Progress report:
Minister, foster family and DHS leader discuss Life.Church’s foster care and adoption initiative, one year later
For several years, Ian and Sheila Brown felt the Lord wanted them to open their Shawnee home to children in need.
A 2016 foster care and adoption initiative at Life.Church Shawnee compelled them turn their desire to help into reality.
After welcoming three foster children, the couple said they feel they have been given a great opportunity to help the youths' entire family as they work through a crisis in their lives.
"By far, the greatest joy is to think that not only are we helping these kids but we are helping the whole family," Sheila Brown said.
The Browns were among the families who took part in an extensive Foster Care and Adoption emphasis launched in May 2106 by Edmondbased Life.Church.
As part of the initiative, the Rev. Craig Groeschel, Life.Church's founding pastor, shared a message about the important role church members could play in assisting children who need homes.
Following the sermon, Life.Church satellites in Oklahoma and several other states offered informational seminars on the foster care and adoption process. At the seminars, attendees learned about the CarePortal initiative that helps churches and church groups connect with child welfare case workers to aid children and families in the child
welfare system. Attendees also were able to talk one-on-one with people who are foster or adoptive parents.
Thriving and flourishing
Looking back on the seminars and faith messages one year later, the Browns said the initiative provided the momentum they needed to become foster parents.
“For us, we knew we were supposed to be fostering for several years leading up to this but there’s something about being called to action,” said Ian Brown, who serves as missions pastor at Life. Church Shawnee.
The Rev. Trevor Williams, campus pastor at Life. Church Shawnee, said the Browns were among 30 families at the Shawnee satellite who came forward and expressed a desire to become part of the state’s foster care program.
He said he has enjoyed seeing youths thrive in their new foster homes.
“It’s been neat to see them flourishing with families,” Williams said.
The minister said it has been humbling to be part of the effort.
“It’s remarkable the opportunity that the church has a chance to respond to. It’s right there in James 1:27,” Williams said.
“Not every family will be a foster family, but there are different ways to get involved so it’s just awesome to see the church respond to this.”
The Browns, who have two biological children, said their biggest challenge going from two children to five was finding balance, but the church’s involvement and support has helped tremendously.
Sheila Brown said several Life Groups, Life. Church small groups, have been helping provide the new foster families with supplies they need. And some Life Groups have watched the children so foster parents may have date nights.
Partnership is crucial
Williams said he has been impressed with the way the Department of Human Services came alongside the new foster families to encourage and guide them.
He said he thinks that support from DHS has been critical, helping the foster care-adoption emphasis evolve into a good partnership between the state agency and the church. The Browns agreed. They said they attended several events at the church that connected them with different people at DHS and other agencies. They said they also got to interact with experienced foster families at one event and that was vital.
Deborah Shropshire, deputy director of child welfare for DHS, said she felt it was important that Life. Church members, particularly ministers, get to know the child welfare leaders in their own communities.
“We’ve tried really hard to make sure those campuses are connected to their local people and they know how to get a hold of them and that we develop a relationship there,” she said. “We’ve leaned on the ministers and the child welfare people to get to know one another so they can solve problems together.”
People who care
Shropshire said she has been amazed at the community awareness that was raised through Life. Church’s foster-care/ adoption effort. She said there was a big uptick in queries about foster care and about 250 people attended each of the Life. Church seminars at each satellite.
Shropshire said she also was pleased to see Life. Church satellites develop support groups for foster youths’ biological families and support groups for foster families.
She said in addition to helping new foster families within their congregations, many of the Life. Church satellites began working with the Care Portal program.
Meanwhile, she said one of the other side effects of the Life. Church effort is a big one — child welfare staff are encouraged.
“Having the faith community’s support — Life. Church and other churches — is so encouraging to our staff, Shropshire said.
“It’s so important, I think, for our child welfare workers to know that they are not alone, that there are other people out in the community who care about families, who care about kids, who will step up and help.”