Why does the church have a role to play in the foster care system in Australia? God desires that His people represent His heart, living as ambassadors of a different kind of Kingdom, one of justice and righteousness.

The prophet Amos used some pretty strong language to tell people what God wasn’t interested in… religious meetings, projects, slogans, and noisy songs (Amos 5:21-23).

What does He want? Justice. Righteousness.

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. Amos 5:24 NLT

An exploration of the terms ‘justice’ and ‘righteousness’ used often throughout the Bible could perhaps be broadly summed up as ‘right relationships’ and it is clear that God wants His people to prioritise this.

Over and over in the Bible we see God’s specific concern for those who are marginalised, without sources of protection and support in society. He identifies with them and prioritises them, and as His people, we should as well.

“It is not so much that God has a mission for his church in the world, but that God has a church for his mission in the world.” Christopher Wright*

If the religion that God accepts is to look after the orphan and widow in their distress (James 1:27), what might this look like in our communities today?

In the neighbourhoods where our churches gather, there are kids and families experiencing the distress of separation, parents dealing with hard things, and foster and kinship carers opening their homes to children and inviting the highs and lows this can bring. Do they know that the Church cares about them?

God places the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). He reconciles us to himself and has given us a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). How can we align with a God who is making all things new (Revelation 21:5), to see relationships and families restored?

It takes a village.

The Church is not an agency, we’re a community, called to work for the flourishing of the community where it is planted (Jeremiah 29:7).

More than that, the Church is the family of God; a home where those with a care experience can find a safe, inclusive community. We don’t need another project, event, or fundraising drive. We need to be family, learning to love well, practicing radical hospitality, and relying on God’s grace as we seek to extend it to others.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12,18 NIV

We’re not all called to be carers. We’re one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-19). There are many different ways we can serve children and families involved in the Out-of-Home Care system.

The Homeward Project is the local Church on mission, pursuing Kingdom come (Matthew 6:10) and responding to a holistic gospel that is genuinely good news to those who encounter it.

Join us! Get in touch to explore how we can support you to lead a significant ministry of Out-of-Home Care in your church and community. Email us at hello@homewardproject.org

*Christopher Wright (2006). The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. IVP.