How Can You Be Involved: Orphan & Stand Sunday

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Orphan and Stand Sunday is a movement of organizations, churches, and individuals who want to make a difference in the world.  

Deuteronomy 14:29 calls us to use our resources to help those in need.
James 1:27 calls us to do for the orphans.

Flourish Foster Care Closet & Support, Inc helps to bridge the gap between the need and meeting the need of children in foster care and their families.

As a new organization, we are focused providing immediate needs for children coming into the system.  Here is how you can help locally....

Photo by Chayene Rafaela on Unsplash

How Can I Pray for Foster Children & Orphans?

• Pray for One - Visit AdoptUsKids.org and enter in a bit of information to receive a list of children awaiting adoption in your area.  Pick a child or sibling set and begin to pray.  Pray daily for these children who so desperately want to be adopted and are waiting.
• Pray for Families - If you know a foster family, become intentional about prayer for them.  Many needs come with each foster child and it is a challenge to meet those needs.  Pray for provision and how you might be able to do more to help. 
• Pray for Local Organizations - Pray for your church to become more involved in meeting the needs of local foster children and families.  There are organizations every where whose desire is to lift up foster children, provide, give them dignity and hope.  Put these organizations on your prayer list and always feel free to reach out to ask for needs you can be praying over. 
• Pray for Our Nation - On any given day, there are around 443,o00 children in the foster care system in the United States and in 2017 over 690,000 children spent time in the system.  We need a nation on it's knees in prayer for families and children.  People are broken and children are in the wake of the consequences of brokenness.
• Pray for our World - Pray for and get involved with international organizations as well.  As these organizations work to be the hands and feet of Jesus around the world, ask yourself and be in prayer over what you an do to help.  

What Does the Bible Say About Orphans?

• Proverbs 31:8-9 calls us who can speak to speak up for those who can not.  We see this in the foster care system through foster families, caseworkers, judges, CASA's, etc.  There is a system that is set up to speak for these children.  Sometimes that system falls silent.  That is why it is important for us as individuals to also speak up when we see a need or injustice.
• Deuteronomy 14:29 calls us to take care of the orphans and children in need through the resources that God has provided us.   His grace and provisions will never run out when we are obedient to this calling.  Small acts of faithfulness and love of believers for the vulnerable children shows the grand love that our Father has for them.
• James 1:27  means different things for different people but the message is solid.  We must care for the orphans and it is our purest work for God.  For some, this means adoption and for others it means stepping forward to meet a need.

Flourish Foster Care Closet & Support, Inc was created to help the community walk out these verses.  Spend some time in prayer over these verse, praying them back to the Father and asking how you can do more.

How Can My Church Participate in Orphan & Stand Sunday?

• Visit the Christian Alliance for Orphans and register your organization or church to receive access to their tool kits.
• You can participate in Orphan Sunday through sermons or Sunday school classes, prayer groups, or reach out to the community to provide with meals, fundraisers, or even live concerts.
• Participation for Stand Sunday can go alongside Orphan Sunday. This is a time to take a stand against neglect, abuse, or abandonment of children in Foster Care.  This is a time to pray about how the needs of these children can be met; through support, donations, opening more homes for foster care, and more hearts for adoption. 

Photo by Shanna Camilleri on Unsplash

How Can You Support Flourish Foster Care and Support, Inc.?

• Monetary Donations are crucial to helping meet the needs of the community.  Some children come into foster care with specific needs and funding helps meet those difficult needs, from new carseats to formula for infants, your donations are important.
• Item Donations are what keep our closet running.  Every item of clothing is inspected and sorted by condition, gender, and season.  Our goal is to create a free shopping experience for foster children and their families. Your clothing and item donations are important.  Visit our donation page to learn more about what is needed most. 
• Time Donation is what keeps our organization functioning through volunteer work.  The simple act of organizing and hanging items is needed greatly.  We are also always looking for professionals would would love to offer classes for foster families to help them stay certified.  

How to Donate