Article – The American church and adoption

December 30, 2010

The American church and adoption

48 Comments Written by Anthony Bradley December 29, 10:39 AM

How can America have Christian churches and 115,000 orphans? But that is the case, with a sizable group of Christian families in all 50 states and true orphans lingering in foster care year after year. But what would happen if more pastors and church leaders would adopt orphans or model orphan care in their personal lives? Pastors tend to preach and teach about their interests and practices. And American Christians tend to apply the Bible to real life issues after a pastor or recognized leader stirs up interest. So if church leaders would cast a practice-driven vision for orphan care, churchgoers likely would be challenged to participate in one of the most ancient practices of God’s covenant people (Exodus 22; Deuteronomy 14, 16, 24).

If a church considers itself a comprehensively “biblical” one it should foster a culture of adoption and orphan care as a practice of “true religion” (James 1:26-27). Historically, orphan care has distinguished redeemed people from other people groups in the world. In fact, no other religion in the world has made orphan care a normal aspect of spiritual life like Christianity. A God that has made a series of successive covenants to redeem His entire creation through the work of His Son uniquely has positioned His people to put salvation on full display through redemptive acts like adoption.

On a trip to Atlanta last week I was reminded of the adoption problem as I watched a special Christmas edition of “Wednesday’s Child” on the local Fox 5 television. The program profiles orphaned children who have been permanently severed from their families, and over the years there have been about 600 Atlanta children featured but only about half of them have been adopted. The adoption of 300 children is great news, but placements could be better in a city with such a high concentration of large evangelical churches. In fact, Atlanta Christians alone could adopt all of Georgia’s 1,800 true orphans.

I wonder what would happen if Christians thought of family beyond its sometimes idolatrous, biological constraints? My guess is that adoption would become a part of normative church culture. American orphan statistics would plummet. Several years ago I worked in a church where adoption was a part of the pastor’s practice, as well as the practice of the congregational leaders, and it became a part of the church’s culture. Adoption was on display in the pews on Sundays. It was beautiful to witness.

I certainly do not want to make orphan care any type of new legalism, nor a litmus test for church leadership, but I am convinced that orphans will continue to linger in foster care until more pastors and leaders begin to adopt and teach about their experiences. I’m neither a pastor nor a church leader, but if I were, and were married, I’d be, without question, an adoptive parent and this practice would become a regular part of my teaching and, Lord willing, my church’s culture.

I also recognize that every family cannot adopt orphans for various reasons. But the United States only has 115,000 true orphans. Is the American church so dead that we cannot find 115,000 Christian families willing to adopt? Or maybe churchgoers are simply following their leaders?

Show Announcement – A Home for the Holidays is on Tonight!

December 22, 2010

‘A Home for the Holidays’ is must-see TV

Monday, December 20, 2010 – The Red Thread: An Adoptive Family Forum by Andrea Poe

NEW YORK – Miracle on 34th Street. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Charlie Brown’s Christmas. All must-sees in the days leading up the holidays.

This year there’s another holiday TV event you’ll want to add to your list. “A Home for the Holidays” celebrates adoptive families and brings awareness to foster care kids around the country.

Music stars like Jimmy Wayne, Melissa Etheridge, Ricky Martin, Nelly and Katy Perry will perform and stars like Mira Sorvino and Sharon Osbourne will present awards to special kids and families.

Viewers will be inspired by families who have been created through adoption, like the Cates family from Los Angeles. In 2001, Arthur and Mary Cates met 7-year-old Darnell at an adoption fair. In foster care since birth, Darnell had less than a 30 percent chance of ever being adopted because of his age when they met him. The Cates family adopted him and he’s now 16 years old.

“I’ve experienced a new world full of hope and have overcome that sadness. It feels like I’ve been with my parents my whole life,” says Darnell.

And, thanks to a chance meeting at an adoption event in 2007, the Cates family expanded again when they met and adopted two foster kids named Sierra and Phillip.

There are more than a half-million children in the foster care system in America and over 114,000 of them are currently eligible for adoption, looking for permanent and loving homes. This holiday program will uplift and hopefully transform lives.

A Home for the Holidays will run on CBS on December 22nd from 8 – 9 p.m. EST.

