Orphan Sunday? Nope. Stand Sunday? Not anymore. The new name is Pure Religion
Sunday! This year, Pure Religion Sunday is November 10, 2024. It is a day set aside to help your church and community engage in caring for vulnerable children and families where you live by bringing focus and attention to adoption and foster care. When you participate in Pure Religion Sunday, you will join churches in over 120 countries to bring attention to something close to God's heart.                                                         
Pure Religion Sunday was started by the Christian Alliance for Orphans, or CAFO, as a way for churches of all denominations worldwide to unite and be Champions for foster care and adoption. The name comes from James 1.27, "Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction..." CAFO strives to raise awareness of the needs of orphans around the globe by providing resources to churches to help recruit and care for foster and adoptive families.

You may wonder what observing Pure Religion Sunday at your church means. Well, that is entirely up to you! You can make it as big or as small as you like.

Here are some ideas:                                                                                                                     

1. If you have time to work it in your sermon series, you can preach on God’s desire for his people to “care for the orphans and widows in their distress” James 1:27.
2. You can have someone from Project 1.27 speak during your service
   
3. Host a panel of people working with foster care and adoption during your service to answer questions.
4. You can have someone from Project 1.27 host a table in the lobby to share more information about foster care and adoption in Colorado.

One last question you may have, “Can I only observe Pure Religion Sunday on
November 10th ”? And the answer is, “no”. You can absolutely observe Pure Religion at a time when it fits with your church calendar.

For more information on how your church can plan for and observe Pure Religion
Sunday, CLICK HERE. 

You can also contact our Church Engagement Manager, Kym Schnittker at
[email protected] with any questions.

​We’ve reached the middle of summer and most churches have planned and/or completed their summer programming for the children they serve.  As we hear about VBS programs across the metro area and how churches are stepping in to care for vulnerable children, Project 1.27 received a surprise from one of our partner churches.  As they planned their VBS, BRAVE church reached out and asked to partner with us in serving children in foster and adoptive homes.  Each year, their High Five Campers (VBS) partners with a local ministry to support them and the people they serve by collecting donations.  What an incredible way for children to learn about caring for others and showing God’s love!   As Brave began encouraging their campers, they shared about Project 1.27 and even learned our missional verse from James 1.27.  The focus for the VBS was:

BECAUSE God loves US, we Love God and we LOVE OTHERS.
YOU - get to LOVE KIDS (who are in foster or adoptive families)  

The High Five Campers donated nine tubs of summer fun items, including dolls, crafts, outdoor play sets, tents, soccer, football, volleyballs, soccer goals for the little ones, and so much more. In addition to the hard goods, we were blessed with a generous cash donation.  Project 1.27 will give the items to foster families at our Summer Family Picnic on July 27th, and the money will go toward fun picnic activities and resources for teens. We are so grateful for Brave and the incredible items they donated to us as we continue to care for vulnerable children!

Here are a few things that Brave did that coincide with Jason’s book

• Plan and promote events—Brave put together backpacks for all children attending their program a month in advance. In those bags, they provided information on what ministry they would support and how they would support it. 
• Make the problem relatable—The children learned about foster care and adoption and that because God loved them, they could love others.
• Use an existing discipleship mechanism in your church. They used their Children’s ministry program, which not only engaged the children but also helped bring awareness to other adults and church members.

Interested in engaging your church and doing something for kids and families? Email Alex at [email protected].

By Marilyn Robinson, Director of Family Care

​It was Christmas. I was tired, sad, mad, and filled with every other emotion you can think of. But because I was signed up to be a parent helper at an event for my children's small preschool, I piled two rowdy boys into the car. The event included a free meal, and I was thrilled I didn't have to cook!

As soon as we walked in, the shenanigans began.  All the children were wild, which comforted me, knowing it wasn't JUST MY KIDS! It was awkward because my husband was on patrol, so I was single-parenting.  I knew no one, so I took a deep breath and courageously asked if we could join a couple and their young children.  No sooner did we sit to enjoy our meal than another mom joined me at the table. But to my dismay, I wasn't greeted with kind words but accusations of my son doing something she didn't like.  Instantly, my mind was hollow, and her words just bounced off the inside of my skull.  I stood up, gathered my children, and left the building before the tears of embarrassment spilled down my cheeks. It was then that I swore I would never interact with that woman again because of her aggressive behavior towards me and my children.

