Executive Director, Mike King, had the opportunity to speak at New Life Church yesterday. His goal was to build a biblical foundation for understanding God’s concern and compassion for the fatherless and why He compels us to “Live the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless.”
Working Definition of Foster Care
Before we even begin talking about caring for the fatherless, it is important to define what foster is because there seem to be a lot of misconceptions. Foster care was created to be a temporary arrangement in which children and teenagers are placed with a state or agency certified caregiver when their own families are unable to care for them. Children are placed into foster care for a number of reasons primarily neglect, abuse, or a family crisis that leaves them without a stable home environment. In our area, substance abuse seems to be the biggest issue.
The ultimate goal of foster care is reunification. Children return to their biological family once the home environment is safe and appropriate. Unfortunately, that is not always possible so foster care can also lead to adoption or placement with a permanent guardian.
In the U.S., foster care is typically managed by state or local child welfare agencies. In Alabama, each county has a Department of Human Resources. These agencies are responsible for training, licensing, and supporting foster parents.
While in foster care, children receive support for their physical, emotional, and educational needs. Foster agencies also work to ensure children are safe and secure. Foster parents may be individuals or families. In Alabama, you can be a foster parent at 19 years of age. Foster parents play a crucial role in providing stability, care, love, and support during what may be the most challenging time in the foster child’s life.
Christian foster parents play an even greater role. What better place is there to live out the Great Commission than your own household? By welcoming a foster child into your home, you have the opportunity to radically change their life by showing them the love of Christ. In fact, the Bible has a lot to say about caring for the fatherless. I wish we had the time to really dig into every verse in Scripture to see God’s heart for the fatherless and all of the ways He commands us to care for them but we do not. For time’s sake, we are going to go quickly through some of the most important passages on caring for the fatherless.
Living the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless
I spent time this week trying to identify every passage in Scripture that references orphans or the fatherless. There are about 40 different passages that do so. Most of them can be found in the Old Testament. If you were to examine each of those passages, you could group them into a few different categories. There are passages that address common problems of the fatherless. In these passages we see that orphans are being kidnapped and sold, starving, losing land rights and livestock, not represented in court, begging for food, treated as property, victims of violence and murder, or victims of injustice and abuse.
The next group of passages highlight God’s concern for the fatherless. In these passages we see that God hears the cry of the orphan, defends and provides for them, and executes judgment on those who oppress orphans. We also see where the Lord is gracious to the fatherless in passages like
Hosea 14:3
“In you the orphan finds mercy.”
Psalm 27:10
“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”
Psalm 146:9
“The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.”
Greatest of all is when the King David declares in Psalm 68 that God is “Father of the fatherless.”
King David knows a thing or two about caring for the fatherless. If you are not familiar with the story of David and Mephibosheth, I highly recommend you go and read it. It can be found in 2 Samuel and has some really good implications for foster care.
Before David became king, he was best friends with King Saul’s son Jonathon. Even though Jonathon was the direct heir to Saul’s throne he understood that David was God’s man. So the two of them made an oath to each other to care for one another’s family and for David to have mercy on Jonathan’s. King Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle and David finally take the throne as Israel’s king.
After he settles into his reign a bit, he begins to remember his promise to Jonathan and begins looking for any survivors of his family. One of Saul’s old servants tells David about Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son. David calls for him to be brought into Jerusalem but Mephibosheth is terrified. Mephibosheth probably thought he was being summoned to be executed because it was standard practice to eliminate any potential claims to the throne. What Mephibosheth received though was an offer from David to restore all of Saul’s possessions and a permanent seat at David’s dinner table.
David brings Mephibosheth into his home to care for him. We can see later in the biblical narrative that Mephibosheth grows to love David as a father. When David returns to Jerusalem after his son Absolam tried to take over and was eventually killed, Mephibosheth is described as someone incredibly worried about King David. He says in 2 Samuel 19:28:
For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?
I love this story because it serves as such a practical example to show that God’s people understand His calling to care for the fatherless. Here is David, the man after God’s own heart, showing concern for this fatherless man, Mephibosheth. This is something to be emulated.
God’s concern for the fatherless is clear and is demonstrated even further with His commands for His people to care for the fatherless. God gives commandments to His people detailing exactly how they are to care for the fatherless. They are to begin by simply not mistreating the fatherless.
Exodus 22:22-24
“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”
Rather, the fatherless are to be given justice whenever they are wronged.
Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
Pslam 82:3-4
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
Furthermore, God gives explicit commands about feeding the fatherless, including them in worship, and promises to condemn those who oppress. These laws can be found in Deuteronomy chapters 16, 24, & 26.
Lastly, there are a group of passages where God condemns those who mistreat and abuse the fatherless. Listen to what Deuteronomy 27:19 says,
“Cursed by anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.”
Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”
God does not take kindly to those who oppress the fatherless.
The Old Testament has plenty to say about the fatherless. To summarize, it tells us of the plight of the orphan, God’s concern and compassion, God’s provision and justice, God’s commands to His people to care for the fatherless, and God’s promise to punish those who oppress the fatherless.
In Job 31, Job is giving a defense of himself to his “friends.” As they sit around him and accuse him of some hidden sin, he lays out his case of living a righteous life. Listen to what he says in verses 16-22:
“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
(for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),
if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the needy without covering,
if his body has not blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.”
Job is summarizing God’s call to care for the fatherless. “If I have not done my part to care for the orphan, let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder and let my arm be broken from its socket.” May we share this same conviction as Job when it comes to our Christian responsibility to “Live the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless.”