Mid America Motorworks group provides foster families with holiday cheer

December 21, 2010

Mid America Motorworks group provides foster families with holiday cheer

12.16.2010– Effingham, Ill. – Mid America Motorworks is known as a world supplier of parts and accessories for Corvettes and Air-Cooled Volkswagens. In 1998 a group of employees changed their focus to the local community. They decided to use money they were spending on gifts for each other to instead buy gifts for area foster children and their families. With the support of the Yager family, an employee-directed committee was formed and named Caring & Sharing. Since that time Caring & Sharing has worked with Catholic Charities of Effingham, Ill. annually to bring holiday cheer to foster children.

Caring & Sharing works with Catholic Charities to determine the needs of the children and their families during the holidays. Approximately 40 children are selected each year from any of the seven counties served by Effingham Catholic Charities. The non-profit organization provides gift options for each child and Mid America Motorworks employees begin shopping.

Each year gifts are donated for children as young as a few months all the way through teens. Everything from clothes, games, toys, food and household items are donated, depending on the needs of each family.

In order to raise funds for the Caring & Sharing program, employees organize events during the fourth quarter of the year. An annual soup cookoff, cookie sales and basket raffles provide the bulk of funding. Employee donations are accepted throughout the year as well.

What began as a way to give back to a worthwhile cause in the community has grown into a tradition at Mid America Motorworks. Caring & Sharing is proud to participate in such a meaningful program and looks forward to continuing to build a lasting relationship with Catholic Charities.

Mid America Motorworks offers quality parts and accessories for 1953-2011 Corvette and Air-Cooled VW enthusiasts. For more information on Mid America Motorworks, or to request a free catalog, please call toll free 1-800-500-1500 or shop www.mamotorworks.com. Follow us on facebook and twitter, and keep up with Mike Yager at blog.autotainment.com.

Peabody Energy Donates $50,000 for Area Foster Care Program

December 17, 2010

Peabody Energy Donates $50,000 for Area Foster Care Program

http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/business/PR12151007105038

BY abovethefold | Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 07:10 PM

Outstanding Results in St. Louis Foster Care Aging Out Initiative — More of St. Louis’ foster youth than ever before are assuming adult responsibilities – like securing jobs and earning high school diplomas – thanks to the St. Louis Aging Out program, an innovative public-private initiative to help foster youth successfully leave state custodial care. The program has demonstrated three consecutive years of improved results, and this week announced a major grant from St. Louis-based Peabody Energy.

“We have demonstrated since 2007 that this region-wide effort is on the right track,” says Kevin Drollinger, Executive Director for Epworth Children & Family Services, the lead service agency for the St. Louis Aging Out initiative. “We want to express our thanks to the dedicated Aging Out staff as well as to all of the community leaders like Peabody and the volunteers who not only envisioned this program but continue to support it.”

Peabody Energy has now announced it is contributing $50,000 to support Epworth’s Aging Out Center in University City, Mo. More than 500 youth use the center annually, where they can receive hot meals, access laundry and shower facilities, use computers, and attend counseling or life skills classes.

“Without financial and personal support from family members, many foster teens in our region struggle to function in an adult world. Enabling these youth to successfully transition out of foster care is a significant focus for Epworth, and it is a cause my wife Lisa and I support,” says Greg Boyce, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy. “Youth participating in the Aging Out program exhibit determination, and we admire their strength on this journey.”

Greg Boyce and his wife, Lisa, will be honored for their efforts to help at-risk youth and support the community at Epworth’s 2011 Pillar of Strength Award Ceremony on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the Chase Park Plaza in the Khorassan Ballroom.

The St. Louis Aging Out program was established in 2006 by nine St. Louis philanthropic organizations to provide a regional support center for foster youth and to create a comprehensive, coordinated network of vital foster services. The initiative has boosted self-advocacy skills and behaviors, successfully advocated for broad reforms in the Missouri foster care system, and enabled many youth to earn their high school diploma or GED. Overwhelming positive results from the program have attracted national attention.

Ongoing funding for the program is essential. St. Louis Aging Out has demonstrated impressive results over the past three years:

· 91% of youth in the program demonstrated self-advocacy behaviors such as securing a job, identifying and navigating health providers, and opening a bank account.

· 91% of youth created “life binders” containing important — and previously missing or scattered information — such as birth certificates, family health history, school transcript(s), and immunization records.

· 70% of youth either earned their high school diploma or GED or are on track to graduate. Midwest statistics show that typically only 30 – 50% of youth in foster care actually graduate from high school or earn their GED.

