Ministry to Children & Youth in Crisis

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” - Psalm 68:5

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless….” - Isaiah 1:17

Below you will find some of the deepest needs identified in our community and ways that you can get engaged to live out our calling as Christians.

FATHERLESSNESS - Almost any study you find or any community leader you talk to will tell you that fatherlessness is a root cause of numerous problems for a child. It’s related to emotional and behavioral problems, alcohol and drug use, criminal activity, gang association, educational struggles, teen pregnancy, and many other issues. We all need father figures in our life to reflect the relationship we can have with our Heavenly Father. Consider connecting with this local ministry as a way to step into the void and minister to those with absent fathers. You can get involved as an individual or it is also a tremendous opportunity to engage and mobilize a church men’s ministry.

GOSPEL ACCESS FOR INNER CITY CHILDREN - Many children in our inner city don’t have parents who involve them in church. Some years ago, our Come Closer partners discovered there can be huge obstacles to engaging children not accompanied by parents on Sunday mornings. Our solution - TAKE CHURCH TO THEM! The result is a ministry known as Sidewalk Hope. Sidewalk Hope is a mobile children’s ministry that offers Bible clubs in multiple inner city apartment complexes. You can learn more and connect with them at the link below:

FOSTER CARE - Spartanburg County has HUNDREDS of children who are in need of godly families to care for them in their time of transition and crisis. There are various levels of potential involvement for individuals, groups, or churches who want to address this need. You can become licensed as a foster parent. You can help to provide clothes and resources for foster parents and children. You can mentor a foster child. You can just choose to be a support family for a family that is taking in a child as a way of helping to bear their burden. Here are two agencies that can help you discover ways you can get involved: