About Us
What if Canada had more waiting homes than waiting children?
The Story
When Bishop Aaron Blake, a pastor and foster/adoptive father in Texas, USA, left his breakfast table for church on the second Sunday in November of 2004, he had a sermon prepared … and it wasn’t about foster care:
“I had prepared a sermon to preach that morning that I had worked on all week. I stood up to bring the message when the breakfast table image of our boys came back to my mind. The faces of our sons seemed to multiply in my emotions as I recalled the image from the breakfast table earlier. I knew then that God was prompting our church to answer the call to care for children and broken families.”
Without explanation, Bishop Blake said to his congregation, “Brothers and sisters, there are about 30,000 children in the foster care system in Texas and nearly a half a million in the U. S.”
He then asked this one simple question (and he wasn’t expecting a verbal answer):
“Who will stand with me to defend, care, and support abused, abandon, and neglected children in our community?”
After a brief moment of silence, one lady in the back of the church stood up and simply replied,
“Pastor … I will.”
Like a tiny smoldering ember dropped in a pile of thirsty pine needles, her voice began to multiply. To his amazement, Bishop Blake watched as one family after another stood up and joined their voices to hers. As a result of that day, this church and the surrounding community has cared for and adopted hundreds of children in foster care over the last 12 years. In fact, their county actually has more than enough foster families to meet the need there.
Each year since 2004, churches around the globe have been celebrating the second Sunday in November as a day to remind ourselves of and renew our commitment to the call of James 1:27 - the care of the vulnerable child (Orphan Sunday). In 2016, these two efforts merged; Orphan Sunday for the purpose of inviting the church to care for orphans worldwide and Stand Sunday for the purpose of calling the church to stand for children and families in Foster Care. In 2017 Stand Sunday was celebrated for the first time in Canada.
Each year we strive to add more downloadable, Canadian-relevant resources available to help you and your church stand for children in foster care. To see all that is available, simply click here.
We invite you and your church to STAND with us … until there’s more than enough foster families in every community in the nation.
HOW?
1. Get the Facts
There is a lot of misinformation about why kids end up in foster care and who can make a difference. Bust the myths with the real facts.
2. Learn & Share
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Get into God's word and learn his heart for vulnerable children and his admonishment to his people
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After you have read through the material here, contact your local government child welfare office or foster parent network and ask about the local needs for families and kids in your area.
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Share with your church/group what you have learned