Interestingly, the New Testament does not say much about caring for the fatherless… because it did not have to. Early Christians already understood the call from God to care for orphans. James perfectly summarizes God’s commands to care for the fatherless in his letter. James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
The overarching theme of James’ letter is the idea that true faith always produces good works. There is often confusion about what James is trying to convey in his letter. Many people have mistakenly interpreted James to be saying that our faith comes from our works but that is not true. Our works demonstrate our faith. What we do overflows from our hearts. If we are following Christ, we will do good works as we “hear and do the word.” Look at how James lays this out in the previous verses of James 1:
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…” As we have seen, the word has plenty to say about what we are to do. “To visit orphans and widows in their affliction” is a call to remember all that God tells us in the Old Testament. James is calling us to reflect on the commands to care for the fatherless and the compassion that God shows towards them.
How Can I Practically Live the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless?
Some of you may be thinking, “Mike, I get it. The Bible is clear about my responsibility to care for the fatherless but I cannot be a foster parent.” That is totally fine! Obviously, one response to the Bible’s calling is to become a foster parent but it is not the only one. In his book “Everyone Can Do Something,” Jason Johnson says, “We’re not all called to do the same thing, but we’re all certainly capable of doing something.”
1. Become a Foster Home
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, DHR is literally across the street. They offer classes to help train and license you. We NEED more foster families especially godly homes for our children to be placed. What better way is there to share the gospel than to bring a child into your home where you can demonstrate the love of Christ and organically proclaim the gospel to them? The reason I am on this stage right now is because Tim & Sharon King took me into their home and did exactly that.
2. Support Foster Families
You may not be in a position to become a foster home. No problem! One way you can live the gospel by loving the fatherless is by supporting foster families. Foster families can use all the support they can get! Offer to cook a meal, babysit, donate supplies, or help around the house. There are a lot of practical things you can do to help.
3. Volunteer with Foster Care Organizations
There are many ways you can directly serve foster children by working with organizations that are already doing the work. We would love have your serve with us at Raleigh’s Place. Mentors are desperately needed to love on foster children. Offer to tutor foster children so they can succeed in school. Advocate for children by volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, better known as CASAs.
4. Provide Financial or Material Donations
Connected to volunteering, you can also give financially to foster care organizations. Again, Raleigh’s Place would love to have your financial support as we continue to serve foster children and families. You could also provide care packages for DHR to distribute to new children in care. These packages can include a duffel bag, toiletries, blankets, stuffed animals, books, or a Bible. Another great way to give financially is to offer to cover a foster child’s extracurricular activities. You can help covers fees for sports, music lessons, or other activities children may be interested in doing.
5. Commit to Foster Care Ministry as a Church
What if New Life made a special commitment to care for Chilton County’s foster children and families? What would it look like for this church and community if you regularly prayed for our foster children and families, caseworkers, adoptees, and other foster care needs? You have a great facility to plan and host events for foster families like holiday celebrations, supply drives, or educational workshops. Something to consider.
6. Offer Emotional Support
Many foster parents quit because they do not feel like they have the support they need to survive. Look for ways to create and build relationships with foster families. Spend time with foster children and show them that they are loved and cared for. Be a safe space and support system. Send encouragement to brighten a child’s day.
7. Help Aged-Out Youth
There are a lot of foster youth who will aged out of the system. They will be on their own with no resources or skills to live independently. Be a mentor. Help these young adults lean life skills. Provide housing or housing assistance so they are not homeless. Support their educational efforts as they seek to go to college or trade school.
All of these things are practical ways to Live the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless. These are ways that each of you can personally love on foster children and foster families as you go about your Christian life.
The Efforts of Raleigh’s Place
Raleigh’s Place was born out of a conviction from Scripture to care for the fatherless. When our founders, the Kings, endured the loss of their daughter Raleigh, it was God’s word in James 1:27 that inspired them to begin their foster care journey. As they began to live the gospel by loving the fatherless in their own way, the Lord continued to grow the vision, provide everything we have needed, and bless our efforts.
Today, Raleigh’s Place is not simply a home for the fatherless but a ministry that impacts hundreds of children each year. We start locally by partnering with foster homes in our own community. The idea is to meet needs where we can and bear some burden that foster families may feel. But there is room for improvement that I hope we can begin to address greater needs in the near future.
Katie’s Kloset, your literal neighbor, is not just a thrift store: it began as a clothing resource for foster children and continues to serve that purpose today. When you walk in, you will notice that we have thousands of items for sale. But our favorite aspect of Katie’s Kloset is to provide clothing and other items at no charge to foster children and families.
The most fun program we have is Camp 1:27. This is our annual summer camp program where we are blessed to serve both foster and adopted children from all across the state. Our goals are simple: we want every camper to experience the love of Christ while having one of the best weeks of their life. Young people, there is an opportunity here for you to begin living the gospel by loving the fatherless as you serve on staff.
Lastly, we have a program called Workmanship Initiative. Our desire here is to prepare foster youth for life after care. We do this by partnering with DHR to teach a life skills class to foster youth between the ages of 14-21. A major aspect of this program that we cannot wait to get started is our transitional living apartments. These will serve young men who have aged out of foster care by providing a safe place for them to live, learn, and launch into independent living.
As we continue to grow in our understanding of God’s compassion for the fatherless, we want to be able to serve the foster care community in as many ways and as best as we can. There are certainly areas of growth and things we have not even discovered yet.
Conclusion
My goal for this morning was to present you with a biblical framework for caring for the fatherless. I hope this has been honoring to God and His word, you have been encouraged by all of these things and that you are being convicted right now and eager to get your hands dirty in foster care. We have an amazing opportunity in front of us to love children, show them Christ, and radically change their lives. My prayer is that we heed the call of Scripture to care for the fatherless as we share in God’s concern and compassion for children who desperately need grace and love. New Life, consider this calling, ask God how you can Live the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless.