What is Kinship Placement?

The good folks at Wait No More, an initiative of Focus on the Family, asked me to write an article on kinship care.

“You may have wondered before, “What is kinship care?” If you are caring for a relative’s children, you may not have heard the term “kinship placement” before you welcomed them into your home. I once met a grandfather who told me, “I didn’t know anyone else who was raising their grandkids—or that there was a name for it!”

“An estimated 1 in 30 children in the United States today live in a kinship placement. That number works out to about one child in every classroom or several children in any neighborhood! You are not alone…”

Read the rest of the article here.

Supporting Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

When my sister read the article that I just published at Focus on the Family, she commented, “I personally never considered how I could help youth aging out of foster care.”

That’s coming from my own sister, who hears me talk about foster care all the time, who has been a dedicated aunt to 13 foster children, and who personally has a heart for adoption.

If she hasn’t thought about transitional age youth, maybe you haven’t either!

The statistics on youth aging out of foster care are grim, but they don’t tell the whole story. There is great work being done to help them succeed, and many are overcoming the odds beautifully.

Here’s the article. I would be honored if you shared it!

Focus on the Family article

Churches Partnering Around the World

Looking for ideas about mission trips and partnerships?

Over the past few years, Food for the Hungry has asked me to write a series of articles on churches who work with them overseas. These stories come from churches across the United States, partnering in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Here’s a collection of stories highlighting innovative and life-transforming work!

https://www.fh.org/2018/07/24/discovering-mission-trips/
https://www.fh.org/2018/08/22/local-church/
https://www.fh.org/2018/06/27/partnership/
https://www.fh.org/2018/05/18/church-impact-seven-small-ways/
https://www.fh.org/2018/05/18/church-impact-seven-small-ways/
https://www.fh.org/2018/04/13/pastors-discover-vibrant-people/
https://www.fh.org/2018/03/05/volunteer/
https://www.fh.org/2018/02/05/one-sunday-change-world/
https://www.fh.org/2018/01/08/one-church-experiences-joy-giving/
https://www.fh.org/2017/12/11/christmas-iowa-children-earthworms/
https://www.fh.org/2017/11/06/child-sponsorship-texas-pastor/
https://www.fh.org/2017/10/06/engaging-culture/
https://www.fh.org/2017/09/11/church-advocacy/
https://www.fh.org/2017/08/07/georgia-church-missions/
https://www.fh.org/2017/06/12/poverty-in-bolivia/
https://www.fh.org/2017/04/10/missions-partnership/
https://www.fh.org/2017/03/13/u-s-children-send-love-haiti/
https://www.fh.org/2017/02/13/a-bridge-from-the-u-s-to-guatemala/
https://www.fh.org/2016/12/12/clean-water-2/
https://www.fh.org/2016/11/14/missions-movement-parable-project/
https://www.fh.org/2016/08/08/pastor-multiplies-efforts-end-poverty/
https://www.fh.org/2016/06/13/new-mexico-church-integrates-international-missions-local-discipleship/
https://www.fh.org/2016/05/09/california-church-builds-long-term-missions-partnership/
https://www.fh.org/2016/04/11/indiana-church/
https://www.fh.org/2016/03/09/speak-up-for-people-in-poverty/
https://www.fh.org/2016/01/25/missions-program-bolivia/
https://www.fh.org/2015/12/28/north-carolina-church/
https://www.fh.org/2015/10/26/arizona-church-envisions-life-transformation-in-rwanda-and-at-home/

If You Care About Orphans, You Must Understand Poverty

Orphan care goes hand in hand with understanding poverty. Why? Many–if not most–of the world’s orphans and vulnerable children have experienced devastating physical poverty.

If we tackle poverty, it’s possible to actually prevent children from becoming orphans in the first place.

Here’s an excerpt from a post I wrote for the Faith to Action Initiative, where I participate on the leadership council. Continue reading “If You Care About Orphans, You Must Understand Poverty”

Can a church participate in missions if they don’t have a missions pastor?

Yes, they can! Here’s an excerpt from my latest post over at Food for the Hungry.

Recently, I sat down with a pastor who wasn’t sure where to head with his church’s missions strategy.

“I know God is calling my church into missions, but we don’t have a missions pastor on staff,” he said. “I don’t even know where to start.”

My pastor friend is not alone in his predicament. Many church leaders contact my colleagues and me with similar thoughts.

  • “My church wants to add a partnership in Africa, but I don’t have time to manage a new missions project.”
  • “How can we involve our whole congregation in global missions without a missions pastor on staff?”
  • “We need a global strategy that complements our local outreach.”

Read the full post on the FH blog.