Vulnerable Children and Teens Initiative
Affirm and restore the dignity of vulnerable children and teenagers who are at-risk, in foster care, or waiting adoption.
How can churches/Sunday School classes/small groups/individuals connect?
1. Launching (generating exposure):
- Hold a one-time drive for the foster care resource center
- Host or advertise an awareness meeting or an awareness Sunday to outline the need for foster care and adoptive families
- Host a parent’s night out for foster families
2. Engaging (Join with other churches, generating momentum):
- Organize wraparound care for a foster/adoptive family (grocery shopping, lawn care, babysitting, etc.)
- Organize a support system for a homeless teenager
- Connect with another church that provides mentors and ministry opportunities in a local school
- Host a missions fair to expose members to volunteer opportunities (CASA, Grace House, Freedom House, etc.) that address the needs of at-risk children and teenagers
- Regularly highlight testimonies of volunteers that serve in these areas
3. Advocating (Build a culture within the congregation, sustainable ministry):
- Train families within the church for foster care and respite care
- Organize ongoing support systems for foster care/adoptive families
- Adopt a local school for ministry; mentoring students, ministry to staff
- Organize ongoing support ministry for homeless and at-risk teenagers
- Ongoing recruitment of volunteers for CASA, Grace House, Freedom House, etc.