B. Lead the charge and champion the cause by asking other churches to pray on Blue Sunday. There is a sample press release you may use on our website. You may include your church name and location before sharing it: bluesunday.org/press-release.
C. Show your church takes child safety seriously. Train your staff using the free Blue Ribbon Church materials that can be found at blueribbonchurch.com. It is a free training service for churches who are committed to making their church, their children, and their communities safer.
2. RELIEF:
A. The CarePortal (www.careportal.org) ministry connects churches with the needs of abused children by working alongside child welfare agencies. After you register online, you will receive an email when there is a need in your area. You get to take items such as groceries, playpen, diapers, or school clothes to the family and pray for them and of course invite them to church. CarePortal is simple to use and gives your church an instant ministry!
B. Your church can host events for foster children. This requires contacting your local child welfare agency or private nonprofits. Events can include Christmas parties, Easter, Back to School events, and—don’t forget—Vacation Bible School. One of our first projects we hosted was Blue Zoo Day, inspired by the eight broken hearts we’d met in family court, where foster children spend time with siblings to bond and make happier memories.
3. PREVENTION:
Two powerful faith-based programs to help end the cycle of abuse:
A. Addictions: Most child removals are drug- or alcohol-related. When people are looking for a drug treatment program, we always recommend Celebrate Recovery (www.celebraterecovery.com). It is a successful program that helps people overcome their addictions.
B. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE): Adult survivors of child abuse are more likely to repeat the abuse with their own families. AceOvercomers (www.aceovercomers.com) helps people overcome the negative effects of childhood trauma and household dysfunction. Author Dave Lockridge marries the ACE study with the Word of God, and it has been a blessing to thousands of people both here and abroad.
Churches are the perfect partners in this fight. We bring faith, encouragement, and resources into the most heartbreaking mission of all…abused children.
An abandoned, abused, or neglected child is about as “least” as you can get. They have lost everything—their parents, their brothers and sister, school friends, even their pets. They typically are removed with the clothes on their backs, or a few things thrown in a trash bag.
Whatever you do for the least of these it is as though you have done unto me. Matt. 25:40
Do it for them.
Do it for yourself.
Do it as unto the Lord.
Blue Sunday Day of Prayer for abused children is a free event. To register and access free resources visit www.bluesunday.org.
