Christ UMC, Sugar Land, Invited Cultivating Families to lead a Missions Rotation during their Vacation Bible School offered July 14-17, 2024
Churches offering Vacation Bible School (VBS) often look for a mission project for the children to learn about the world around them and ways they can help others at any age.
Our goal for the Missions Rotation is to increase awareness and compassion for children in the foster care system at age-appropriate levels.
Cultivating Families staff presented Missions Rotation activities and prepared to answer children’s questions such as:
“Do they get to switch families if they don’t have stars on the ceiling?” “Can the kids who are adopted still stay in touch with their first family and foster family?”
We emphasized that all adults work to keep children safe, and if a child is in the foster care system, it is never their fault. All our VBS stories and activities help children and families see that while this is a complicated topic, they can have this tough conversation and make a difference.
During VBS 316 child participants:
Additionally, 85 teens and 71 Adults learned about local foster care as they volunteered as children guides and leaders.
During Prayers of the People, part of morning worship on the Sunday following VBS, one child asked that we pray for children in foster care. Rev. Susie Puac, Pastor of Children and Family Discipleship, shared, “This warmed my heart!”
If you would like to learn more about Cultivating Families’ VBS Mission Rotation or ways your mosque or synagogue could host a similar children’s activities contact amy@cultivatingfamilies.org.
Ft. Bend ISD Student Athlete Leadership Summit
Ten outstanding young athletes from each of the twelve Ft. Bend County High Schools, selected as leaders on their teams and campuses, attended the FBISD Student-Athlete Leadership Summit.
Cultivating Families was excited to join this year’s summit, held at River Point Church, Missouri City, on July 26. In addition to building beds, the students decorated pillowcases and bed caddies.
The students donated 30 beds to Ft. Bend Rainbow Room, meeting the immediate needs of 30 local children.
Looking Back as We Continue Our Work
Nader Irsan, one of our former board members, shares his story about the importance of a faith community while he was in foster care.
In 2014, I was placed in foster care. After three months of being in foster care, I was placed in Sugarland, Texas. Unbeknownst to me, this was a miracle in disguise. There was a local masjid only a few miles from my foster home.
Initially, I did not know about the masjid, but as my school bus passed it every morning, I soon realized, it was in fact a masjid. I soon attended the masjid as often as possible. I did not have a car at the time, so I would walk roughly three to four miles roundtrip to attend. This to me was a small price to pay. However, attending the masjid was no easy feat due to the restrictions placed on me in the foster home. I vividly recall several arguments between myself, the foster parent, and my caseworker, all so that I could attend the masjid when I pleased. I was forced to compromise. My compromise was that I could not attend the Isha (night) prayer.
Despite this compromise, I took full advantage of what was missing in my life for several months. I would attend the masjid to just sit inside, to play basketball, to connect with likeminded people, and most of all to regain my sense of spirituality that had been lost.
Nader’s story is one of connection, hope, and perseverance. He graduated from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2023 and is currently Managing Attorney at the Law Office of Nader Irsan.
We are excited to announce our new Prayer Initiative – MUSLIM VERSION!
We now have Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Versions available for Prayer Volunteers. Learn more about becoming a prayer volunteer by visiting our website at https://cultivatingfamilies.org/prayer
There is no cost for the prayer packet, no expectations about how often prayer volunteers choose to pray, and the packet is filled with information about local foster care. Most importantly, we believe our prayers will lead to concrete action that will help children and families impacted by foster care.