3BLESSING THE LORD
5WHY I GIVE
Fall Edition 2014
1
RESPONDING TO CHILD ABUSE
7
SAVE THE DATE! CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
A
ccording to Governor Robert Bentley, there are 29,000 cases of child abuse involving 45,000 victims in Alabama this year. How disheartening is this statistic! Because of the enormity of this issue, Governor Bentley announced plans to implement statewide initiatives to prevent and recognize cases of child abuse in its earliest stages. As Christians, what can we do for these children and their families? The state agency that is responsible for investigating these claims and deciding if intervention is needed is the Department of Human Resources (DHR). Pray daily for Nancy Buckner, the DHR commissioner. It is hard to imagine the enormity of her job. She needs our prayers. Find out who your county DHR director is and pray for them daily as well. For many hurting families, DHR might be their first point of contact. God still works through civil authorities and Christians have a specific responsibility to pray for the people that God has put in positions of authority. There are some very practical things that Christians can do to help children facing these traumatic situations. Here are a few suggestions:
h Keep your eyes and ears open. The best time to respond to child abuse is before it occurs. Many families do not have extended family or a faith family to create a social support system for them. Perhaps your small group or
1
your church can become extended family for a family that has exhausted all of their resources. In the vast majority of cases, parents and caregivers do not intend to abuse their child. By creating caring communities that can be there for discouraged and overwhelmed families, we can prevent many cases of suspected child abuse or neglect.
h If you have concerns that a child is being mistreated, always take these concerns very seriously. Do not be afraid to report suspected abuse or neglect to the police or to DHR. Your identity will be kept confidential and you may alert the appropriate authorities to a problem situation while it is still small enough to be manageable.
h If you have concern for a family, help them find appropriate help. Professional counselors who are specially trained to work with families in hard places can offer great suggestions for effective parenting and discipline. If you notice a large group of families in crisis in your community, pray for the best way to respond. Perhaps your church could begin a group for families in need of extra support.
h Consider sponsoring a foster family. When children need to be removed from their home for a period, foster families are frequently called upon to care for the children. This is a very challenging role. Find a local foster care agency and ask if there is a family that you could support through prayers, clothes and supplies for the children, encouraging cards, or perhaps birthday cakes for the kids in their care. There are about 5,000 children in Alabama’s foster care system. Our great foster parents are heroes! Thank you, Governor Bentley, for reminding us of the gravity of this situation. How can we who are followers of Christ respond to all of the “least of these” (both children and overwhelmed parents) who are represented by these alarming statistics? I know it’s an overused phrase, but what would Jesus do? To learn more about how Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries works alongside children and families going through difficult situations such as abuse and neglect, visit www.alabamachild.org.
Rod
Sincerely, Rod Marshall President/CEO
For privacy reasons, photos throughout may not be the images of those featured in the stories.
2
Philip* is an active and energetic 11 year old boy who recently accepted Christ into his heart. He first came to Pathways Professional Counsling when his parents were in the process of adopting him, with a team of our counselors helping him transition into his forever family. Now, Philip wants to share his story with you!
I
am Philip. I am 11 years old. I was adopted into the family of God when I became a Christian on March 30, 2014. Before my mom and dad found me when I was six, I had been abused in many terrible ways.
Six years ago, God rescued me when he led my mom and dad to find me. My momma and daddy realized I was their third son. They fought for me because they knew I was theirs. One year later, I was adopted into my forever family where I have a momma and daddy, two big brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who all love me. Even though I was born in and lived in the South, I had never heard of Jesus. I did not know who God was. My momma and daddy told me who Jesus was the day they met me. They told me God had created me and loved me very much. They shared the gospel with me many times and taught me how to read using the Bible. They loved me, cared for me, and made sure I felt safe. They constantly reminded me that God had rescued me because He loved me and had great plans for me. I learned the gospel, and I learned how to pray. I prayed every day confessing my sins.
“
I told her I was ready to totally commit to Jesus and trust Him as my Lord and Savior.
”
Over the past four years, I have had opportunities daily to repent and turn to Jesus and trust in Him as my Lord and Savior. However, I kept telling my mom and dad that I was not ready. I trusted them, but I wasn’t ready to let anyone else be in charge of me. Until my momma and daddy found me, the adults in my life had made bad choices and decisions and had hurt me terribly. Even though I knew God had rescued me, created me, and had even died for me to take the punishment for my sins, I didn’t want Him in charge of me. I didn’t want to make Him number one in my life. I didn’t want to trust Him completely. I still had bad thoughts towards the people who hurt me and I didn’t want to give up those bad thoughts. I kept asking my mom how could I be a believer and follower of Christ if I still wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me. On March 30, my pastor preached from John 15:5. Near the end of the sermon he quoted A. W. Tozer. He said that Tozer had written, “God cannot use greatly those He has not hurt deeply.”
