I recently spent time with a pastor in Kansas City. Just eight months prior he had become the new senior pastor at a large, historic, traditional church. One of the first things he learned as he settled into his new role was that the church had spent years investing in an adoption fund – but had never distributed any of those funds. Needless to say there was quite a bit of money in it!
He told me that at his “state of the church” address just a few months before our time together he was able to share some exciting vision for the church moving forward, that included (and I quote the pastor here) “Ensuring that under no circumstances should it cost anyone in our church one penny to foster or adopt a child”.
Wow! He told me he recognizes that with a large demographic of senior-aged adults in his body they have to be diligent about presenting unique opportunities to get involved that don’t simply consist of bringing children into their home. He’s convinced that the primary and probably most crucial way his church can serve orphaned and vulnerable children is through their financial support of families who are fostering or adopting them.
I couldn’t agree more with his assessment or with his understanding that his church may not be able to do everything, but they could certainly do something – so they’ve identified their something and are committed to doing it well.
WEBINAR & E-BOOK: THREE PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER
The goal of your orphan care ministry in your church is sustainability, not speed. It’s not necessarily to do many things as much as it’s about doing the right things. It’s also not simply to start a peripheral ministry that a few people are involved in but rather establish a foundational culture that everyone in the church has a role to play in. As church and ministry leaders, how do we do these things well? The needs of vulnerable children and families are overwhelming and the opportunities to engage are endless. However, as a leader, how do we prioritize the key objectives of our ministry? How do we build in safeguards that keep us focused on first things first? How do we learn the art of saying “no” sometimes and not “yes” all the time?
The “Three Principles” webinar for church and ministry leaders on August 31st will highlight three key principles all leaders must consider, and common pitfalls to avoid, when not only starting a new ministry but also leading and expanding an existing one. It will center around practical tools, real-life models and implementable “next steps” for you and/or your leadership team.
As an added bonus, everyone who registers for this webinar will receive a FREE download of the new e-Book, “Three Principles to Consider and Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Launching and Leading an Orphan Care Ministry in Your Church”! This new, engaging resource will supplement the material to be discussed in the webinar and provide you with a tangible resource you can take with you to continue processing through and applying the ideas that were discussed.
Click HERE for more information and to reserve your seat today…and be sure to share with your ministry team and others leaders that might benefit from engaging in this conversation!