Lifeprints Fall 2015

Lifeprints Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries

Fall 2015

THIS ISSUE

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Ways to Partner

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Show Your Colors

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Paving the Rd To Success

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F E AT U R E S

PAVING THE ROAD TO

SUCCESS

by Rod Marshall President/CEO

L

uke 2:52 tells us everything we know about Jesus’ childhood and adolescence. It says simply that, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Wisdom is of great value.

It frequently comes alongside knowledge. Increasing knowledge, growth in strength, and excellent social skills are all qualities that frequently predict success for growing children.

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For privacy reasons, the cover photo is not an actual photo of a child in our care.

Children in our care prepare to excel academically, to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities, and to grow socially through campus involvement and leadership opportunities at school and at their home.

One of the very unique qualities of our ministry is that we have a 100% high school graduation rate for children who are in our care as teens.

Nationally, the average percentage of children in foster care or group homes who graduate from high school is about 57%.

Of those children who graduate from high school while in our care (sometimes referred to as the kids who “age out” of foster care), 70% of them will also graduate from college, which is rather astounding when you consider that nationally, between 3 and 10% of children who grew up in foster care graduate from college.

In 2014, there were 15 young adults who grew up in our care, who we were able to assist in their pursuit of college degrees. Of our kids who do not pursue a college degree, some will earn some college education, while others might go into the military or to some kind of trade school or professional school. Helping our children succeed in life is important to us for many reasons, and earning a degree or continuing to the next level that’s right for them is one of the ways we strive to encourage their success.

At your Alabama Baptist Children’s

Homes & Family Ministries, we have several goals for our children. First and foremost, we want to make sure that they hear and see the gospel and have the opportunity to become followers of Christ. Second, we want these children from hard places to have the opportunity to experience success. We delight in the children who do well in school, who experience success in their part-time jobs, or who exhibit leadership in their church youth groups. It is our desire that children leave our care on a trajectory toward maturity and success.

Finally, it is our desire that our children will also experience success in relationships. Many of the children who come into our care do not know how to manage their emotions. They struggle with assertively asking for what they want or handling frustration when they do not get what they want.

It is our desire that through healthy relationships with house parents, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and their biological or circumstantial siblings, that our children also leave our care prepared for successful relationships.

It is back-to-school time and our children will soon be learning new things. Thanks to your support, they have been learning new things and experiencing new successes ever since they came to us. Thanks for partnering with us to see our children grow in knowledge and stature. Like Jesus, we hope they will also grow in wisdom and in favor both with man, and especially with God.

T he path to success star ts with paving it now while childr en in our car e ar e in elementar y, middle, and high school. If you’d like to know mor e about how to invest in a child’s education with ABCH, please contact K ay Taylor in our Development Of fice at ktaylor@alabamachild. org or call (888)-720-8805.

Fall 2015

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SHOW YOUR COLORS There are

RECREATIONAL FOOTBALL FANS, D I E - H A R D F O O T B A L L FA N S , and then there are

ALABAMA AND AUBURN fans

by Nicole Walker

ALABAMA

AUBURN

Alabamians are familiar with the age-old question that comes up every time we meet someone new to our great state—“Alabama or Auburn?” Face it, we all know someone who has named their dog Bear or their cat Aubie, and each fall, the front porches of our neighborhoods are adorned with flags of crimson and white or orange and blue. One thing is for certain—we are serious

about football in Alabama. So what better way to celebrate this 122 year-old heated rivalry than by going head-to-head in an interview with passionate fans? We interviewed two youth currently in our care at our Decatur campus, Sam* and Peter*, about why they are passionate about their favorite teams and also heard a little from them about life at ABCH.

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Lifeprints

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* Peter

Alabama fan

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* Sam

Auburn fan

Peter will be starting the ninth grade in the fall, and he loves Alabama football! He hopes to one day attend the University of Alabama or a similar school.

Sam recently graduated from high school and starts classes at a local community college this fall.

He plans to take his basic classes there and then go to Auburn.

Why are you an Alabama fan?

I’ve always been an Alabama fan. My granddad encouraged me to be an Alabama fan since I was young.

What are your favorite Alabama game highlights?

All of the national championships are my favorite highlights!

What are your predictions for Alabama this year?

I don’t think we’ll be as good as we’ve been in the past, but we’ll still do well.

Do you have any favorite players?

Julio Jones. I liked his number and that he could catch.

What are your favorite things about living at ABCH? I really like our house parents; they’re great.