3
the Lord at
all times I looked at my mom and said, “God has hurt me deeply.” She said that yes, He had. I then told her that God would use me greatly. She told me that God would only use me greatly if I fully committed to Him, if I trusted Him to be in charge of my whole life and made Him number one in my life. I told her I was ready. She said ready for what? I told her I was ready to totally commit to Jesus and trust Him as my Lord and Savior. God has already been faithful to His promise to use me greatly. In July, God put in me a boldness to share my testimony and the gospel with a teenage Mormon girl in Wyoming. He also gave me the courage to share my testimony and the gospel with the man who owned the beer truck at the baseball game where my brother was pitching this summer. There are many people who impacted my life and showed me the love of Jesus. It would take too long to mention all of them, but I do want to thank Rod Marshall and Lisa Keane from Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes who spent hours and hours for four years teaching me I was not made for hurting, and helped me learn to trust adults in my life. They also helped me learn ways to have impulse control. They taught me and showed me that I was valuable in God’s eyes. I also want to thank the teachers and principals at (my school) who showed me and taught me about God’s love. At my adoption worship service, I chose Psalm 34:1−3 (ESV) as my life verse. “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!”
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
4
I
was recently asked by an ABCH staff member why it is that I give to their ministry. As I pondered the question, I realized that I have many reasons. Some of my motivations come from global concepts, but other times, my financial support is motivated by items a bit more personal. Globally speaking, I want to be a person of faith. I desire to give. I always strive to be a good steward of God’s resources. Consequently, I examine my giving in light of God’s Word. Most will agree that scripture tells us to give to those who cannot take care of their own needs, whether that is the poor, the fatherless, or the widow. Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH) was a natural missions partner for me, because they are doing the very things the Bible calls me to do. On a more individual level, I want to help children and families because of my own father. My dad was the proverbial tough man. He didn’t like small talk. His mannerisms were gruff at best. Outside of church, he rarely had any type of social interaction. To meet him, you would think he had a bit of a hard heart. Your assumption would be accurate except for one thing. My father adored kids. His face lit up when he saw children playing. That same face would become furrowed immediately when he saw a child in need. Some of the greatest memories of my dad happened at the local grocery store. I cannot count the number of times I witnessed him buy something for a child that their mother couldn’t afford. Often times, he would offer his money rather than watch the kid at the register put an item back on the shelf. My dad wasn’t a millionaire or a philanthropist; he was an ordinary man that touched hundreds of lives because he was willing to dig a little deeper into his own pockets. That loving and generous man died just after my first child was born. At the time, my grief was compounded by the notion that my father who loved children would not see his own grandchildren grow. However, going through the grieving and healing process, the Lord has shown me some beautiful ways I can continue his legacy. Giving to ABCH helps me to honor my own father. Like him in the local store, I want to give immediately. I want to give where I am. I want to impact the next generation because that gives me the opportunity to “outlive” my own life. I want to teach my own children (and his grandchildren) to be generous and compassionate. Most of all, I want to ensure
why
5
igive
“...he was an ordinary man that touched hundreds of lives because he was willing to dig a little deeper into his own pockets.�
WRITTEN BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR
that children who do not have the same loving and supportive environment that I knew as a child, have resources and options through ABCH. Even though I have multiple reasons for generosity toward ABCH, any one of my explanations would be reason enough to give. However, the idea that there are several motivating factors inspires my giving all the more. In fact, like my father, it makes me want to dig just a little deeper into my own pockets.
6
BIRMINGHAM
PAID
PERMIT 2036
NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE
the DATE Christmas Open House Events 2014
T
his Christmas season, the children in our care want to open up their home to you at our Christmas Open House events. Make sure you come to a Christmas Open House event near you!
Dothan Friday, December 5, 6–8 PM 368 County Line Road, Dothan, AL 36305 334-677-7856 / dothan@abchome.org Decatur Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM 1404 16th Avenue SE, Decatur, AL 35601 256-355-6893 / decatur@abchome.org Mobile Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM 6512 Grelot Road, Mobile, AL 36695 251-639-1022 / mobile@abchome.org Oxford Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM 1931 Donna Drive, Oxford, AL 36203 256-831-4081 / oxford@abchome.org
All Open House events are FREE. If you’d like to help provide for a child at Christmas or help support children in foster care throughout the coming year, gifts will be accepted at each site and receipts can be provided for gifts received by check.
Follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/alabamachild Follow us on Twitter: @AlabamaChildOrg
Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries P.O. Box 361767 Birmingham, AL 35236-1767
More details are available at www.alabamachild.org/openhouse.