Beth spent most of her childhood in foster care, and she is joining our leadership at The Restore Network. When she reviewed our website and got to know us a bit, she wrote this:
Restore Network embodies the kind of Christianity that I, as a foster child, always knew was intended by God. As much as I believed in my version of the Christian faith, it was often a lonely place to nestle among The Church. This God I had met with absolute clarity, in the silent place behind the screams of my reality, was not easy to locate among my fellow church goers. I saw the nervous and skeptical glances they cast people like me.
Eventually, they came to view me as being more like them, because I ran closer and closer towards their world. Yet, I always knew that what God intended was the opposite. It was for them to come to see themselves as more like me: more helpless, more lost, and more in need of love than they had ever had to acknowledge because of their good fortune.
You see, mine was a God that did not require me to journey across the divide of my existence and yours to find HIM. He was a God that dove into the abyss of my unfortunate life, scooped me up in his arms, and refused to let me deny his protection and love. Restore Network assures me that we, as Christians, no matter where we are coming from, are beginning to come to our knees before the same God. I hear within your words and see within your actions that you now understand that I am just as much HIS child as you are. He always knew this. He was just waiting for The Church to declare it!
We are excited to announce that The Restore Network is expanding! In 2009, our work began in Madison County recruiting foster families, adoptive families and support teams. In 2014, we added six partner churches within the county. This month, we officially partnered with The Journey Metro East, and we will replicate the ministry in St. Clair County.
The Journey Metro East already has several foster families they support, and they have a Foster Care Resource Closet full of childcare items for St. Clair foster families. Ashley Bennett leads this ministry, and she is an experienced foster mom and caseworker. We look forward to what God has in store as churches come together in a new county in response to God's call to care for vulnerable children and families.
