Every Child Initiative

As you know, Summit Church exists to glorify God through presenting the gospel to EVERY man, woman, and CHILD, connecting them in loving relationships with Jesus Christ and with others.  Often overlooked, but included in “every man, woman, and child” are vulnerable children who live in our community and around our world.
    
Throughout God’s Word, we see that God is vested, deeply and personally, in the plight of the orphan—and in all who are destitute and defenseless (Dt 10:18; Ps 10:14; Ps 68:5-6, Is 58:5-12).  He calls His people to join Him in this, sharing His passion for orphans and bringing to each child the love of Jesus Christ in both word and deed (Is 1:17; Jms 1:27; Mt 25:40). To act upon God’s call to care for orphans is not merely a matter of duty or reaction to needs.  It is first and foremost a response to the Gospel:  the loving Father who sought us, adopted us, and invites us to live as His sons and daughters (1 Jn 4:19; Eph1:15; Gal 4:6). 

The “Every Child Initiative” is an effort to join God in reaching out to, caring for, and representing gospel transformation to vulnerable children in our community and around our world.  Our hope is that everyone who calls Summit Church “home” will partner with us in this gospel motivated initiative. Below are the different facets to this initiative, the goals associated with each, as well as resources and organizations we are partnering with throughout this initiative. 

Foster Care
Foster parents play a critical role in the care and development of abused, neglected and orphaned children. Being a foster parent is a vital ministry to precious children who often come from tragic circumstances. There are approximately 500 children in Southwest Florida (Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties) that need loving homes. Foster families provide children a temporary, safe place to live until they can be reunited with their families or, when that is not possible, until an adoptive family is identified.

Goal:
- 100 families prepared and ready for foster care
- 50 Guardian Ad Litems

Resources/Partners:
- Florida Baptist Children’s Home (www.fbchomes.org)
- Florida Guardian Ad Litem (www.guardianadlitem.org)
- Children’s Network (www.childnetswfl.org)

Adoption
“The deepest and strongest foundation for adoption is located not in the act of humans adopting humans, but in God adopting humans.  And this is not part of his ordinary providence in the world; it is at the heart of the Gospel” - (John Piper). Whether it’s private or public, national or international, there is a great need for Christ followers to respond to the gospel through the adoption of abandoned children. In doing so, we reflect the love of Christ, as we ourselves have been adopted as sons and daughters.

Goal:
- 30 new adoption families

Resources/Partners:
- Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel by John Piper (www.desiringgod.com)
- Embraced By Grace (www.embracedbygrace.org)
- Children’s Network (www.childnetswfl.org)

Global Orphan Care
The worldwide plight and condition of orphans is a global crisis which is an unacceptable tragedy. There are more than 163 million orphans in the world today. We seek to care for global orphans, primarily through sponsorships, as we link arms with several of our Xpansion partners around the world. We pursue orphan care through a holistic approach to ministry which recognizes an individual as a whole and therefore addresses the needs of a person as a whole, including nutrition, medical care, education, discipleship and life preparedness.

Goal:
- 500 children sponsored

Resources/Partners:
- Mission of Hope Haiti (www.mohhaiti.org)
- Children’s Hope Chest, Uganda (www.hopechest.org/uganda)
- Shanghai Healing Home (www.charitydreamshanghai.com)
- Vision Nationals, India (www.visionnationals.org)
- Help The Least of These, Kenya (www.htlot.org)

Support:

Wrap-Around Families
There is a great need for the Body of Christ to come alongside of families involved in foster care and adoption. Whether it be preparing and providing meals for families when a child is first placed in a home, donating diapers and clothing for new children, providing childcare, or assisting in maintenance or lawn care for families in need. There are many ways to get involved and serve through the Every Child Initiative by being one of many wrap-around families that provide on-going support.

Goal:
- 100 wrap-around families

Prayer
Join us as we go before the Father and intercede on behalf of the families involved in foster care and adoption. Pray that the Lord will give them strength and wisdom as they reflect the love of Christ and demonstrate the gospel to the children placed in their homes. Pray for the children that are placed in the homes of the people of Summit Church. Pray that they may come to know the saving, life transforming power of Jesus Christ. Pray for each of our Xpansion partners involved in orphan care, as they also seek to care for vulnerable children around the world.

Giving
Prayerfully consider giving to the Every Child Initiative. Part of this initiative is creating an adoption fund to come alongside of the families of Summit Church and assisting with the financial burden associated with adoption. Giving to the initiative will also go towards supporting global projects through our Xpansion partners involved in orphan care.