By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
MONROE, La. – The Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association has become the first participant in the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries’ new model to help associations better engage churches in foster care and adoption ministry.
Adopted by messengers during its association annual meeting, Oct. 3 at Walker Baptist Church, the partnership encourages a coordination of efforts to serve the foster care community as an association and provides a more streamlined approach to meet urgent needs.
LBCHFM President and CEO Perry Hancock encouraged messengers and guests at the meeting to consider how God is calling them to serve.
“Everyone is not called to foster and adopt, but everyone can help in some way to care for vulnerable children and families,” Hancock said. “By becoming a foster parent, you can show a child the hope and healing that is found only in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Under this new approach that was introduced during a meeting at Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association in late January, an associational foster care and adoption ministry coordinator (trained by LBCHFM staff) will organize foster care and adoption ministry efforts throughout his or her association. Through this model, the association can establish support groups for foster parents, provide life essentials for foster children and sponsor events for foster families.
The coordinator will serve multiple roles:
— recruit a foster care and adoption ministry director in each associational church;
— work closely with Connect1Child staff to develop relationships (among Department of Children and Family Services and community partners) to identify resources and understand ongoing needs within the foster care community; and
— serve as a point-of-contact for DCFS and community partners to communicate needs to associational churches.
Larry Hubbard, pastor of Riverside Baptist Church, Denham Springs, and association moderator, expressed excitement about the partnership.
“Our Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home minis[1]try, Connect1Child, has provided the vision, structure, and practical advice to minister to foster care parents in Livingston Parish,” Hubbard said. “In a day when many families have been devastated by destructive behavior, leaving children isolated from the essentials of family life, Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association is proclaiming and living out the Gospel through Connect1Child which will transform the hearts of these children and their parents.”
Richard Blue, associational missions coordinator, added that the partnership will provide another opportunity for children and families to hear the Gospel.
“Connect1Child will provide churches with the opportunity to engage in a Matthew 25:40 ministry, ‘And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me,’” he said. “Con[1]nect1Child will be a step in helping to mend broken families and providing children with hope for their future.”
The move comes on the heels of “Stand Sunday.” On Nov. 13, churches will be encouraged to dedicate one Sunday to call their congregations to care for vulnerable children and families.
For information about Stand Sunday and foster care through Con[1]nect1Child Ministry, call 318.343.2244 or visit lbch.org.
