“Where is the church?”
This urgent question, echoing with the angst and passion of my mother’s voice, still resonates in my ears. It was a call to action that rattled my bones and kept me awake at night.
I was a college student at the time, deeply immersed in studying the Bible and the gospel accounts of the incarnate Savior.
My studies led me to believe that following Christ meant imitating Christ. Jesus told his disciples that true disciples would be known by their love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
How did Christ love us? By drawing near to us in our mess and providing an avenue for an eternal relationship with Him. He loved us by giving himself entirely, through sacrificial, costly service. He confronted our sin and pride by defying all expectations. Though he was worthy of all praise, glory, honor, and respect, he made himself lowly and served the least of these, even to the point of giving his own life for the most vile and vulnerable.
The night before that fateful call, my parents had attended their first foster parent licensing class, hosted by the lead community-based care agency in Pinellas County, FL. At the time, the county ranked second-highest in the state for children in foster care. (O’Donnell, 20201)
The class started with each adult in attendance sharing a brief introduction about themselves and their home. It was a simple exercise that quickly revealed what each family valued and their desire to become a foster family. My parents promptly perceived that they were the only family associated with a local body of faith, let alone proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There were 20-30 families in the room.
Where was the Church?
Serving Others is Vital
Kelly Whitten still remembers the moment, standing over her kitchen sink, when she realized that two people were carrying the weight of the burdens of children and families for the Department of Children and Family Services in her county.
Kelly and her husband, Matt, were fostering at the time and suddenly found themselves without anyone to call upon at the county office. A walk-out by the majority of the staff at the department office left the county in unprecedented turmoil.
“The Lord kept reminding me, ‘There are only two people in this whole county.’ At first, my response was, ‘Yes, Lord. This is super inconvenient.’ And then it clicked for me. Two people are responsible for overseeing the cases of all children and families in foster care in our county. And the reality was that more children were coming into care.”
How Can We Serve You?
Through a mutual friend, Kelly was able to make a brief connection with one of those two county workers. Following the connection, she sent the caseworker a simple message.
“I want to thank you for the work you are doing. How can our church serve you? How can we pray for you?”
There was no response. Kelly continued to send the same weekly text message. “I’m grateful for the work you do that no one sees. How can I pray? How can I help?”
Eventually, the case worker responded with a simple request. Could you provide snacks for our new team members?
Kelly and other members of Heights Community Church were at the office the next morning with several boxes of grab-and-go snacks.
The Family Advocacy Ministry at Heights Community Church has maintained a close-knit relationship with its county office staff. Kelly’s approach has remained consistent throughout their relationship—she continues to ask, “How can I serve you? How can I pray for you?”
The requests have gotten more substantial, as has the department staff (now boasting upwards of 40-50 employees). Can you host our team’s Christmas dinner? Can you help find housing for a teenager aging out of care? Could you host a supervised visit in your kid’s ministry environment? And consistently, the church at Heights Community Church has said yes.
In the town of Collinsville, the presence of Heights Community Church can be felt by its most vulnerable neighbors and those standing in the gap to care for them. Could the same be said for your church?
Why Should the Church Serve Other Families?
One busy Thursday afternoon, I asked my fellow team members to participate in the most inconvenient existential exercise.
“Why should a church engage in serving vulnerable kids and families? Don’t tell me what we are inviting churches to do or how we help them do it—tell me why.”
Serving Others is Living Out Discipleship
One team member, an adoptive parent who has lived out all the beauty and brokenness that adoption can bring, responded quickly.
“The initial inclination is to answer because children need families, and this is true, right, and good. However, it falls short. When the church enters hard stories with complex layers and cyclical hardships we (the church) are faced with our finiteness and are required to fall on the grace and mercy of God who is the only one with the answers to “why” and “how”, and we are forced to look at our faith. Is God good? Is God powerful? And where does our hope lie? In short, we are asking churches to live out discipleship. “
Serving Others Means Moving Toward Broken People
One coworker, who had previously served as a pastor and mentor to many vulnerable teenagers, presented his compelling argument in a truly pastoral manner.
“John 1:14, ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’
When God had every right to move away from us, he moved towards us. Jesus entered hard places, saw broken people, and moved towards them. We walk in the footsteps of Jesus when we see hard places and broken people, and we move towards them. Caring for vulnerable children and families is a response to the gospel; it is answering the mandate given to the church to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded. Churches should engage in Family Advocacy Ministry because:
- It allows the church to be Jesus’s hands and feet to the most vulnerable among us.
- It invites the most vulnerable among us into a relationship with the church.”
Every leader probably says this, but I believe it. I work with the best people in the world. They are genuine, innovative, and passionate. Their willingness to entertain such an unusual request, while juggling many other responsibilities, demonstrates their grace and patience toward me. Their responses to this simple question brought tears to my eyes as the Lord reminded me of the truth of His gospel again.
Is Your Church Reflecting Jesus?
Jesus was known as a friend of sinners.
- He pursued the vulnerable and marginalized with a message of healing and redemption.
- He drew near to those that others wouldn’t dare associate with.
- He welcomed the masses that sought healing and help.
- He emptied himself in obedience to the Father.
Could the same be said about your church?
If your church disappeared from your community tomorrow, would the most vulnerable members of your community (and the systems that support them) notice?
References
- O’Donnell, C. (2020, January 17). Pinellas now ranks No. 2 in Florida for children in foster care. Tampa Bay Times. https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2020/01/17/pinellas-now-ranks-no-2-in-all-florida-for-children-in-foster-care/ ↩︎
© 2025 Connor McCauley. Used with Permission.
