Missouri Compassion
By Russell L. Martin
Missouri
Compassion grew out of a dream to provide opportunities for the faith-based
community to more adequately respond to the needs of families in our
state. Churches want to help those in need, but oftentimes do not know
the best way for this to be accomplished. A primary goal of Missouri
Compassion is to inform, educate, and mobilize the faith-based community to
most effectively meet the needs of families.
Missouri
Compassion - Faith-Based United is organized with the purpose of networking and
informing faith-based groups so children, youth, and families at risk may have
a brighter tomorrow. Its mission statement is as follows: “To
develop, provide, and promote opportunities for the faith-based community to
meet the needs of at risk children, youth, and families.”
To
accomplish their mission Missouri Compassion utilizes the following services:
1. Serving as a liaison
between the Children's Division of the Department of Social Services of the
State of Missouri and the faith-based organizations and parishes/churches of
Missouri.
2. Serving as an advocate for
children and families.
3.
Facilitating preventive assistance to children and families through the united
and coordinated efforts of faith-based organizations and parishes/churches.
4. Assisting the Missouri
Department of Social Services with community services to children, youth, and
families, with potential and existing foster care and adoptive families.
5. Coordinating training
clinics and activities that will directly and indirectly assist children,
youth, and families, and foster and adoptive families.
6. Coordinating statewide
training, activities, and assistance to children, youth, and families who may
not be associated with assistance provided through the Missouri Department of
Social Services Children's Division.
Examples
of potential programs, training, and partnerships include Adopt a Family,
mentors, respite providers, organized children/youth activities in
parishes/churches, foster and adoptive family recruitment, family foster care
ministries in churches, pregnancy counseling and supportive services, substance
abuse programs, and training events.
As
part of the faith-based initiative, Missouri Compassion has co-sponsored with
the Children's Division two statewide training events. In addition, there
are two active chapters, one in the St. Louis area and one in the Springfield
area that have also provided regional training/information events.
Rev.
Danny A. Brown, III, pastor of Brookside Assembly of God in Hazelwood, MO
is the chair of the local St. Louis chapter. This chapter typically
meets monthly on the campus of Missouri Baptist Children's Home in Bridgeton.
For additional information, you may contact Rev. Brown at (314) 574-0000 or
George Fulgham, Spiritual Life Director of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home
Children and Family Ministries, at (314) 739-6811.
Russell
L. Martin is the President and Treasurer of the Missouri Baptist Children’s
Home and Family Ministries which is located at 11300 St. Charles Rock Rd.
in Bridgeton, MO. Mr. Martin can be
reached by calling (314) 739-6811 Ext. 246.
For more information regarding Missouri Baptist Children’s Home and
Family Ministries visit www.mbch.org. For
more information regarding Missouri Compassion visit their website at www.missouricompassion.org.
