CLARITY

What a whirlwind the past six months have been for our ministry! God has spoken directly to our hearts and given us a new name and truly focused and stilled our hearts.

Introducing...
New Family Tree - Orphan, Adoption and Foster Care Outreach A Ministry of Salem Church of God

Information and opportunities will be available at our new website: www.newfamilytree.net

This blog will remain open, but will be used as personal reflection of how God is working in the lives of our family and ministry.

I hope I see your family at Salem soon!
Blessings,
Heather Bench

Friday, March 13, 2009

Children of Promise News

Please see the news from our global orphan and child care partner, Children of Promise:

Children of Promise Gets Stamps of Approval

We are happy to announce that the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has completed its annual review of the audit, financial procedures, and donor practices of Children of Promise, and has given it the continuing stamp of approval for 2009. In the words of ECFA, “Children of Promise has faithfully demonstrated its continued compliance with the ECFA Standards of Responsible Stewardship. We appreciate your ongoing commitment with denominations, churches, educational institutions and other Christian ministries to exhibit excellence and accountability. . . We are proud to count Children of Promise among those organizations that set the example of integrity within the evangelical community. . .” (Corey Odden, Vice-President, ECFA (March 4, 2009).


Please Pray for the following:

The training and development conference in June (“Sponsorship to the Max”), especially for the funding for each director.

That directors will be granted visas to come to the U. S. for the conference.

For churches and Christian families under persecution in India.

For directors and volunteers in 23 countries.

For a new outreach area for the Church of God in Myanmar in the Irawaddy Delta, site of the most devastation during Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

Also for the church in Myanmar, as one of the congregations was recently forced by local authorities to stop holding services. Pray for the freedom to worship freely.

For sponsored children in Uganda who are this week being tested for HIV virus.

For sponsors for waiting children. We have 750 applications in the office, including 300 from Myanmar.

Speedy recovery from surgery for Jeanet de Pinto, director in Puerto Asis, Colombia.

Visit the Children (Journey of the Heart Trips)

Children of Promise is hosting sponsor/supporter trips to Uganda and Ecuador in 2009. The Uganda trip is scheduled for July 31-August 15 is designed for women and will include visiting and interviewing the children in several regions of the country, as well as participating in TAPP and other local ministries of the Church of God. Contact Linda Mason at ljm@echildrenofpromise.org or 1-800-848-2464 ext. 2139 if you are interested. The trip to Ecuador is planned in partnership with Women of the Church of God and will focus on interviewing and working with the children, as well as participating in local church and women’s ministries. Contact Mary Stephens at WCG office at 1-866-778-0804 (toll free) or at frontdesk@wchog.org.

Impact a Country

We are in need of support for several remaining program directors to attend “Sponsorship to the Max”, the training conference in June. We need supporters for directors from Colombia, Honduras, Peru, Paraguay, Jamaica, Malawi, Haiti, Egypt, and Rwanda. The cost to bring the director (airfare), lodging, and food for two weeks is quoted at $2,000. We are in need of churches, groups, or individuals who will cover the costs for the above directors. If you can “sponsor” a director either partially or in full, please let us know as soon as possible. Or if your church might be interested in investing in one of the countries mentioned through sponsoring a director, please have your pastor contact us. Thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to impact the lives of the children in a particular country. (Send checks to P. O. Box 2316, Anderson, IN 46018 or give over the website at www.echildrenofpromise.org)

Thank you for partnering with us in rescuing children in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, The Philippines, Rwanda, Russia, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia.

Dr. Paul L. Maxfield

Executive Director

Children of Promise, Inc.

Serving Children in Need in 23 Countries

Change a Life . . . Sponsor a Child

www.echildrenofpromise.org

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