EDMOND — A leaflet at the Edmond LifeChurch campus encourages the holder to pray for Solomon, age 13, that God will bring a positive outcome to his situation and that he will learn of God’s unfailing love.

It also contains a Bible verse: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

Solomon is an Oklahoma foster child, one of 8,046 children in the state who through no fault of their own were in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services as of Jan. 2, 2011. Their families were not able to care for them due to reasons including incarceration, extreme poverty, physical abuse, drug abuse, neglect or abandonment.

A growing number of churches across the state are joining the 111 Project (1 church, 1 family, 1 purpose), a 2011 campaign created to recruit foster families from Oklahoma City metro area churches.

Deborah Price, projects manager for the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said the goal is to leave no Oklahoma child without a father or a family. Price said while the number of children in the system has fallen from more than 12,000 a few years ago, 8,046 is still a staggering number.

“The purpose of the initiative is to promote awareness and to encourage communities and faith-based groups to get involved,” Price said.

LifeChurch’s Edmond campus, at Interstate 35 and Second Street, is one of a growing number of local churches making a commitment to support foster care children.

Campus pastor Miles Paludan said the church is featuring a visual to raise awareness about the need for foster families during the current message series “At the Movies.” The series uses some Hollywood hits as a vehicle for uncovering the story behind the story, Paludan said.   

The visual uses educational stations and information from a video, pertinent Bible verses on a foot bridge arching over a koi pond and the aforementioned leaflet containing  the first names of foster children. Paludan said church members and visitors who come for the series, which includes teaching by Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch’s founding and senior pastor, are acting on what they see and hear.

“We’re really passionate now about foster care as a church,” Paludan said. “This is one of our missional focuses. It’s a huge need.”

Paludan said the 111 Project is a way for Christians to put their faith into action and it is not limited to one denomination or one church. He said he does not expect all to foster a child, but many families are.

Edmond resident Jennifer Abney is founder of the Oklahoma City chapter of the Angels Foster Family Network, which places infants and toddlers in loving homes throughout Oklahoma County.

Abney said Edmond is a caring community that is responding to the call for foster families. Angels Foster Family Network was the “common thread” charity for the city’s three high school fundraisers earlier this year. It received 5 percent of the total raised. Area men’s groups are helping. Edmond middle school and high school students want to mentor foster children. A group of Oak Tree residents are supportive, Abney said. The HOPE Center aids families. And Citizens Caring for Children, which serves more than 3,500 Oklahoma foster children annually, was created by an Edmond couple.

Abney has committed Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a new congregation in Edmond, to the 111 Project initiative.

There are several ways to get involved in the 111 Project. A church leader can commit their congregation, a parent can commit their family and individuals can commit to pray.

At 111project.org, visitors can view a list of participating Oklahoma churches, the number of families committed to foster a child and track an individual church’s progress toward its goal of foster families. Oklahoma has more than 6,000 churches, according to the site. The site also contains information about the need for foster families in Oklahoma, about the initiative and resources.

For more information on foster care in Oklahoma, visit www.okdhs.org, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ website.



marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108