July 22, 2002
TOGETHER:
Child & family services exhibit love
___"Jesus loves the little children." And God values families. So should we.
___Texas Baptist churches minister effectively to children and their families, and so do institutional ministries related to the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The seven-fold vision statement in the BGCT strategic plan includes an emphasis on encouraging the growth of healthy, Christ-centered families.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___As we continue looking at some of our Texas Baptist ministries, let's consider institutional child and family services that provide support to our churches and families in Texas.
___Buckner Children & Family Services and Buckner Orphan Care International have touched more than 80,000 lives this past year alone, with ministry to children and families throughout Texas and in Russia, Kenya, Mexico and Guatemala. Buckner has a contract to provide care for orphan children in Russia and has been able to involve Baptists and other evangelical Christian families in a foster-care program. More than 80,000 brand-new shoes and socks were collected and distributed to orphans around the world. This creative mission initiative will make a difference in the future of Russia and the Baptist witness there.
___Texas Baptist Children's Home & Family Services has creative ministries to single mothers in Houston and Round Rock. It also offers the Miracle Farm for troubled boys at Brenham. In this ministry, boys are given the chance to care for a horse. If they do that faithfully, they are taught to ride the horse, and then they learn how to rope steers. This builds self-confidence and teaches them how to care for the animals and for the other boys as they engage in friendly competition.
___In addition to extensive ministry in San Antonio, Baptist Child & Family Services has ministry along the Texas/Mexico border and in Moldova. Baptist Child & Family Services also sponsors Breckenridge Village in Tyler for adults who have limited mental ability to care for themselves.
___South Texas Children's Home provides extensive residential care at its campuses. The Beeville-based ministry also sponsors huge parenting workshops in Corpus Christi, in partnership with local churches. This year, South Texas Children's Home is celebrating its 50th anniversary in ministry.
___All these ministries to hundreds, even thousands, of children every year have as their goal that children will know the love of Jesus and freely choose to follow him. There are partnerships growing between our Baptist universities and these ministries to provide scholarships for all who want to attend one of our Baptist schools.
___These ministries, and those of our educational institutions mentioned last week, are only a few of the reasons why your church should support faithfully and generously the Cooperative Program of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Cooperative Program dollars help us help these faithful servants of Jesus provide meaningful and Christ-like services to people in Texas and around the world.
___Next week, we will look at what our hospitals and elder care ministries do for people in Christ's name and as an extension of the care and faithfulness of our Baptist churches.
___Yes, we are loved!
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