Fast forward to July.  Summer is the most fun with wild boys.  They can run and play, get muddy, and enjoy every moment as we all fall into bed exhausted at the end of a glorious sun-filled day.  Days in the pool are the best.  Everyone finds a friend, and they jump and holler and find new skills to be proud of!  

One day at the pool, I got lucky and made a new friend.  At first, she thought I was having fun with my grandkids, which led me to admit that I was an "old" mom and that these were my boys to raise.  As the conversation continued, I learned she was stepping into raising her young grandchildren.  I was in awe of how God knits things together, and I was able to speak about Project 1.27 and some resources that she could look into for support.  This time, I wasn't the one crying as the grandma wept at the poolside, thankful for our meeting.  We sat in silence watching our kids, hugged, exchanged numbers, and even communicated and connected at the pool together again.

The strangest thing is in one of our later conversations, I discovered that this grandma was the mother of the woman who raged at me seven months earlier! What seemed like a random encounter reminded me that I don't know the whole story of people or their burdens.  I have learned (again) that instead of setting a rigid boundary to never interact with "that aggressive" woman, I can now have compassion towards her and be a blessing to her family in ways I never dreamed of.  Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on teaching me things I need to keep learning!

This journey taught me the importance of encouraging and supporting one another. All parents need people to connect with them. We need people to help us find our joy again, have coffee with us, and not be afraid to enter our fostering world.  

By Lisa McGinnett, Western Slope Director

Nearly half of the children who are fostered and adopted are placed with families whose cultures or races are different from their own. When families open their homes and hearts to children within the foster care system, foster families need to learn and practice cultural competency.  Culture is a set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior standards passed down from one generation to the next.  Culture defines what is natural and expected in a given group; it includes language, food, dress, styles of communication, and child-rearing patterns. Recognizing and adjusting to different expectations when children are placed in your home is extremely important when a child comes from a different cultural background.   It means recognizing and welcoming diversity, challenging your point of view, and handling discomfort when challenged with new ways of thinking. 

Often, children of color in racially and culturally diverse families have difficulty defining their own cultural and racial identities.  It's important for foster/adoptive families to have open discussions within their home about race; with a lack of communication surrounding race, a child could feel the family doesn't see their race. My son needed access to others who may look like him, to be involved in cultural events, and to have others within our lives with whom he could identify through his Hispanic heritage.  My best friend is Hispanic, and one of my supervisors at the time was Hispanic, and we had frequent social contact with both.  We frequented Mexican restaurants and celebrated Cinco De Mayo; he participated as a dancer in several Quinceaneras.  His school was very diverse, not only with students and teachers that looked like him, but like his mom and paternal family. He used 'Blaxican' on social media as his name, confirming he was finding and learning his way by exposure to both sides of his heritage.  

As I was listening to a podcast regarding Culturally Competent Care, what stood out to me was hearing young adults of multiple races, who grew up in the foster care system report their foster parents did not provide culturally affirming care. A young black woman reported not being taught essential hair care management.  The young adults also noted they didn't have access to adults, teachers, or mentors who looked like them.  They reported feeling the families did not accept them for their true selves. They didn't ask questions about their families, culture, or likes and dislikes. They were expected to join this family and fit into the family's current cultural environment.  Race is ultimately a part of who that child is; while accepting the child, you must acknowledge and talk about their race.  Children may believe that others only see and understand a part of them and their experience. While foster/adoptive families may discuss not seeing color or race, the world is seeing their race. 

Communication is key in caring for any child, and it's imperative for a child from a different race. Ask questions not only with the child placed in your home but also with the child's case worker, previous caretaker, biological parents, or extended family. As you provide foster care and your home becomes a racially and culturally diverse environment, here are questions for the child placed in your home or their extended family and additional thoughts and ideas to examine in becoming a culturally competent home.   

Some questions to consider: 

How does your family celebrate birthdays? Who gets invited, what games are played, and what are the music and food preferences? Are there any cultural or religious rituals centered around birthdays?

