As the last service at Long Hollow finished on Sunday many families filed into the chapel instead of getting in their cars to head home. These families represent such a special function of our church body; caring for children. (see photo below) The babies they carried are the children of incarcerated mothers. Jonah’s Journey serves these women and children by finding healthy families within the church to care for the children, preventing them from being placed in the foster care system. The mothers are privy to Godly examples and feel confident that their children are being raised in loving Christian homes. The goal of the program is to eventually reunite the babies and toddlers with their mothers but there are circumstances where the mother determines that adoption is the best choice for her child. In this case the Jonah’s Journey families can become adoptive families for the children.
There is also a need for families to commit to short term care. Emergency situations arise that require children to be placed in a home for two or three nights. It is much more beneficial for the children to be placed with a church family than a foster family. As a church we can surround children in crisis with love and support. If you would like more information about becoming a short or long term safe family for a child please contact us.
Visit the Jonah’s Journey website: http://www.jonahjourney.com/home
What a blessing it has been for my family and I to serve the children of Jonah’s Journey. We have provided respite care for several families, and have formed life changing relationships. We have been blessed beyond measure.
Although each child’s journey is beautifully unique, they have a common thread…they are orphaned by circumstance but loved with purpose! This ministry has changed the heart of my family forever.