Faith to Action Archives | Church Engagement

Lectio Divina: Listening to God’s Heart for Children

The Faith to Action Initiative works to educate and mobilize Christians to respond to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children, upholding the vital importance of family and community. In doing so, we engage with a variety of different Christian traditions with the goal of working together to care for children and families in collaboration and unity. Evidence-based research, case studies, and learning from fellow orphan care practitioners are vital to growth in this field. As Christians, we have the additional dimension of being guided by a faith that leads us to action. We believe that it is of [...]

Lectio Divina: Listening to God’s Heart for ChildrenAllison Coble2024-01-17T17:22:21-05:00

CAFO Webinar on How to Be a Welcoming Church for Special Needs Foster & Adoptive Families

Today, November 18th from 2-3pm EST, Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) will host a webinar on helping welcome and support special needs foster and adoptive families. As special needs and older child programs are on the rise, this means churches need to be prepared to accommodate families affected by disability or complex trauma. Shannon Dingle will share five ways your church can be a safe place for these children and teens, drawing from experience as a special educator, a disability ministry leader, and a mom to six by birth and adoption. You can register for this webinar here. [...]

CAFO Webinar on How to Be a Welcoming Church for Special Needs Foster & Adoptive FamiliesAllison Coble2024-01-17T18:06:15-05:00

New Journeys of Faith Study Series Materials Now Available!

Sunday, November 8th is Orphan Sunday, an opportunity for Christians around the world to collectively impel and activate church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan. In celebration of Orphan Sunday, Faith to Action is pleased to announce the launch of our new Journeys of Faith Study Series! This series, Caring for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: A Study Guide for Journeys of Faith, provides an introduction and overview on topics related to family-based care for orphans and vulnerable children. The series was developed in response to the Journeys of Faith pilot study completed last year. [...]

New Journeys of Faith Study Series Materials Now Available!Allison Coble2024-03-11T11:37:40-04:00

Fuller Theological Seminary: Equipping Students in Family-Based Care

Tags: Community Strengthening Fuller Theological Seminary is helping students thoughtfully understand and support evidence-based practices in action as practitioners. Thought leaders around the country at centers of learning like the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller, work to mold the experienced, as well as the inexperienced, into practitioners who go into the world to implement orphan care practices that align with the best interests of children. Fuller Theological Seminary’s Dr. David Scott, Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies and Children at Risk, and Dr. Sheryl Ryan, Adjunct Faculty in the School of Intercultural Studies, are two [...]

Fuller Theological Seminary: Equipping Students in Family-Based CareAllison Coble2024-01-17T17:54:57-05:00

An Introduction to Better Volunteering on Behalf of Orphans and Vulnerable Children

In recent years, a trend has been on the rise where travelers and short-term mission groups volunteer in residential care facilities with children. When traveling to economically poor countries, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the difficulties that orphans and vulnerable children face, and it is natural to want to take action, but how we engage can make a world of difference. Motivations for volunteering are diverse, and most visitors have good intentions. Many Christian groups have made these types of visits to orphanages during short-term missions trips to provide care for orphans. Other volunteers make this part [...]

An Introduction to Better Volunteering on Behalf of Orphans and Vulnerable ChildrenAllison Coble2024-01-17T17:52:47-05:00

Quietly Investing in the Zimbabwean Church

Tags: Community Strengthening Where would you go if your family were on the verge of separation because you could no longer afford to feed your children? What if your support system—family, friends, community—were all in the midst of similar circumstances themselves and unable to help you? Whom would you trust? In Zimbabwe, Forgotten Voices highlights how the local church is in a unique position to support family preservation, and how this kind of work is pursued with tenacity and faithfulness. Otto Monroy, Vice President of Forgotten Voices, believes that strengthening the church is a critical [...]

Quietly Investing in the Zimbabwean ChurchAllison Coble2024-01-17T17:49:47-05:00

International Wholistic Missions Conference in Peoria, AZ this week!

The International Wholistic Missions Conference will commence for a third time April 29th through May 1st in Peoria, AZ with the goal of equipping Christians, churches and organization for word and deed ministries that transform lives and communities. This year's theme is "The Whole Church on Mission" with tracks for On Mission to the Poor, the City, the Workplace and more. As part of the track for On Mission to a Broken World, Leadership Council member Elli Oswald will represent Faith to Action. Elli will facilitate a workshop on Orphans and Vulnerable Children: How Churches Can Support Family and [...]

International Wholistic Missions Conference in Peoria, AZ this week!Allison Coble2024-01-17T19:13:10-05:00

The Jubilee Centre: Transforming Zambian Communities through the Local and Global Church

Tags: Community Strengthening In 1999 Lawrence and Martha Temfwe founded the Jubilee Centre in Zambia. The center empowers and trains churches in under-resourced communities to give integral care to all people — especially orphans and vulnerable children — and bring change to their communities. Currently, they are serving over 94 churches and have a staff of 13 people. Zambia has a great need for community-based orphan care. “Zambia has a long road ahead,” says Lawrence Temfwe. In this country, over 1,700,000 are orphans and vulnerable children, which is 12 percent of the population, and nearly [...]

The Jubilee Centre: Transforming Zambian Communities through the Local and Global ChurchAllison Coble2024-01-17T19:11:29-05:00

Upcoming Webinar from CAFO on February 25th!

Every month, Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), hosts a webinar series in order to give local advocates access to the knowledge and experience of top Alliance member churches and organizations nationwide. Webinars cover key topics on adoption, foster care and/or global orphan care. Each webinar is hosted by a local church orphan ministry and co-presented by one or more national experts on the subject matter. This month's webinar is entitled, "Telling Your Story," and it will focus on the importance of how you tell the story of your ministry to engage others in the work of caring for children. This [...]

Upcoming Webinar from CAFO on February 25th!Allison Coble2024-01-17T19:06:59-05:00

Responding to the Ebola Epidemic

With the largest Ebola epidemic in human history continuing to unfold before the world’s eyes, we have seen the toll it has taken on many aspects of several West African nations. Death is only part of this tragedy. With nearly 5,000 deaths and rising, the question demands an answer- what does this mean for children impacted by this epidemic? According to UNICEF, more than 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the outbreak’s start, with over half of these cases coming from Liberia alone. These numbers [...]

Responding to the Ebola EpidemicAllison Coble2024-01-17T19:30:18-05:00

Gotcha Day: Local Churches Support Adoptions and Families

Tags: Adoption | Foster Care | Transitioning | Community Strengthening | Economic Empowerment In our family we have “Gotcha Day” celebrations for our two adopted children. It’s a special day each year when we celebrate and relive the story of bringing home a baby from Russia to become a part of our family. We have fun with cake and a special meal then sit together and go through the photo album. We remember all the special events surrounding the adoption and becoming a new family. I believe our Gotcha Day celebrations [...]

Gotcha Day: Local Churches Support Adoptions and FamiliesAllison Coble2024-01-17T19:28:25-05:00

Considering Poverty in Orphan Care

For many orphans, poverty is a common denominator. Some children become orphans because the lack of adequate food, clean water, or health care resulted in the death of one or both of their parents. Other children have been placed in the care of orphanages by living parents who cannot supply for their children’s needs because of poverty. Because poverty is a factor in so many children becoming orphans, understanding orphan care requires an understanding of poverty. In fact, the Bible beseeches us not merely to fight poverty, but to understand poverty. Psalm 41:1 reads, “Blessed is he who considers [...]

Considering Poverty in Orphan CareAllison Coble2024-01-17T19:27:48-05:00