Organization Name: Lifesong for Orphans
Partnership Model #1: Launch an Adoption Fund @ Your Church

Description of Event Partnership: 

Make Orphan Sunday result in something very tangible: Launch a Church Adoption Fund. An Adoption Fund is a very encouraging and practical help to Christian families who feel called to adopt, but run into the feeling that adoption is “financially impossible”. The fund can maximize stewardship by utilizing innovative funding tools of Adoption Matching Grants & Interest-Free Loans.

What Local Host Does:

  • Highlight orphan care and adoption on Orphan Sunday ( sermon, event, or Sunday school class) and video provided by Lifesong (ex: http://vimeo.com/8036445)
  • Use prayer cards provided by Lifesong to distribute to attendees
  • Shape how the Adoption Fund might be used, and name the fund
  • Allocate Orphan Sunday financial offering to be used as “initial seed funding” to launch the Fund, or discuss other creative initial funding ideas
  • Partner with Lifesong to administer the Fund

What Organizational Partner Does:

Lifesong will administer, manage, and facilitate the Adoption Fund on behalf of each church — at no cost to the church! We are prepared to provide solutions to these most common barriers:

  • Church staff “plate is already full” to administer fund
  • Church feels uncomfortable/awkward approving/denying their own families (viewing financials, etc.)
  • Adoption Fund is unfamiliar territory

Contact for Further Information:

Partnership Model #2:  Orphan Sunday Coffee House

Description:

Encourage your church to think missionally and act intentionally.

Create an atmosphere conducive to orphan related conversations, networking, etc, by setting up a “coffee shop” environment in your church foyer, hallway, or other room that could be a little “hang out” coffee shop area. As you serve and drink Gobena Coffee you have a natural opportunity to highlight orphan ministry initiatives you church is working on: foster care, adoption, orphan care, etc. While sitting and enjoying the best cup of coffee ever you can reflect on the small things that you can do to help out in BIG ways caring for the orphan.

Gobena Coffee provides organic fair trade coffee from Ethiopia, Colombia and Guatemala! 100% of profits get reinvested into the lives of children through orphan care initiatives.

What Local Host Does:

A local host would buy, brew, serve and/or sell Gobena Coffee and:

  • Display orphan related videos, banners, displays, brochures, etc. illustrating the orphan need and/or what YOUR church is doing/would like to do in creating solutions related to foster care, adoption, orphan care, etc.
  • Serve coffee for free – OR- sell the coffee, using proceeds for their orphan ministry, etc.

What Organizational Partner Does:

  • Distribute Gobena Coffee
  • Provide Gobena & Lifesong videos for your use on Orphan Sunday & beyond
  • Provide Gobena / Lifesong banners for awareness purposes, etc.

Contact for Further Information:

Partnership Model #3: Both Hands (One for the Widow, One for the Orphan)

Description:

Host a “Both Hands” Orphan & Widow Renovation project (to help launch a Church Adoption Fund, support a Lifesong orphan care project, or adoptive family in your church). “Both Hands” helps serve WIDOWS in a very practical way in your community, while raising funds to help ORPHANS. A Both Hands event is similar to a golf event, or bike-a-thon…with a twist! THE TWIST: Instead of participants being financially sponsored to play golf, or ride a bike…. participants are being sponsored to fix a widow’s house and the funds raised can be used to help orphans!

What Local Host Does:

  • Identify a widow in the community whose home needs renovation / improvement (siding needs replaced, painting, landscaping, de-cluttering, etc.)
  • Identify a Lifesong orphan care project, adoptive family, or Church Adoption Fund that will utilize the funds that are being raised through Both Hands project.
  • Identify 10 -20 volunteers (friends, family, etc.) who will work 1 Saturday and help send out sponsorship funding letters.

What Organizational Partner Does:

  • Lifesong facilitates an innovative method to help raise funds for orphan care, adoption, or a church fund.
  • 100% of funds donated through this project will be allocated to your the project of your choice (adoptive family, church adoption fund, or Lifesong orphan care project)
  • If Church Adoption fund is your choice, Lifesong will manage/facilitate the Church Fund and carry the administrative load on behalf of the church, using mutually agreed upon criteria – at no cost to church (processing applications, accounting, donor receipts, disbursements for adoption expenses, etc.).
  • LS/Both Hands Coordinators will work with and empower a Project Manager from your church, providing step-by-step instructions to help you in the process of getting the project together.

Contact for Further Information:

Partnership Model #4: Sponsor a Child in Ukraine

Description of Event Partnership: 

Make Orphan Sunday result in something very tangible: sponsor an orphaned child in Ukraine who is involved in Lifesong Ukraine Constant Christian Presence (CCP) mentoring program. Through this sponsorship, children receive: mentorship/discipleship, improved living conditions, one-on-one counseling, group Bible studies, job skills training, sports ministry, music lessons and computer skills training.

What Local Host Does:

  • Highlight orphan care and adoption on Orphan Sunday (sermon, event, or Sunday school class) and watch a video provided by Lifesong
  • Use prayer cards provided by Lifesong to distribute to attendees

What Organizational Partner Does: 

Lifesong will provide you with information on a child in Ukraine and encourage prayer and support for this specific child. Lifesong will also provide a prayer card for you to use in your home to encourage your family to pray for these children and their situations.

Contact for Further Information:

Partnership Model #5: Host a local Foster Care panel

Description: Use Orphan Sunday to teach and encourage your church of the needs in your local Foster Care System.

What Local Host Does:

  • Highlight what orphan care looks like in America through a Foster Care panel and watch a video like this (https://vimeo.com/6576611).
  • Invite local Foster Care parents, Foster Care case workers, or adults who were foster care children to share their stories and insights into how your church can serve the Foster Care community.
  • Use foster care prayer cards provided by Lifesong to distribute to attendees.
  • Check out http://www.heartgallerykids.org/ to see if you can display a gallery of children in your community

What Organizational Partner Does:

Lifesong will provide you with foster care prayer cards as well as ‘call to action’ points of how your church can pray and be involved in your local community. We will connect you to our partner organization “The Forgotten Initiative” to give you practical ways you can serve your foster care community.
Contact for Further Information: