnerable children and families?
Relational Support
Does your church regularly support vulnerable children and families who attend the church services with intentional events or training? Does the church provide/promote trauma-informed training opportunities for children/staff/volunteers?
Leadership
Is there a Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) within the church? Is there a clearly defined staff or volunteer person that is focused on serving vulnerable families?
Prayer
Is your church regularly praying for vulnerable children and families? Do you know what the biggest needs are for the vulnerable in your community so that you can pray specifics?
Now, you might be thinking… “Our church does {Insert alternative awesome ministry}”, and that’s great! We know that there are multiple hurting people in the world, and in our immediate communities. We know that there is a need to serve the homeless, youth, widows, those in prison, etc. Those are all great ministries!
But did you know that all of those ministries can assist/partner with a Family Advocacy Ministry? A Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) can help vulnerable families before, during and beyond foster care!
Alternative Ministries
Youth Group/Children's Ministry - In Muscogee County there are 53 schools and typically around 500 children in foster care. Considering most children in foster care are over the age of 8, you could potentially have 9 students per school who are in foster care! The children and youth in your church can be learning how to be a good friend, how to be empathetic. They can help take away the stigma that many children in foster care face by being aware & inclusive.
Prison Ministry
25% of youth in foster care end up in prison within two years of aging out of foster care! Prevention through mentoring, tutoring and relationship building can help to lower those overall numbers. Help impact the prison ministry by preventing incarcerations in youth coming from foster care.
Meal Ministry
Do you already have a meal ministry set up? 50% of families who are fostering will quit after one year or their first placement for a lack of support. By simply taking a meal, 90% of supported families will continue fostering. This allows for better permanency for youth in foster care. 90% of youth, who are moved five or more times between placements, become a part of the juvenile justice system- Only 1-3% of them will go on to college. By supporting families, you can help improve the future of youth in foster care.
Celebrate Recovery
Children in GA enter into care primarily due to neglect as a direct result of parental opioid use. By helping families who struggle with addiction you are helping to prevent a child from entering foster care. Or perhaps you’re helping a parent to be able to have a second chance and have their child returned to their home. FAMs use a Care Community model that equips church members to provide intentional support to families before, during and beyond foster care! Partnering a FAM care community with an identified CR member is a great way to impact the lives of children who might otherwise spend (more) time in the foster care system.
To learn more about how you and your church can become emotionally involved &/or committed to vulnerable children you can reach out to Christal@clement-arts.org
At Clement Care we aim to ensure that more than 10% of churches in the Chattahoochee Valley are actively engaged in foster care by 2025.
Will you join us?
Foster and orphan care are a passion for Christal and her family. She and her husband, Mark, have been licensed foster parents since 2016. Christal and Mark, along with their 3 children, are members of Christ Community Church. Christal facilitates a growing network of such foster ministries with Clement Arts as Clement Care Director.
Clement Care is a partnership between Clement Arts, Live the Promise, and local churches who seek to establish foster care ministries within their congregations. Believing that the local church is the best answer to the foster care crisis, we facilitate a growing network of church foster care ministries in Muscogee, Harris, and Russell counties.
