A Good Start is Not the End The church’s ministry to foster families doesn’t end after the first two hectic weeks; it’s just the beginning. When a child enters foster care, churches often respond with incredible compassion. Meals are delivered. Clothing is collected. Gift cards arrive. Friends ask, “What do you need?” It’s a beautiful picture of the Body of …
How Burlington Baptist Built a Foster & Adoption Ministry Many churches wonder how to support foster and adoptive families in their congregation or community. They know God’s heart for the orphan and care about the families in their church. They just aren’t always sure where to start. The first step, most often, begins with a relationship. Take Burlington Baptist, for …
It All Started at Home Kristy’s journey to Orphan Care Alliance began in her own home. She and her husband were foster parents for years. They even had the privilege to adopt through foster care. Her husband, a local pastor, invited OCA to connect with their church. “He LOVED what OCA was about and everyone he met at OCA,” Kristy …
Peace Can Seem Hard to Come By Parenting is rarely peaceful. Most of the time it is chaos: overlapping schedules, special needs, work pressure, constant demands and meltdowns (by children and parents). Parents long to find control in the chaos. Parents can find the calmness they seek by developing systems and thinking through success strategies. Build Simple Family Systems Reducing …
Experience and Alignment Definitely Helps Sometimes, all it takes is hearing about the mission of Orphan Care Alliance. For Tim Bollenbecker, the call to help raise up Christian foster parents and equip churches to rise to the challenge in support vulnerable children resonated deeply. He knew this was where God was leading him. Today, Tim serves as OCA’s Regional Ministry …
The Need for Community The adoption, kinship care, and foster care journey is a mix of joy, challenge, growth, and uncertainty. While every family’s story is unique, one thing remains true: no one should walk this journey alone. For families considering foster care, navigating the adoption process, or parenting a child from a hard place, having a community that understands …
One of the most exciting moments in OCA’s Life Coaching programs is the match meeting, the first time a Life Coach and a young person meet. It’s a moment in which two people start to understand why the Matchmaker Himself brought them together. From Initial Interest to a Match When someone expresses interest in becoming a life coach, they are …
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When Amy Coleman accepted the position of Administrative Coordinator, her service to Orphan Care Alliance came full circle. “In 2005, I was one of the first five families that formed Louisville Orphan Care Initiative (LOCI). At that time, I acted as the central point of contact for calls, mail/mailings and all things administrative.” While OCA has been part of Amy’s …
A Grandmother Raising a Child: A First-Person Account My husband, John, and I did everything that we could to keep our granddaughter in our family when social services stepped in. There wasn’t any part of us that wanted her to go into foster care. Hannah belonged with us. We would attend OCA foster parent training to keep her in our …
