Few people use the term orphan anymore, it’s not a very pretty term and doesn’t bring up pretty pictures. But in reality, in our culture, our community, we have orphans… children who are deprived of the loving, caring, unconditional love of a parent. In the Sacramento region we have approximately 4,000 children in foster care and of those, 900 children who are ready to be adopted into loving families.

Why The Church?

We serve a God whose heart is close to the orphan... God “[is] a father to the fatherless,” (Psalm 68:5) “makes a home for the lonely,” (Psalm 68:6) “defends the cause of the fatherless.” (Deut. 10:18) The Bible goes so far that in James it says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure & faultless is this: to look after orphans & widows in their distress & to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

What’s the Call?

“For Christ’s love compels us…” (2 Cor. 5:14a) Because Christ died for us and has adopted us into His family, shows compassion to us, and loves us unconditionally, we are able to extend that love fully to others. (Eph. 1:3-10 & 2 Cor. 5) He has called us, as the Church, to care for orphans…they are His children, created in His image...Chosen Ones.

What’s the Action?

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Chosen Ones is a ministry at First Covenant Church seeking to create a culture within the church of caring for the orphan. Does this mean that everyone needs to foster or adopt a child? No. But there are some families within the church who God is calling to foster a child, adopt a child or provide a temporary caring and loving home for children in order to help them through tough times. These families need care, support and prayer. We can all do that.