Legislative successes include advocating for the extension of medical insurance to cover foster youth until age 21 (instead of 18), an increase in funding for basic necessities for foster youth, and the creation of a Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force to address issues faced by children aging out of state custodial care.

“Ongoing support is vital for this foster care initiative,” stresses Drollinger. “We need to ensure that the safety net for the foster youth in St. Louis remains a strong and vital resource.”

To participate in the 2011 Pillar of Strength Award Dinner honoring the Boyces and supporting programs such as Aging Out, contact Epworth at (314) 961-5718 or visit Epworth.org.

About Epworth Children & Family Services
Epworth Children & Family Services was established in 1864 and serves the Greater St. Louis region. A founding member of the Child Welfare League of America, Epworth provides a wide variety of services to at-risk youth ages birth to 25 and their families. The organization offers intensive residential and day treatment programs for youth, and independent and transitional living programs. It also operates a youth emergency shelter with a 24-hour youth hotline and provides therapeutic counseling and educational services in its accredited school. Epworth is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and has the BBB wise giving seal. Epworth is a Charter Member of the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies, and is a proud member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

About Peabody Energy
Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) is the world’s largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2009 sales of 244 million tons and $6 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

Youths Aging out of Foster Care Benefit from Mentor Program

December 13, 2010

Mentors, youths aging out of foster care benefit from program

By Tim Gurrister

Standard-Examiner staff

Last updated

Saturday, December 11, 2010 – 7:32pm

Authors

Tim Gurrister

OGDEN — Sometimes they sound like sisters.

They both like Coca-Cola over Pepsi, and are avid readers.

“We both like Lady Gaga,” Bree said. “Some of her songs, not all of them.”

“We like some of her outfits, not all of them,” Catherine adds during a recent lunch.

They also share a love of horror movies.

“Despite what movie reviewers might want to hear after ‘Resident Evil 4,’ obviously there is going to be a ‘Resident Evil 5,’ ” said Catherine.

“She likes horror movies and listens to rock, not country or opera,” said Bree, who then brings up Ozzie Osbourne. “When he talks, you can’t understand him, but he can still sing the lyrics to his songs.”

“Bree’s introduced me to things I wouldn’t have experienced,” Catherine said.

Bree is an 18-year-old “aging out” of state-run foster care; Catherine Conklin is a 2nd District Court commissioner, a judgeship presiding over divorces and protective orders, among other things.

They came together when matched in July under the Mentor Connection program.

Run out of Ogden’s juvenile court, the program is a first in the state hoping to provide a safety net for 18-year-olds outgrowing foster care.

The Division of Child and Family Services had to take the youths, through no fault of their own, from the home of their malfunctioning biological parents.

And now DCFS is losing custody as the youths reach adult age, said Sarah Pomeroy, an administrator with the DCFS Northern Region.

She handles the mentor program, along with Chris Wilson, a 2nd District Juvenile Court official in Ogden.

“Youths aging out of foster care are vulnerable to homelessness, pregnancy, incarceration and other problems — much more so than those aging out of traditional family situations,” Pomeroy said.

“On average, nationwide, youths leave their home at age 24. Ours are leaving at age 18 or 19 with much less support around them.”

“These are kids who are so vulnerable because they’ve been tossed around a lot,” Wilson said, “some since they were very young. But they are also resilient.”

The officials and mentors are banned by privacy laws governing juvenile court, as well as a gag order from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, from talking about the family situations Bree and other teens were in before being rescued by DCFS.

Basically, they can’t go home once they are released from foster care.

“There’s a lot of disconnect, a misconception out there that they are in foster care because they did something wrong,” Pomeroy said. “These are not kids with criminal records.”

The Mentor Connection has run off a very small federal grant the past two years, with 15 volunteer mentors so far coming forward, three groups of five, set up via sessions with 15 teens, most recently in mid-November.

The kids attend an orientation one night, the mentors an orientation another night, then the “matching” gathering brings them all together the next night.

Each 18-year-old sits at a table with three questions to ask the five or six mentors on hand. They sit for four minutes at a table talking individually, then the bell rings and the mentors rotate to sit with another teen.

“It really is like speed dating,” Wilson said. “It’s a great ice-breaker that way.”

The youths then confidentially list their top three choices, and Pomeroy and Wilson go from there to match mentors to the youths.

