A Growing Movement
- Posted on 31 July 09 by Michael Monroe
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The Christian Alliance for Orphans held its 2009 annual gathering, Summit V, in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Over 750 people attended the two day event, and as a result many churches and believers across the nation are becoming more engaged in adoption, foster care and orphan care ministry.
The DFW Alliance as well as several of its participating church ministries are members of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. We recently sat down (in a virtual way) with Jedd Medefind, Executive Director of the Christian Alliance, to get his thoughts on the growing orphan care movement and the role the Christian Alliance is playing in the midst of what God is doing.
DFW Alliance: For several years now the DFW Alliance has been focused on seeing churches in Dallas/Ft. Worth work together to serve the ‘fatherless’ in Jesus’ name. Tell us what you are seeing happen in churches all across the U.S. when it comes to adoption, foster care and international orphan care ministry?
Jedd: As a woman from North Carolina expressed to me today, “I feel like God is waking people to care for orphans everywhere I go.” I saw this last month at a gathering of a couple dozen friends in Chattanooga to discuss what God might be inviting them to do together to aid orphans. I saw the same thing in San Francisco last week with a group of businessmen. I heard it from a Kenyan I met in the airport in Addis Ababa a few weeks ago. It strikes me that across so many locations, denominations, and economic backgrounds, several key themes keep recurring. There’s a waking awareness to the astounding need of orphans, both worldwide and nearby. There’s a growing understanding that real Christian discipleship includes standing with the vulnerable and hurting. And there’s a budding vision for bringing honor to Christ in the broader culture by becoming a people defined by tangible love for orphans. When you see these same elements bubbling up in such different places, it is hard not to conclude that there is a single Source…and that He has remarkable things planned for His church if we continue responding to His invitations.
DFW Alliance: The Christian Alliance recently held its fifth annual conference, Summit V. Tell us a little about what happened at Summit V.
Jedd: As I mentioned, it is clear God is rousing the hearts of believers to reflect His love for the orphan. This is a diverse movement, sprouting up all across the country, and the Summit has become a sort of central hub for this waking. This year, more than 750 people converged on Dallas for Summit V—drawn by their love for Christ and commitment to orphans. Some were new to orphan issues, eager to learn what is happening and where God might want to use them. Some were in the early stages of establishing a ministry within their church, and returned home armed with fresh knowledge, resources and contacts. Still others were lifelong veterans in the “fields of the fatherless,” and came both to share insight and to forge new partnerships in service. I think just about everyone came away both inspired to act and freshly equipped to do so. I keep hearing about remarkable fruit being born as a result—from partnerships between organizations that used to compete with each other, to new church-based ministries, to major decisions in individual lives as well. For instance, a family I talked with today has begun the process of adopting three siblings in Uganda as a result of things that happened at Summit V. We’d love to have anyone who shares a passion for orphans—whether recently veterans or new to the movement—join us for Summit VI in Minneapolis, MN on April 29-30, 2010.
DFW Alliance: On a personal level, you and your wife recently traveled to Ethiopia and returned with a new addition to your family. How has that experience and your adoption journey changed you?
Jedd: My wife and I have both spent significant time in the developing world. But something about the adoption process, as well as time we spent in orphanages we visited while in Ethiopia, has impacted our hearts more deeply than anything before ever had. Perhaps it is the process of becoming so intertwined with the life of a single orphan. When I look into the eyes of my precious little daughter, it is hard not to think of countless other children we left behind. It deepens my passion for both orphan care and adoption, and makes me so very thankful to get to pour my energies into the work of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
DFW Alliance: Many people look at today’s situation regarding orphans and think to themselves, “I can’t adopt or become a foster parent or even travel to Africa.” What would you say to them about how God might be calling them to become involved on behalf of orphans and children at-risk?
Jedd: There is definitely an important role for any person desiring to become involved in service to orphans. Alongside the adoptive parents, foster families and those in full-time orphan work, we need a whole army of people willing to join the work in countless other ways. These range from mentoring a foster youth a few hours a month, to sponsoring a child through an overseas ministry, to providing a little babysitting for an adoptive family that’s stretched a bit thin. If you really desire to serve, there are no shortages of good uses for the gifts you have to give. The main thing I’d encourage is just not to wait for the “perfect opportunity”; just take small steps to serve with what’s in front of you, and God will surely draw you deeper over time.
DFW Alliance: What are some of the other plans that the Christian Alliance has to help more Christians engage in serving the orphan?
Jedd: One initiative I’m particularly excited about is Orphan Sunday, planned for November 8, 2009. Across America and beyond, local believers will be using this day to spotlight the needs of orphans, God’s passion for the fatherless, and what we can do in response. While each event will be locally led, together they will add up to a powerful, united voice echoing nationwide. Together, we affirm that God’s people will be known for reflecting His deep love for the orphan. In October, Christian Alliance media partners—including Shaohannah’s Hope, Focus on the Family, and Hope for Orphans—will join in the annual CRY of the Orphan campaign to build national energy for Orphan Sunday. In addition, the Christian Alliance will provide materials and resources to support local efforts—from sample bulletin inserts to posters and other materials that can be used to build events. We’re encouraging people to start planning now for how they can make the most of Orphan Sunday: from a fundraiser concert or a prayer gathering, to a sermon or Sunday School class.
DFW Alliance: What do you see as the primary value of having a collaborative organization like the Christian Alliance for Orphans?
Jedd: For the members of the Christian Alliance, joining together is foremost about a vision that is larger than any one of us or our organizations or projects. To a watching world, it is an all-too-rare picture of the church unified, serving the fatherless in both word and deed, bearing poignant testimony to the character of our God. To draw from John Piper, it is the visible Gospel. But while this vision transcends individual organizations, it also advances the key goals of each more than individual effort possibly could. Our unified voice can impact far more than the sum of our parts—seeking to ignite the hearts of God’s people to reflect His heart for the orphan. Drawing upon our shared resources, we can help equip individuals and churches for effective church-based orphan ministry. And, by being interlinked through the Christian Alliance, we can grow the effectiveness and collaboration among Christian orphan-serving organizations. We welcome anyone who shares a heart for this vision to join us—whether as an organization, a church or individual.
DFW Alliance: Thanks Jedd, and many thanks to the Christian Alliance for Orphans for helping to engage the Church to more fully live out God’s heart for the orphan.
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