Back a couple of weeks on Orphan Sunday, we talked about God’s heart for the orphan. We also shared about our work, Restoration Rome, and the necessity for community collaboration to make this hub of foster care and adoption services thrive.
We talk in our spiritual DNA about working WITH the city NOT FOR the city. Well, in partnership with Rome/Floyd County and their giving SE Elementary School to Restoration Rome, we have been working hard to put together the work necessary to facilitate reunification where right, adoption where needed and a host of other partners to eradicate the foster care crisis in NW Georgia. The repairing of this problem in our region would bring about much in economic impact as well as spiritual renewal to say the least. This is working WITH what God has ordained in his governing of all things and his establishment of government to engage the domains of our society.
We are still just under 400 children in care with 29 homes to service the kids. The reported cases per month, however, has been rising. This creates many strains on agencies and their ability to manage all of the cases in our region. Most of these children are transported out of their familiar county, away from friends and familiar surroundings, school and anything that is normal. We must have more homes, better processes of getting, training and keeping foster parents, services to biological parents who need them accessible and a host of other necessities.
We are making strides. With partnership from Lowes, much construction is underway in and around the community center work that is currently ongoing in order to construct the visitation center and the medical clinic. The labor to deconstruct was donated by Lowes, and the labor to construct has been donated by Carpenters for Christ. We just need to raise the funds for building materials. The estimated cost is coming in at around 200k.
What we are challenging pastors and other congregations to do is forgo just one Christmas present per person and give the cost of that present to Restoration Rome.
How can you do that?
- Don’t give your tithe for your church to this. Give this IN ADDITION TO YOUR TITHE. By all means, give to God what his first. Give that off the top to the Lord in your local church. We are not interested in robbing God by robbing what his his through the local church. Give this in addition to your tithe. Be generous.Proverbs 11:24-25 says, (ESV) “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.” - Bring your offering for Restoration Rome on Sunday morning, December 25th, and give them in the offering at your church. Checks can be made out to “Restoration Rome”. If your church is not aware of this opportunity, and is not participating, then you can mail them to PO Box 707, Rome, GA 30162. If you attend TRC, you can give them at our designated location at worship that morning (more to come for TRC on that). If you won’t be at worship on Christmas morning, you can bring your offering the next week.
- You can give right here also Restoration Rome
- We will update you on the amount raised for this most vital work after all has been tallied.
Every church and every Christian can have an impact. Not all will foster or adopt, but all can give. Would you consider being part of this effort?
Theology in the Dirt 