Sunday, December 1 was a great day! Three youth and one adult were baptized during worship at Mills Home Baptist Church. I wish you could have been here to see the joy on their faces and to witness God working in their lives. Each of the youth has been through so much trauma. During the prayer time, a number of the children in care made their way to the altar to pray. Our staff surrounded them, prayed with them, and cried with them as they asked God to help them with the hurt they are facing. To see the healing taking place is such an amazing blessing. The children are experiencing grace and love in this place in the most real way. They have so much ahead of them, so many possibilities. Thank you for helping to make these moments and these possibilities real.
As I write to you, I can imagine a faithful servant of God sitting at a desk somewhere praying, “Lord, bless this gift—use it to help a child.” The prayer is uttered before the gift is sealed in an envelope. Imagine the possibilities this gift will provide. Imagine the possibilities your gift provides…
A child who has lived in an environment of drugs and unsafe conditions finds a place of hope and refuge.
A child who was hungry and cold is fed physically and spiritually, finding warmth in the love of caring cottage parents.
A young lady is married, becomes a mother, and breaks the cycle of abuse in her family.
A young man, angry and bitter because of an abusive father, becomes a father who shares the love he never felt with his two sons. He teaches them of a Heavenly Father who will always be there for them.
A man with developmental needs discovers a home where he can be as independent as possible, share happiness, and grow to his maximum potential.
A child who is failing in school receives encouragement and extra help, eventually making the honor roll.
A teenage girl, who felt like a failure, graduates from college and works as a social worker, giving back the care she once received.
A child finds hope and healing as she asks Jesus into her heart.
One of the joys of my job (and there are many) is sharing with churches and individuals the BCH story and how God is using their gifts to our ministry to build His kingdom. After one of my speaking engagements, I stood at the front of the church as people shared their love for BCH. Members of this small church with big hearts for our children approached me. A husband and wife shared, “Baptist Children’s Home is always on our hearts,” the wife said. “We want you to know Baptist Children’s Homes is in our will. We want to continue to care for the children.”
There are many ways to give to BCH. One way is to give a Legacy Gift. I hope you have already included BCH as a part of your Legacy Giving. January is Make Your Will Month. It’s a great time to review your plans and imagine the possibilities your Legacy Gift will make. Legacy Gifts represent the long-term assurance that BCH will always be able to imagine the possibilities of building the Kingdom through this ministry.
I am filled with gratitude for generous hearts for children and others in need. I am filled with gratitude for YOU!
January is Sanctity of Human Life Month and you will read a number of stories from Baptist Children's Homes that shows Sanctity of Human Life in action. Each story is a testimony of imagined possibilities and fulfilled possibilities. As you read these stories on our blog, social media and the latest edition of Charity & Children, join us in celebrating Sanctity of Human Life month throughout January and beyond.
The phrase “sanctity of life” refers to the idea that human life is sacred, holy, and precious. Every child that walks through our doors—whether a baby left in a gutter in Guatemala to die, a baby born addicted to drugs, four siblings hungry and cold, or a teenager angry and hurting due to the loss of a parent—every child is given the opportunity to know they matter. Their lives are indeed sacred, holy, and precious.
Thank you for joining us in this quest to honor God by following His mandate as stated in James 1:27:
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Another year draws to a close and a new year emerges filled with so many wonderful possibilities—opportunities to celebrate life by changing precious lives. I call this “putting feet” to our prayers.
With each new opportunity come challenges—challenges that stretch and grow us—which is a good thing. I pray we never allow ourselves to become complacent or unwelcoming to the challenges/opportunities to care for the “least of these.”
Our ministry has grown substantially to meet the growing needs across our state, and we face one of our most challenging years financially. We face this challenge with faith and confidence that God will provide. Every gift you give offers life, new beginnings, second chances, hope, and love. Every gift you give offers so many wonderful possibilities. Thank you for helping us meet these critical, lifesaving, urgent needs. With God, all things are possible!
For more information on how you can help give a child new life, call me at 336-689-4442. Remember, every gift you give between now and January 31st will be doubled through the $300,000 gift challenge.
Please note that we combine the January/February issues of Charity & Children, so you will not receive an issue in February. In February, I’d like to challenge you to celebrate the month of love by sharing love with others. Do one act of kindness each of the 29 days of the month. I can’t wait to hear about the creative ways you offered hope to others. Email me at bbgray@bchfamily.org.
Written by Brenda B. Gray Executive Vice President, Development & Communications