Department of Social Services

D.S.S. is just so messed up it needs to be done away with. After all, it IS the churches responsibility to care for the widows and the orphans. Anyone who thinks otherwise? How can we bring about this much needed change to such a corrupt system?

AAAAAAAAAAMEN!! However I've not got any good or bright, or smart, or excellent ideas as to bring change.

ElizabethBennet wrote:How can we bring about this much needed change to such a corrupt system?

The first thing that needs to happen is Christians need to be subject to the word of God. The change will always start from inside and work its way to outward actions; begin at the bottom and work its way up to the top. As Christians begin to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and they will once again obey Him in this area of their lives (caring for widows and orphans). They will also once again begin tithing to the church and the balance of power in this area will shift back to the church, which can administer these programs more efficiently and effectively. At some point all government funding for these programs will need to be cut off since most people would rather go to someone for a free handout (as the government gives) rather than go somewhere that will practice true biblical charity.

For a more complete and detailed answer of what I'm talking about as well as some practical ways to do this, I recommend a book by George Grant called Bringing in the Sheaves. If you do not have this book in paper form, you can download a free PDF of the book at freebooks.com.

Good point. I just wish we could grab all the "christians" in America and shake them by the scruff of the neck. The churches they go to—if they go—don't teach them from the Bible. It's so frustrating. I can pray which of course is extremely important but I feel helpless all the same. I just have to keep reminding myself it's only Holy Spirit working in their hearts that will change anything. Because even if I could tell them the right things they wouldn't listen with out Holy Spirit's help.

Great Point, jeschen! Just a few questions, though. What about the people who already subject to the word of God and know what they need to be doing?

It's hard to me to sit here doing nothing, when I know of what is going on with the system! I've had personal experience with DSS through my family trying to adopt domestically for over a year, and most recently with two foster kids that were in our care. This is my primary area of concern - foster and adoption. There are so many people involved who are simply in it for the money, don't do their work, etc. and the children are the ones who suffer for it. Many children who are taken out of the home into foster care will be reunified and go back into the same enviroment. It is a sad and heartbreaking situation, especially once you can puts faces and names to the horror stories often told about foster care. Are we to sit back and wait while these innocent littles ones suffer? There must be something we can do now (not excluding prayer).

Agencies like this one give me hope (too bad I don't live in WA!), showing that it can be done!

I'll have to add "Bringing in the Sheaves" to my to-read list.

ElizabethBennet wrote:Great Point, jeschen! Just a few questions, though. What about the people who already subject to the word of God and know what they need to be doing?

It's hard to me to sit here doing nothing, when I know of what is going on with the system! I've had personal experience with DSS through my family trying to adopt domestically for over a year, and most recently with two foster kids that were in our care. This is my primary area of concern - foster and adoption. There are so many people involved who are simply in it for the money, don't do their work, etc. and the children are the ones who suffer for it. Many children who are taken out of the home into foster care will be reunified and go back into the same enviroment. It is a sad and heartbreaking situation, especially once you can puts faces and names to the horror stories often told about foster care. Are we to sit back and wait while these innocent littles ones suffer? There must be something we can do now (not excluding prayer).

Agencies like this one give me hope (too bad I don't live in WA!), showing that it can be done!

I'll have to add "Bringing in the Sheaves" to my to-read list.

I know what you are talking about. I know of a family that takes on foster children simply for the subsidy they will receive from the state. Unfortunately, I don't have any good answers to your questions. I imagine it would be hard to change the situation when there are not enough good homes for the foster children to go to, so they get sent to whoever will take them (some just for the money). I guess if more Christian families do what your family did in taking in some children, the problem would be lessened. It is hard to imagine there being much of a change, however, as long as DSS (instead of the church) is running the program. Do you have any ideas (having first hand experience)? Have you talked it over with any others in your church?

Amongst my family, we have discussed this indepth over the past month. As for others in my church, my family has been visiting churches for the past several years, and just recently started visiting the church we will probably join. So as of yet, I have not talked to anyone in the church body about this. With foster care in the state it is in, we wonder if it is right to support such a system - many of the kids end up going back into their home anyway, why subject them to all the upheaval and shock? There is just so many people you run up against who don't care about the children, including their own social workers!

I praise God for how he is working through ministries like Antioch Adoptions. They have received such an overwhelming response, that Antioch Adoptions is hosting a workshop on how to start a similiar adoption agency in your own state. I wish I could go myself, but it currently appears unlikely that I will make it. I am hoping and praying that God will use this agency to inspire others across the nation to start agencies of their own, in their own states and churches.

I have recently heard about the First Annual 2008 National Foster Care Prayer Vigil. I will be praying!

Here is an interesting statistic I found:

The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you. (A pretty amazing statistic. Also, of 240,000 Americans inquiring about foster adoption this year, only about 10,000 will follow through and become adoptive parents. Data compiled by Listening to Parents)

I also recently read that if 1 in 5 Americans who say they have considered adoption, actually adopted, that the over 150,000 waiting children would have their forever families. Amazing statistics!

This is all I can think of right now, I will add more later when I think of it.