By James Swain, President of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children
When I started to write this article, I realized that I have been President of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) for 50 days.
In these first 50 days, I have been affirmed in the fact that God has sent us good people who are called and committed to this work and that we are doing a good, Gospel work! Every week I have heard stories of people professing Christ through our work. I am humbled that God has called me to serve in this work. One of the guiding principles of my leadership at OBHC is that we are going to be “Church Connected”. In 1903 when the Indian Territory Baptist Convention and the Oklahoma Territory Baptist Convention came together to establish what was then called the Oklahoma Baptist Orphan’s Home it demonstrated compassionate for the need and an amazing commitment to the cause. While it would be difficult, if not impossible, for any church to do this work alone, we cannot do what we do without the church… and we don’t want to! We are praying that the Lord would enable us to engage every church that would walk with us. Here are five suggestions of how a church can engage with OBHC on one of our campuses or Hope Pregnancy Centers:
- I would invite you to visit one of our campuses and/or Hope Pregnancy Centers. I would love to host you along with our staff to share about our work. I believe it’s the best way to understand what we do and the easiest way to see where you and your church can engage in the work. My email is swain@obhc.org and I would love to help make this connection.
- I have asked our staff to have a ready list of needs that a church can help us meet at our centers and campuses. We have Sunday School classes/Small Groups that have adopted cottages and centers. Some churches have taken on a particular project and have made it their focus in support. There are numerous needs, large and small, that a church or group within a church can meet.
- There is always the opportunity to have myself or a member of our staff to share at your church about our work. In my first 50 days I have preached, shared at a Wednesday evening service, spoke at a Sr. Adult Fellowship, spoke to associational gatherings, and numerous other conversations with pastors and church leaders. I share this simply to say that I am available, along with our staff, to share information about our work in any way that would benefit your church and fit well in your context.
- Through encouraging people from your church family to volunteer in our ministries. We have volunteers that serve on every campus in a wide variety of ways. Our Hope Pregnancy Centers rely on trained volunteers who are on the frontline of championing life. We can always utilize people who are willing to invest in the lives of those we serve.
- Consider hosting training for Foster Families in your area. Through our One Such Child initiative we provide training that Foster Parents need to become and remain certified with our state Department of Human Services. This not only allows your church to serve these families but provides an opportunity to connect with them and engage them with the Gospel. Teri Blanton leads this area of our work and can be contacted at blanton@obhc.org.
Thank you for your support of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children. Your prayers, encouragement, and engagement will help us to accomplish our mission.
James Swain serves as President of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children and can be contacted at james.swain@obhc.org
For more articles like this, see the Feeding and Leading Library at Feeding & Leading Archives > Oklahoma Baptists.