“So far, they’ve all matched themselves,” said Pomeroy, meaning each teen was matched with one of their three finalists.

The only thing limiting the program is time commitment and the number of mentors.

“We’ve got plenty of kids who’d like one,” Pomeroy said. “People are busy and don’t understand what the program entails.

“But I’m encouraged that we are going to find more mentors. I will say we need more men to match with our males who are in care.”

Funding does not allow for advertising, so mentor recruiting has been word of mouth.

Fellow 2nd District judges and mentors W. Brent West and Mike DiReda talked Conklin into it in July.

“I was trying to find a way to do something more to be directly involved with people and to try to help some folks,” Conklin said.

“It’s been a great experience,” West said, now involved with his second mentee.

His first, an 18-year-old girl, graduated from Ben Lomond High School under his watch, earned a letter in athletics, and is attending Weber State University. He’s now mentoring the girl’s younger brother.

“It’s a friendship I’m sure I’ll have for the rest of my life,” DiReda said of his experience. “My mentee knows he can call me any time.”

Shane and Patty Rose, who run their own consulting businesses in information technology and accounting, respectively, are also matched with their second “mentee,” as Patty, Conklin and others, call the teens.

The mentors said including the teens in holiday gatherings is a highlight.

“Our current mentee has graduated from high school and is living on her own at 17,” said Patty Rose. “She is super busy, has two jobs, and we keep in touch mostly through text messages.

“Texting works bests with teens,” Rose said, laughing. “She is so on the ball and directing her own life, we have mainly been getting to know her and just hanging out when our schedules permit.”

Rose said mentors work as counselors, not taskmasters.

“To be a friend, a shoulder, an ear, whatever,” she said. “It’s not about giving advice, it’s about being there with them. If they seek advice, we’ll give it, but we don’t want to come off like another nagging adult parental figure.”

Mentor Connection is the brainchild of the late 2nd District Juvenile Judge Kathleen Nelson, who died suddenly in August from complications from a fall.

“She massaged us into starting this program,” Wilson said. “We’d have nothing if not for her. It’s her legacy.”

“I get emotional talking about Judge Nelson’s passion for this program,” Pomeroy said. “She saw the potential in those kids every day.”

Bree was selected by the officials as the media subject, one who would do justice to Nelson’s faith.

“That match was just perfect,” Pomeroy said of Bree linking up with Conklin. “The sky’s the limit for Bree. But I’m not sure if she sees that. She’s an amazing young lady who has overcome a lot.”

Bree just needs to finish her high school diploma before Conklin can take her apartment hunting.

“I don’t know if Commissioner Conklin knows this, but Bree said of the matching, ‘As long as I don’t get matched with any sort of judge, because I don’t like judges,’ ” Pomeroy said.

“We razz her about that. She just says, ‘She’s not a judge, she’s a commissioner.’

Foster Care Video Series – A conversation with a Woman who Aged Out of Foster Care

December 10, 2010

Foster Care Video Series – Kevin Montgomery Talks about Orange Duffel Bag Foundation

December 9, 2010

Singer-Songwriter Kevin Montgomery is Helping Teens who Age out of Foster Care……..Coming to Oklahoma, December 10!

December 8, 2010

Singer/Songwriter Kevin Montgomery Launches his 50 States in 50 Days Tour and Partners with Orange Duffel Bag Foundation to Help Teens Aging Out of Foster Care and Homeless Youth

For Immediate Release

Nashville, Tennessee – Singer/songwriter Kevin Montgomery announced his 50 States in 50 Days Tour kicking off on October 29, 2010, in Alaska and ending on December 17, 2010, in Hawaii. In partnership with Every Child USA, an awareness and fundraising campaign focusing on education and healthcare for children in poverty, and the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, a nonprofit offering leadership and life skills training and community connections for at-risk youth, Montgomery’s mission is to play a show in a different state every night for 50 nights in a row and bring light to the epidemic of teens aging out of foster care and becoming the “invisible homeless.” Along the way, Montgomery will blog and videologue stories of those who have aged out of foster care, been homeless as teens or overcame that background. He plans to create a documentary based on the question: “Who was the one person who influenced your life in a positive way?”

