An Invitation For Sunday
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for the orphan and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world
- James 1:27
Church Family,
On Sunday, November 7, as part of our worship on All Saints’ Sunday, we will read the names of the people in our church family who have passed away and joined the Church Triumphant. We do so to honor their long obedience in the direction of Christ and to not forget them, lest we lose their legacy and the lessons they’ve taught us.
Also, on November 7, we will bring awareness to a people and a situation that, for far too long, has been forgotten. This Sunday, we will be acknowledging and inviting you to prayerfully consider how God might be calling you to participate in our Foster/Adopt Ministry. Our community is overwhelmed and under-equipped in trying to address the foster system crisis (this was true even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the closing of the San Antonio children’s shelter). The Church is God’s solution for closing the gap between our current reality and God’s intention for children who are without supportive families. Fortunately, University has a rich history of adoption, fostering, and supporting ministries that serve children and families in these areas. As we draw closer to November 7, we want to encourage you to explore the ways God has equipped you to be Jesus’ hands and feet for those who lack hope and have only known disappointment.
Following the 11am worship services this Sunday, University will host an information session at 12:30pm hosted by South Texas Alliance for Orphans, one of our partners in the community. Another information session will take place on the following Wednesday, November 10. Both of these sessions will take place in the John Wesley Rm. These sessions are meant to illuminate the critical situation in the foster care system and show how the Church is uniquely equipped to answer the many needs.
There are various ways to participate in the solution, all of which are needed to overcome the large problem our community faces. Some of you may be called to foster children or foster with the intention of adopting. Others of you may be called to advocate for the rights and wellbeing of children in the foster care system. Still, others may be summoned to support social workers as they serve children and families in the system.
Relationship is at the heart of who God is, and all of us were given a place within God’s family at our Baptisms. Therefore, as we prepare to remember our loved ones who have passed away on November 7, let us also be mindful of those who have no loved ones, particularly those children in the foster care system. Let us begin to act with love now, so that they will also be received, loved, and instilled with a holy purpose by this wonderful church family.
Blessings,
Pastor Reed