Mt. Bethel UMC Holds Christian Foster Care Orientation on May 16, 2010

Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church will hold a Foster Care Ministry Orientation on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. in the Community Center of the church, located at 4385 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta. The public is invited to attend. Visit www.faithbridgefostercare.org or call 770.565.7521 for questions or directions.

There are approximately 10,000 Georgia children in foster care and 235 in Cobb County. In addition, there are less than half of the necessary foster families to serve them. Find out how the local church and individuals can serve Cobb County's foster children at the orientation on May 16. In addition to becoming a foster parent, there are many ways to get involved, such as volunteering to assist with clothing, material goods, transportation, and more.

Mt. Bethel UMC was the first church to partner with FaithBridge Foster Care in 2006 to help serve the needs of foster children. Children began being placed in homes of church families in June 2007.

"The ministry has provided an opportunity for families, who otherwise were not involved in the church, to become involved in the life of the church in a very meaningful way," said Wayne Stolz, Foster Care Advocate at Mt. Bethel.  "Some families who had not been involved in the church life have become leaders of the ministry. New support groups and new relationships have been formed, which serve to strengthen the spiritual gifts the church provides to its members. The sense of 'mission' that is prevalent within the ministry provides our members with a new opportunity for spiritual growth in their faith journey."

This ministry is in partnership with FaithBridge Foster Care, a Christ-centered, tax-exempt organization intent on changing U.S. foster care. With currently more than 14 church partners in north Georgia and the greater Atlanta area, FaithBridge's strategy is to mobilize, organize, equip and release local churches and communities to solve the country's foster care crisis. For more information on FaithBridge, please call 678.690.7100 or visit www.faithbridgefostercare.org.