I recently read a book titled Orphan Justice (great book, click the link to read my review of it). Anyway, I found a series of posts on the author’s blog listing 30 ways to help orphans. Many of them aren’t suitable for teens, but it’s always good to be informed in case you get into a conversation with someone older. I’ve marked the opportunities that look possible for teens to get involved in.
- Become a Prayer Champion
- Start an Adoption Fund at Your Church (Possible for teens.)
- Educate Your Local Church (Possible for Teens)
- Get Families to Share Stories (Teen Friendly.)
- Check out the Heart Gallery (Great teen friendly idea.)
- Understanding the Importance of Scripture in Orphan Care (Teen friendly!)
- Host a Sponsorship Sunday
- Investigate Current Church Mission Work (Very possible for teens.)
- Host a Foster Care Prayer Vigil (Another good opportunity for teens.)
- Do Something About Human Trafficking
- Provide a Regular “Night Out” to Foster/Adoptive Families (Possible for teens to participate in.)
- Give to a Microfinance Ministry (Check out number 16 if you have limited funds to donate from.)
- Host a Regional Conference
- Community Based Care
- Balance Your Ministry
- Rethink Adoption Funds (If you ever feel discouraged about not being able to donate much monetarily, read this article.)
- Start a Special Needs Ministry
- Start a Book Club (Teen friendly opportunity.)
- Start an HIV/AIDS ministry
- Be Nice! (Very possible for teens. :))
- Safe Families for Christians
- Start a Backpack Ministry (This option is definitely viable for teens.)
- Educate Yourself on the Complexity of International Orphan Care
- Become a CASA/Guardian ad Litem
- Adoptive Parent’s Missions Trips
- Become a Mentor (Not sure how old you have to be for this, but it might be available for 18/19 year olds)
- Become a Respite Care Provider
- Start a Support Group for Safe/Foster/Adoptive Families
- Become Certified as a Foster Parent
- Adopt!
This is just a great list both for personal use and to share with others. Each link goes to a blog post giving an overview of the opportunity and linking to more resources.
Which of these opportunities most excites you? Which choice would be most practical for you to act upon?
Teens Interceding for Orphans 