Foster + Orphan Care
"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." -James 1:27
Mission:Hope is Oakwood's orphan and foster care ministry. We seek to engage the community to be obedient to God’s Word by offering hope and compassionate care for vulnerable children and families, domestically and around the world. Mission:Hope has three focus areas:
- Prevention | Engaging with the community
- Intervention | Bringing hope to orphaned children and the families who support them
- Restoration | Providing caring support to orphaned children and their families
There are several families within Oakwood who have fostered and adopted children from our community and around the world! It's our privilege and duty to love on them and care for them as they fulfill the call God has given to them.
Globally, we’re partnering with GlobalFingerprints – the child sponsorship ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America – to sponsor orphans in the Congo. Take the opportunity to send a child to school, and care for their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.
We have also partnered with Orphan Outreach for the past 9 years to support vulnerable children in Jelgava, Latvia, who have aged out of the Jelgava City Orphanage. This includes humanitarian aid, life skills training, mentoring, employment help and Bible studies. These are kids that Oakwood Church Short Term Missions Teams have built personal relationships with as those from Oakwood have faithfully served in Jelgava, Latvia for 12 years. The Short Term Missions Team will be unable to go again in 2021 due to COVID. As a result of COVID these young people are more vulnerable than ever before and would be grateful for your support.
Locally, there are several families within Oakwood who have fostered and adopted children from our community and around the world! It's our privilege and duty to love on them and care for them as they fulfill the call God has given to them.
Resources + Opportunities to Support MIssion:Hope
Take a look at these services and ministries that are either designed specifically for orphans, foster and adoptive families, and/or are designed for the Oakwood community to support those families.
- Mission:Hope Facebook Page
- Orphan Sunday
- Operation Christmas Child
- Mission Trips
- Royal Family Kids Camp
- Praying for foster and adoptive families
- Self-care for raising grandchildren
- Hope for the Journey Conference
Resources Specifically for Foster and Adoptive Families
- Hope 4 Homes, an Oakwood small group for foster and adoptive parents
- Adoption / Foster Care Resources
More
If you would like to learn more about ways in which you can support Oakwood's adoptive and foster families, please contact Marcus Constantine.