If there is one orphan care conference that you should consider attending this year, it is this one.
It’s called the Summit Conference, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
This year, the conference will take place at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, IL on May 1-2, 2014. Patch Our Planet will have a booth set up and we would love to get a chance to meet you.
You can click on the picture above and check out all the details about the conference. Before you do that, let me quickly tell you why I will be attending again (this time as a member of CAFO).
This is a non-denominational movement. This is not about any one organization leading an agenda. It’s about a Kingdom cause that is uniting, not divisive. Everyone can agree that we need to care for orphans and vulnerable children. There may be some small disagreements on how to best accomplish that goal, but we can all agree that something needs to be done. And you will not find better orphan care resources at a conference than this one.
So what have I learned at this major conference?
1. Orphan care is alive and well in communities all across America and throughout the world.
2. Organizations freely share best practices in order to benefit every child.
3. Churches, governments and non-profits are working together successfully.
4. There is help and hope for children from hard places. There are resources to help families.
5. There is great accountability in place for member organizations.
6. We work faster and smarter because we work together, sharing ideas and best practices.
7. There is a gap in orphan care leadership at higher levels of many churches. (That’s where we come in!)
8. There are unbelievable testimonies of children who have grown up in orphanages or in foster care. They inspire us and encourage us to fight for those who are currently in the system.
9. Orphan care is a large piece of what James calls “pure religion”. It must be important to the church.
10. There is something that I can do about the orphan care crisis and it will make a difference.
What can you do?
You know what? There is something you can do about the orphan care crisis too. Wouldn’t you love to know what your role in all of this is? How about the role of your church?
Please take just 5 minutes to explore the website and consider joining over 2,000 other orphan advocates and church leaders at the 2014 Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit Conference.
Then tell someone else about the goldmine you just found.
#CAFO2014
For the sake of church & child, Steve Gillis Founder | Exec. Director www.patchourplanet.org
Check out the sights/sounds of CAFO with Orphan Advocate & Grammy Award Winning Musician, Steven Curtis Chapman here – DSCN2584 (Quick Time Required)
