If not us, then who?
That’s the question Peter Pappas of Life Action Revival Ministries in Buchanan is asking area churches when inviting them join him in an initiative to help foster children and families in the county.
“If the church isn’t reaching out to help them, who is?” Pappas said. “That’s really a core role of the church is to help those who are in need.”
Pappas said the effort to help local foster children began last summer when staff members at Life Action Revival Ministries, where he serves as road team services director, took an internal offering to start the initiative.
Since then, the ministry has partnered with the Michigan Department of Human Services and Bethany Christian Services, a faith-based adoption agency out of Grand Rapids.
Life Action organized a Christmas banquet for foster families last year and is planning a family fun day in July for foster families to play water sports, games and have lunch together.
The ministry also tries to build awareness about the number of foster children waiting for adoption. In Berrien County, there are more than 400 children in the foster care system, many of whom bounce from family to family.
In order to spread the word, Life Action is inviting every church in Berrien County, more than 260, to a luncheon May 17 to raise awareness about children struggling in the foster care system and to discuss how to help them.
Pappas is hoping the network of churches can encourage people in the community to consider adopting foster kids. It’s a subject close to his heart, as he and his family have taken in 15 foster children and adopted six of them.
“Not too many people consider adoption through the foster care system,” Pappas said. “For a lot of people, their natural default is to consider private or international adoption.”
“The average number of caregivers is three to four before getting adopted,” he said, adding that bouncing around is a “real hardship” for many of the children.
During the luncheon, pastors will be encouraged to open their pulpit to a Department of Human Services representative to talk about foster care and adoption and consider launching an orphan care ministry at their churches.
Pappas said the initiative was sparked partly by a Bible verse, James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”
“And that’s what we’re doing,” Pappas said.
Area pastors interested in being involved in the project can attend the luncheon May 17 at Life Action Revival Ministries’ office, 2727 Niles-Buchanan Rd. or call Pappas at 687-2064.