Sharing our Why with the Church
by Chayli Duerson
The 2023 CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans) Conference was an event full of connection, learning, worship, and more. You can watch the recorded sessions at CAFO.org.
One of my greatest takeaways came from the More the Enough Initiative. For a community to be more than enough for foster care, the following is essential:
Wrap-around support like respite and childcare
Biological family services
Youth support
Identifying foster, kinship and adoption families
Professional services (ex: medical providers accepting Medicaid)
Child welfare system support
Care sharing resources like foster closets
I realized how much room for improvement exists for my community, especially the role my church can play.
The question was raised during the breakout session. How can we engage churches to action?
To do this, we must remove friction so churches will get involved. What is friction? Friction can be stepping outside of the comfortable and familiar to the unknown and unfamiliar, even the confusing.
On the other hand, what fuels involvement? Incentives, clear communication, and proven models like T.R.A.C. and T.R.A.C.life help motivate people to get involved.
The church is an essential part of the mission at Teen Reach.
Sharing our why should not be difficult or long-winded. An easy, powerful, and simple way to share our why is as easy as the following:
We believe no one should _________.
We believe everyone does _________.
We know what it feels like to _______.
The theme for CAFO Summit was Living Unhurried. While we have an urgent mission, we need to take time to rest, step back, and commune with God without the distraction and busyness that life can bring. In so doing, we’ll rediscover our why and find renewed passion and vision for the new year ahead.
