Monday, April 23, 2018

They're Adopting Twins!



Sarah McHugh has been a part of the Adoption, Foster Care & Safe Families Ministry at Willow Creek for about 3 years and  has been a driving force in a leadership role, supporting children and  families in our ministry.

We are thrilled for Sarah and her husband Zach, that they have been chosen to adopt twin babies that are due to be born in July!  While this is reason to get excited, their budget didn't anticipate the extra cost of adopting twins from out of state. 
Can you help?

A page has been set up to make giving a donation easy, and all donations are tax deductible.
 
If you'd like to learn more about Zach and Sarah,  you can visit Sarah's blog, or watch their adoption video.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

I Can’t Ask Friends and Family to Fund Our Adoption. Can I?

The following is taken from the Lifesong blog.
Published 3/9/2018 

 

Asking for money for any reason is hard. Asking for money to fund an adoption is no easier. But is it wrong?

 

Here are 3 questions to consider–

1. Why are you asking for financial support?

Adoption is expensive, but expense–alone–isn’t always enough of a reason to ask other people for help.
Many adopting families ask for help because the amount of money required in a short timeline far exceeds their ability to pay. For example, according to Adoptive Families Magazine, the average fees for a domestic adoption in the United States are $39,966. Many adoption agencies require a bulk of that money up front to handle application, homestudy, and agency fees, etc. While coming up with $39,966 over several years may be possible, coming up with it in a matter of months may be another story altogether. If God has clearly led your family to adopt, He may clearly lead you to humble yourself and ask for help.
Note to adopting families: If God has called you to adopt and you are asking friends and family to contribute financially, take the time to explain why the financial help is vital. Be willing to share God’s heart for the fatherless and your specific call to adopt. If it applies to you, be clear that adoption is overwhelmingly expensive, and most candidates for adopting don’t have access to the required fees in the required timeline.

2. How are you asking for financial support?

The how in this case is as important as the why.
Just as God has prompted you to adopt, so, too, He will prompt the right people to support your adoption. In many ways, this is a fantastic way for friends and family to participate in caring for fatherless children whether or not God has called them to adopt. But still, we must ask correctly. Make the need known, but be careful not to over-request. Host as few fundraisers as possible with the lowest possible overhead cost so that every dollar goes as far as possible. If someone gives generously to your adoption, take that person off of future fundraising requests. He or she now knows you are adopting and will give again if God directs.
Note to adopting families: Begin by making the need known to your closest friends and family. Writing a personal letter has proven to be very effective in this regard. Be sure to celebrate every gift–no matter the size–through prayers of praise and notes of gratitude. Also, very often, your inner circle will be happy to give generously without the need to buy t-shirts or jewelry.
Do you want to help your friends’ and families’ gifts go further? Consider applying for a matching grant or fundraising support through Lifesong. We even have a free crowdfunding tool for our approved families to use!

3. What are you contributing financially to your adoption?

Be certain when asking others to contribute to your adoption that you are contributing all you can. While your life should not end while you wait to adopt your child, enjoying expensive dinners out or posting photos of extraordinary vacations while asking people to help with your adoption may send the wrong message. If God has called you to adopt, He may be calling you to sacrifice immediate luxuries … and that’s OK. You won’t regret sacrificial obedience to God.
Bottom line: Asking friends and family to help isn’t wrong if it’s done in the right way for the right reasons. And most importantly?–Where God leads, God provides.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.
–2 Corinthians 9:8


Money should never be the reason children don’t have families.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Safe Families Volunteer Training at Willow Creek!

Are you ready to step out onto the water and take a leap of faith? Looking for a way to help the kids and families who are struggling? We challenge you to DO SOMETHING.
Safe Families for Children is a movement fueled by compassion to keep children safe and families intact. We rely upon host families, and a network of support, to open their arms, their hearts, and their homes.
Safe Families Volunteer Training
Saturday, May 5th, 2018
Willow Creek Community Church, Room B206
67 E. Algonquin Road, So. Barrington, IL

REGISTER HERE

 
This event is designed to equip you to welcome a child into your home (Host Family) or support a host or placing parent (Family Friend) and move you through the training process efficiently. The live Comprehensive Training Session includes everything you need to become a certified Safe Family Volunteer—all in one place. 
  • Start or submit your application
  • Get fingerprints taken for the background check
  • Complete your training hours
  • Meet like-minded families who will support you
The training will be in two parts.  The first 2 1/2 hours will be for all volunteers. The second 1 1/2  hours will be for Host Families.  So, anyone interested in being a Family Friend only needs to stay for the first part.  Host Families need to stay for the whole training.
 
Doors open at 8:30 AM for those who need to start an application, schedule a home study, start a background check, or ask one-on-one questions.  The training session begins at 9:00 AM sharp!
A light breakfast and lunch is included.

Email us at safefamilies@willowcreek.org with questions,

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Adoption, Foster Care, Safe Families for Children Open House!

 
 
 
 
 
Adoption, Foster Care, Safe Families for Children
Open House!


Wednesday, April 11th
7:30 - 8:45
Willow Creek Community Church
Room F280 (Hospitality Room)

Come learn about adoption, foster care, and Safe Families for Children and learn how you can get involved in these growing ministries at Willow Creek.

Interested in serving kids in foster care?  Representatives from C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Royal Family Kids Camp, and Teen Reach Adventure Camp will be on hand to show you ways you can get involved.

 
No registration necessary.  Questions? Email afs@willowcreek.org