The primary objective is to minister to and meet the needs of orphans by developing an outreach through FCC.

Awareness

It is the desire of the Orphan Ministry to develop awareness among church members of the existence and needs of orphans and God’s call to minister to them. Ways to make our church members aware include:

• Bulletin board displays with orphan statistics, country information, and a description of needs. Information on particular orphanages in particular countries may be collected if possible, FCC Members who have adopted or fostered will be highlighted regularly, FCC Members who are currently adopting or fostering will be highlighted with updates, prayer requests, etc. The bulletin board includes a standard statistical and informational format and will be rotated periodically.
• Periodic bulletin panel or insert, FCC member news, and prayer needs.
• Sermons/teachings on orphans and God’s perspective, periodic bible studies.

Adoption/Fostering

It is anticipated that a natural outflow of awareness will be an increased desire among FCC families to foster and or adopt available children into their homes. Consequently, it is prudent to develop practical means to encourage, guide, and support FCC families who have developed a ministry conviction to foster and or adopt a child or children.

• Direct members to reputable sources for practical guidance.
• Utilize the experience of others to develop a guide to the process.
• Investigate the need for a Christian worldview-based support group of adoptive families.
• Explore options for providing financial assistance for those fostering and or adopting through church budget, direct donations, and matching funds from foundations.
• Investigate the possibility of establishing a legal foundation dedicated to receiving donations for the purpose of providing assistance to adopting families.

It is also an objective of this initiative to continually explore opportunities to make the foster care and or adoption process as economical, efficient, and inviting as possible.

It is not an objective of the Orphan Ministry for FCC to act as its own adoption agency, or to directly advise infertile couples in the area of family planning or medical issues beyond normal counseling parameters.

Strategy

The general strategy contemplated at this time is for FCC to leverage its existing contacts and relationships to share resource information from reputable ministries such as The Rachel House, Shaohannah’s Hope, Family Life’s Hope for Orphans, Bethlehem Baptist Church and Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. Also to pursue affiliation with a reputable Adoption Fund administrator such as the ABBA Fund.

Giving

Unfortunately, adoption and foster care are very costly. Often times, money is the main contributing factor of why families do not adopt. Giving to the FCC Orphan Ministry will go to help those families who feel called to adoption and foster care. This will also give our church family the opportunity to be a vital part of helping the fatherless, something we, as believers, are called to do.

Simply make a check out to “Faith Community Church” and write “Orphan Ministry” on the outside of the envelope.

The available funds will then be dispersed to prospective adopting/fostering families on the completion of an approved home study.

Resources/Books

• The Family of God – A sermon on adoption by Greg Dull
• The Doctrine of Adoption – A Sunday School lesson on the doctrine of adoption by Jimmy Standlea