Hope 1:17

Isaiah 1:17 says "Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

There's a whole lot in that verse, but Hope 1:17 is choosing to focus on defending the cause of the fatherless. Hope 1:17 is a new ministry of our church that is going to focus on orphan care and adoption.

There are somewhere between 140-163 million orphans in the world. Statistics vary widely, but each of those numbers represent a child. A child who has already endured too much hardship here on this earth. A child who has experienced great loss and will carry that loss with them through life. A child that deserves hope. A child who needs someone to believe in them.

Some would say that the numbers are too staggering and we can't help them all. I suppose we cannot, but I believe God calls us to action. He calls us to make a difference even if it's only for one. There are so many ways to help...you can pray, you can give, you can go and visit orphans, you can adopt, you can foster, you can sponsor a child or children.

There are so many potential outpourings from this ministry: pre-adoption support, post adoption support, adoption education, adoption Bible study, orphan mission trips, orphan sponsorships, orphan advocacy opportunities, foster care opportunities. The list goes on and on. But we cannot do it all right from the beginning, so the ministry will start small and then build as we gain momentum and more leadership.

We'd love for you to join us if you have a passion for orphan care or adoption. As we work to defend the cause of the fatherless, we are praying that God would raise up an army of people who have this same passion and are willing to put their faith into action and do something....for at least one!