Montgomery, who has 15,000 followers on Twitter, 5,000 Facebook friends and 3,500 fans on Facebook, is booking the entire tour using those two social networks. He has also set up a special blog for the tour and its mission as well as a Facebook Group called I Support Kevin Montgomery’s 50 States in 50 Days Tour. Montgomery will be live streaming concerts throughout the tour at certain locations via his channel on Ustream.tv (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kevin-montgomery-s-50-states-in-50-days). Followers of the tour can track his journey via GPS in real time. The indie artist has built a highly interactive relationship with his loyal fan base by utilizing all the latest tools social media offers.

Montgomery’s father sang and wrote songs with Buddy Holly. His mom sang on Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” and Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline.”
At 23 Montgomery landed a recording contract in Los Angeles with A&M Records and toured with Sheryl Crow, David Crosby and Peter Himmelman. He eventually moved back to Nashville. He sang on Lee Ann Womack’s I Hope You Dance CD. He also wrote “I Won’t Close My Eyes” featured on Martina McBride’s triple platinum Evolution CD. In April 2000, he packed his bags. He now tours the UK, Europe and Australia extensively. He still hasn’t unpacked those bags, and this marks his third annual 50 States in 50 Days Tour.

Reviewers describe his music as Americana in the Jackson Browne tradition. His most recent album “True,” featured a remake of his father Bob Montgomery’s Patsy Cline classic “Back in Baby’s Arms.” He is recording a new album prior to the tour.

Montgomery will be joined on the tour in Atlanta by Arrested Development and Orange Duffel Bag Foundation Spokesperson Speech, a two-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter and co-founder of Arrested Development (www.speechmusic.com ). Speech, who divided his time as a child between a Milwaukee ghetto and suburbia, learned how to give voice to the plight of his people and turned his anger over racism into messages of hope and change. Known for his groundbreaking work on 3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of and the international hit Tennessee, Speech has toured with everyone from Vice President Al Gore and Hillary Clinton to Hootie & the Blowfish, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Youssou N/dour, James Brown, Jason Mraz and The Roots. A devoted family man, Speech recently wrote a book called What is Success?: How to be Successful God’s Way.

Montgomery’s sister Echo Garrett (www.echogarrett.com) is president and co-founder of Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, which provides training based on a book she co-authored called My Orange Duffel Bag with Sam Bracken, who grew up in Las Vegas surrounded by mobsters and motorcycle gang members. His mom abandoned him at age 15, and he kept his homelessness secret from his high school. When he flew from Las Vegas to Atlanta after winning a full-ride football scholarship at the Georgia Institute of Technology, everything he owned fit in an orange duffel bag. The graphic mini-memoir/self help book has an unusual format intended to appeal to all learning styles. It features more than 60 original images by internationally award-winning photographer Kevin Garrett (www.kevingarrett.com) and a free DVD with audio book, the book trailer and 7 videos of Bracken, now a successful executive with FranklinCovey, discussing how he transformed his life. Bracken’s story and efforts through the Foundation have recently been featured on CNN in a segment called Mission Possible, on NBC-affiliate 11 Alive and in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bracken and Garrett will be joining Montgomery on some tour dates.

My Orange Duffel Bag has been named the November 2010 Book Selection by the Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the world with more than 3,000 members and 325 chapters across the U.S. and in 10 countries. The Pulpwood Queens/Timber Guys are actively supporting Montgomery’s tour and his mission, and Pulpwood Queen founder Kathy Louise Patrick calls it the “must-read book of the year – The Blind Side-meets-Same Kind of Different as Me.” Patrick, who owns the only beauty salon and bookstore in the nation and runs two popular book blogs, pledged to her social network that she would dye her hair to match the book’s orange cover if 1,000 books sold in the month of June. Patrick, the authors and several other supporters, now all sport orange hair as a result of making that goal.

“We’re starting a movement,” says Mike Daly, chairman of the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation. “We want the orange duffel bag to become a symbol of hope for at-risk youth everywhere.”

To support the cause by attending or hosting a concert in your home state, visit the Road Map at http://the50statesin50daystour.com/the-roadmap/. Get involved by joining I Support Kevin Montgomery’s 50 States in 50 Days Tour on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=124130884288402&ref=ts

Media inquiries or Tour Sponsorships:
Kevin@kevinmontgomery.com
or
Echo Garrett echo@seelevelstudios.com 770-977-7509 or c. 404-538-4983
or
Mike Daly MDALY1111@aol.com 770-331-7605

Photos available upon request.

To learn more about Kevin Montgomery’s 50 States in 50 Days Tour, visit http://the50statesin50daystour.com/