Tag: Churches

I hate letting people down. I hate that feeling of realizing that you promised to do something but failed to follow through, especially when it comes to my kids.   The other day I told my four-year-old daughter that I would take her to the park after I got home from work. She was really looking …

What does it mean to be blessed? According to Bruno Mars in his hit song 24 Karat Magic, it’s “Cuban links,” “designer minks,” and “Inglewood’s finest shoes.” It’s having “money in my pocket” and “so many pretty girls around me.” Endless parties, bottomless drinks, beautiful bodies and all the money you could ever want, that’s the …

As a church community, you have a unique opportunity to bring compassion and practical support to children and families involved in the child protection system. Every small step can have a big impact. Here are three simple but powerful ways your church can make a meaningful difference for vulnerable children in your own backyard this …

When most Bible teachers talk about God’s heart for the fatherless, they all seem to draw from the same few verses (ie. Psalms 68:5-6; James 1:27). But the Bible – especially the Old Testament – is full of passages that disclose God’s heart for the fatherless. This is a problem. It’s like we have been …

Jen* climbed out of her window at 12 years old, needing to escape. It’s been a journey of unlearning and learning; ultimately breaking a cycle and leaving a legacy for the next generation. The love shown by her Foster Carers helped break through the lies that she’d come to believe about herself and she learned …

I grew up with a deep love for the outdoors. From a young age, my dad would take my brother and me camping and backpacking. One year we were gearing up for a 50-mile backpacking trip with several of my friends and their parents in Lassen National forest through the beautiful Cascade Mountains of California. …

Connected Carers, in Western Sydney, exists to build a strong community where foster carers feel loved, valued, encouraged, supported and inspired whilst doing the ministry of caring. The heart of Connected Carers is to gather Christian carers to be a light in the Out-of-Home Care space.  Inspired by James 1:27, Religion that God our father …

In Australia, thousands of children need a safe, loving home—but what does it take to answer that call?  With two biological sons and three sons welcomed through Out-of-Home Care, Mary has experienced the joys and challenges of foster care firsthand. Through her work with Fostering Hope in Tasmania, she’s helping other carers embrace this life-changing journey, one …

This Christmas season, one local church is modelling a beautiful spirit of local partnership to help lighten the load for families to be able to have gifts under the tree – and this year they’re including a focus on foster carers. LifeHouse Care, the community arm of LifeHouse Church on the NSW mid-North Coast, wants …

The cry of my heart and the work of my life has become to give voice to children and families experiencing foster care.  I am a biological, foster and adoptive mama and God has shaped our family in unexpected ways along this journey, as we’ve had the privilege of caring for children for a chapter …

The first time I began to encounter young people who had been in foster care was when I was in a youth worker role in New Zealand. I began to meet more and more young people who had aged out of the system. There was almost systemic homelessness happening (things have changed at a policy …

I was completing a Social Work degree and to be honest, I had no clue about Foster Care. I was on placement with the Department of Communities and Justice in the triage unit, where child protection reports are made and assessed. I loved being in that area as it was preventative work. I was least …

A children’s ministry resource to support your children’s program to create an inviting and welcoming environment for kids with an experience of Out-of-Home Care.  Recognising that families come in all shapes and sizes and that for children who have experienced foster care, kinship care, permanent care or adoption, ‘family’ can potentially be a bit of a complicated thing …

This week is Foster Care Week in many States and Territories across Australia. Foster Care Week is an opportunity to:Celebrate the unique contribution of Foster and Kinship Carers;Recognise the work of Out-of-Home Care organisations;Stand with young people in care, full of purpose and potential; andBelieve for the restoration of families. Join us in praying for …

“We need to wake the sleeping giant that is the church in the foster care space.” When I first heard my friend say these words, something in me stirred. It was five years ago and part of a catalytic season for what was to become The Homeward Project.  Fast forward to last week when I …

The Caring for Carers resource is your guide to providing holistic support for those who are opening their home to children and young people, whether through foster care, kinship care, permanent care, or adoption. It is our desire that none of these families would be on this journey alone and that this resource will help you to …