Few people use the term orphan anymore—it’s not a very pretty term and doesn’t bring up pleasant pictures. But the reality is, within our culture and community, there are orphans—children who are deprived of the loving, caring, unconditional love of a parent. In the Sacramento region alone, there are approximately 4,000 children in foster care and of those, 900 children who are ready to be adopted into loving families. But where are those families?

Why the Church?

We serve a God whose heart is close to the orphan—The Bible says that God “[is] a father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5), “makes a home for the lonely” (Psalm 68:6), and “defends the cause of the fatherless” (Deut. 10:18). Scripture goes so far to say that, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure & faultless is this: to look after orphans & widows in their distress & to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

What’s the Call?

“For Christ’s love compels us…” (2 Cor. 5:14a). Because Christ died for us, adopted us into His family, shows compassion to us, and loves us unconditionally, we are able to extend that love fully to others (Eph. 1:3-10 & 2 Cor. 5). He has called us, the Church, to care for orphan. They are His children, created in His image. They are Chosen Ones.

What Can I Do?

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Chosen Ones is a ministry at First Covenant Church seeking to create a culture within our church family that values caring for the orphan. Does this mean that everyone needs to foster or adopt a child? No. But there are some families within the church whom God is calling to foster a child, adopt a child or to provide a temporary caring and loving home for children in order to help them through tough times. These families need care, support and prayer. We can all come alongside and support them.