What is the importance of church or religion in your family? Does the family attend church regularly? What religious holidays do they observe? Are there certain foods that are off-limits due to religious beliefs?

What are ways we can care for your hair? Does the child know how to care for their hair, or do they have particular people who have helped care for their hair (hair stylists, barbers, braiders, relatives)?  Consider learning basic hair care yourself.   

 What does your social circle look like? Can you find activities, centers or groups with others who racially fit with the child? Children need to have relationships with others who look like them.   
  
By Marilyn Robinson, Family Care Director

 Adapted from: Cultural Best Practices in Foster Care C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D.
 National Training andDevelopment Curriculum - Parenting in racially and culturally diverse   families

1996. A small church in the small town of Possum Trot, Texas.

It was unusual for the first lady of Bennet Chapel, Donna Martin, to even think about going to a foster care information meeting in a distant town, but as Donna was praying, she sensed God’s direction to open her home to children in foster care. After attending the meeting, Donna and her husband, Reverend Martin, became foster parents and inspired 22 Bennet Chapel families to adopt 75 of the hardest to place children.  

My husband and I were foster parents in California back then. This wasn’t a time when James 1:27 and caring for kids in foster care was a familiar sermon topic. I remember being told one of my foster daughters couldn’t be in my Bible Study’s childcare program.  It was only for my real children! The film, Sound of Hope, The Story of Possum Trot tells a story of what can happen when the church steps forward to meet the needs of vulnerable children and the families that care for those children.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Several things I appreciated about Sound of Hope-

• First Lady Donna fervently prays, seeking God’s direction as she grieves her mother’s death. When God points her in the direction of serving children in foster care, she pushes through several obstacles and follow’s God’s direction.
•  The film is raw and honest about portraying severe child abuse and the challenges of children who experience significant childhood trauma. The film is also raw and honest about portraying the struggles, successes, mistakes, miracles, failures and faithfulness of caring Christian foster parents.
• The thing I appreciated most was watching the church stick together in support of children and families involved in fostering and adopting. Bennet Chapel members prayed harder, dropped off meals, provided respite and encouraged the foster and adoptive families. The church turned toward the challenges, pushed through incredibly difficult situations and faithfully cared for the most vulnerable children.

Today, there are over 4,000 children in Colorado foster care. Almost 400 are waiting for an adoptive family. Just like in Possum Trot, there are also not enough foster or adoptive families available to care for these children, especially older children and teens, sibling sets and children who have experienced significant trauma. There is a need for churches like Bennet Chapel to step forward and care for these children.

What can you do today?

• Organize friends in your church to see Sound of Hope, the Story of Possum Trot this summer. Purchase tickets HERE to also support the ministry of Project 1.27’s friends, Colorado Kids Belong.
• Host a discussion at your church after a Sunday service or during the week. Encourage people to see the movie before that discussion time. Project 1.27 would be happy to be part of that conversation, sharing some details about child welfare in Colorado today and how members of your congregation can care for children and families right in your backyard. CLICK HERE to learn more

By Shelly Radic, Executive Director

​​May is National Foster Care Month. This month at Project 1.27, we are praying for all the people like you who put the “care" in foster care. In Colorado we need more families to foster and more people to care for foster families. So, join us in praying for more than enough families to take the first step toward fostering and for hearts to be stirred and encouraged to care for kids. 

Care looks like a single kinship grandmother who lost her job because she missed work when her one-year-old grandson was in the hospital with pneumonia. Grandma joined an ECHOflex group, connecting with other families for encouragement and support. 

Care looks a young couple welcoming toddler twins just weeks after completing their foster parent training.

Care looks like a Project 1.27 Neighbor dropping off monthly meals to a foster family reminding the family they're not alone.

Care looks like volunteers responding to a CarePortal request from a biological family working toward reunification by providing furniture and household items to prepare Dad's apartment before the kids return home.

During National Foster Care Month, we encourage you to pray -
·       For how you can care
·       For children experiencing foster care
·       For more than enough foster families
·       For more than enough volunteers to care for kids and families

Share this information to your church and community, encouraging more people to put the care in foster care.

Kids need families. Families need YOU.

By Sharon Bouse-Ferry, ECHOflex Director