Also the pool, our freedom at home, and the basketball court!

Do you have any siblings?

I have one brother and one sister. Both are here with me at the Children’s Homes.

Do you have any advice for new kids coming into care with ABCH? I would tell them don’t lie, steal, or bully.

Follow the rules and listen to your house parents.

Why are you an Auburn fan?

I like Auburn, especially now that my plan is to go to college there. I eventually want to get my doctorate in Pharmacy. Science and math have always been my best subjects, so it made sense to me to go this route. My family has a history of having a hard time keeping a job, and I really want to change that.

What are your favorite Auburn game highlights?

When we won our most recent national championship!

What are your predictions for Auburn this year?

I hope they do well! With coaching changes, they should do better.

What are your favorite things about living at ABCH? I like the independence we have. Mr. Dane, one of our house parents, is pretty lenient.

There are limits, sure, but he allows us to make choices and helps us learn like a loving parent would. I definitely think we have some of the best house parents.

Do you have any siblings?

Biologically, I have 4. My younger sister is at the Children’s Homes with me.

Do you have any advice for new kids coming into care with ABCH? Have an open mind. A lot of times kids will come in who are self-conscious and have a hard time opening up. I try to help break the ice with new kids, especially since I love working with kids. I feel compelled to work with children, and I help lead in our church’s children’s ministry.

* Names have been changed to protect identities.

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WAYS TO PARTNER Church leaders and individuals often ask us how they can best get involved with serving hurting children. This fall, we have some great opportunities for partnerships and involvement, including Orphan Sunday, #GivingTuesday, and our annual Open House events.

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Lifeprints

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Mark your calendar for Orphan Sunday on November 8! Orphan Sunday has become a rallying point for Christians all over the globe to raise awareness for children in need. We are excited to join this movement by helping our partner churches leverage this day for the children we serve. Here are some ideas you may want to consider for your church:

NEEDS LIST DRIVE We have a variety of specific needs at our locations across the state, including household items, cleaning supplies, pantry items, and more. Encourage your church to hold a drive based on the needs of the location closest to you.

What Black Friday is to retailers, #GivingTuesday is to non-profits. On Tuesday, December 1, people from around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give to causes they believe in. It’s a simple idea, and the results from last year were more than we imagined! With your support, we were able to raise $16,836.34! This far surpassed our original goal of $2,400!

This year, we’re setting our sights even higher—$24,000 in 24 hours! Mark this date on you calendar and help us reach this goal!

More details and resources at:

alabamachild.org/GivingTuesday

INVITE A SPEAKER If you want a . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . clear picture concerning our ministry to hurting children, the men and women who serve in our ministry on a daily basis can paint that picture perhaps better than anyone and would love to come Each December, we host our Christmas Open House events at and share with your church. most of our ABCH campuses. Our homes are festively decorated and holCHURCH PROMO MATERIALS iday food abounds, and in many cases, By request, bulletin inserts are availour children provide guided tours for able at no charge to you. We’ve also their guests!

Save the date for the free created two new videos perfect for Open House event near you this year: sharing with your church or small group.

13 WAYS TO SERVE See even more ideas for involvement on our “13 Ways to Serve Children in Need” list at alabamachild.org/13ways.

Dothan

Mobile

Decatur

Oxford

Friday, Dec. 4 5:30PM–7:30PM Sunday, Dec. 6 2:00PM–5:00PM

Sunday, Dec. 6 2:00PM–5:00PM Sunday, Dec. 6 2:00PM–5:00PM

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More details and resources at:

alabamachild.org/OrphanSunday

More details and resources at:

alabamachild.org/OpenHouse Fall 2015

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So far in 2015, nine children in our care have been adopted. Featured here are highlights from the Kelley and Robison families!

KELLEY FAMILY Jake and Blair Kelley expected Emmaline to stay in their care for only a couple of months, but the Lord had a different plan for this sweet little girl.

In July, the Kelley family welcomed Emmaline into their family permanently! This has been the Kelley family’s third adoption through us.

Thank YOU for your support of ABCH, which in part, helps make these adoptions possible. Without the support of our church partners, individuals, and volunteers, we would not be able to carry out our mission of serving hurting children and families across Alabama in the name of Christ.

Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries P.O. Box 361767 Birmingham, AL 35236-1767

ROBISON FAMILY Dan and Debbie Robison welcomed young Richard and Audrey into their family in June after being in their care since August 2013. We’re so excited for Richard and Audrey to call the Robisons their forever family!