Orphan Sunday Campaign on a Roll!
With the 2011 Orphan Sunday campaign just underway, myriad events are already brewing. Across the U.S, plans are being laid for city-wide concerts and multi-church gatherings….church services and Sunday School classes…more. Individual families making plans, too, including the Orphan’s Table meal, along with prayer and discussion.
Like never before, the vision is starting to spread around the world, too. The new Russian language website recently launched for Ukraine and Russia. Additional new-language sites are in the works, too. And local campaigns are starting up from the Philippines to Romania to Kenya.
Orphan Sunday is a chance for anyone to spread the vision of God’s love for the fatherless in a church, community or family! Harness the many RESOURCES and easy-to-use EVENT IDEAS on the Orphan Sunday website, and then post your plans on the EVENT MAP!
Step Forward for Orphans
The Alliance does not lobby government, but we’re keenly aware that public policy can dramatically impact orphans. So, we want our networks to be aware of key developments in Washington, DC.
The upcoming “Step Forward for Orphans March” will spotlight the need to address the serious problems in the inter-country adoption system, which ultimately hurt children and discourage adoption. The march is intended to make a positive statement, building public awareness that the current system can be significantly improved. It is one piece of the ongoing Both Ends Burning campaign to improve the process of international adoption. See the invitation video and more information.
NEW! Easy Orphan Sunday Idea
Consider making the Orphan’s Table part of your Orphan Sunday, whether with family, friends or the whole church. We’ll ship you an easy-to-cook meal package—the same food provided to feed orphans worldwide—along with a prayer and discussion guide. You may also want to pair the meal with the national webcast, LIVE from Kansas City, joining Christians worldwide in GUIDED PRAYER and WORSHIP for the fatherless.
Upcoming Conferences
A number of excellent conferences across the country are scheduled for the months ahead, including:
The Pure Religion Adoption & Orphan Care Conference is August 12-13 in Raleigh, NC, emphasizing both the Gospel roots of a vision for adoption and orphan care, as well as practical guidance for both personal and church action.
Hope for Orphans Institute will be held September 16 & 17 at the Hope Center in Plano, Texas. This conference will equip not only orphan ministry leaders but also families struggling with challenging adoptions. It will feature experts in equipping the church to deal directly with the pre- and post-adoption challenges of children with special needs and high risk profiles. It will also include CEU’s for professionals.
The Empowered to Connect Conference will be September 23-24 in Nashville, TN. This 2-day conference sponsored by Show Hope is for adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals. It is designed to help them better understand how to connect with children from hard places in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be.
Hope at Home will be held at Northlands Church in Norcross, GA on September 23-24. It’s designed for adoptive parents, providing both spiritual encouragement and practical parenting help, along with local connections with other adoptive families.
The Together for Adoption Conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ on October 21-22. This annual conference will include rich theological exploration, as well as practical instruction on a wide range of topics related to adoption, foster care and global orphan care.
The Tapestry Conference will be held on Saturday, October 29th, at Irving Bible Church. With more than twenty breakout sessions to choose from, this year’s free Tapestry Conference promises to be the most informative yet. Childcare is available.
The “Wounded Children, Healing Homes” Conference at Salem Church of God will focus on the emotional and spiritual needs of adoptive and foster families, many who find themselves parenting children who have come from hard places. It will be held Saturday, November 12, as the first of its kind for the Dayton, OH area.
