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Reluctant to foster a child? That's normal but think about this

[Photo Credit: iStock/PeopleImages]

“Just so you know, our church isn’t involved in foster care or adoption. It’s just not something we do.”

The pastor of a prominent, long-standing church said that to me recently as we were having lunch to discuss how we might work together. I paused before I responded to him.

I believe our mission as believers is to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus to all those He places in our path. That’s a broad definition, and it could include a lot of different activities. Yet Scripture is specific about including certain elements in all of our faith journeys. 

In James 1:27, we are commanded as followers of Jesus to care for widows and orphans, as these individuals are among the most vulnerable.

Of course, reluctance to enter the foster care ministry is understandable. Jesus often asks us to do difficult things. More than 30 years ago, my wife and I personally became foster parents for our overwhelmed county agency. Despite significant preparation and training, it was incredibly challenging ...

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