If you’ve been a part of Harvest for any length of time, you’ve likely heard Pastor Jason’s call to Love Your City. As the church body, we take this call to heart in a myriad of ways.
“Caring for orphans and widows in their distress,” as we are called to do in James 1:27, should be of highest priority to believers everywhere. It is our joy here at Harvest to take up this mission both directly through many of our hands-on ministry opportunities, but also through our support of larger organizations such as the Bair Foundation.
We recently observed Orphan Sunday, a locally-led event part of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO). This annual observation serves to rally believers to respond to God’s heart for His people to care for those in need, specifically the fatherless in our community. The Bair Foundation, established in 1967 by Bill Bair, is a member of CAFO, pursuing Bill’s vision of caring for underprivileged, handicapped, misguided and parent-less youth.
In his book, Love is an Open Door (©1974, out of print), he explains how God prompted him to start his official ministry: “I thought I heard the voice of God say ‘Bill, I want you to work for me. I want you to provide homes for my children.’ Questioning my thoughts, I bargained with God, ‘If that’s you Lord, have the preacher say my name.’ Seconds later, the Preacher said, ‘Isn’t that right, Bill Bair,’ ‘don’t you agree, Bill Bair?’ the Preacher repeated.” Today, the Bair Foundation seeks to fulfill their mission to “provide Christ-centered quality care and services dedicated to the treatment, restoration, and empowerment of children, youth and families.”
With locations across the country, Bair Foundation ministers through foster care, adoption, kinship (placement with a relative), behavioral health, and a number of family services. In Albuquerque, the Bair Foundation assists specifically in treatment foster care, which provides a safe and nurturing environment for children and youth who may have experienced abuse or other trauma or could be dealing with significant physical, emotional, or mental health issues.
As believers, we are commanded to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). In Jesus’ words, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
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Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ —Matthew 22:37-39 NIV (emphasis mine)
As we enter the holiday season, there will be countless opportunities to show love and give generously to the needy within our community. It’s important we learn more about the organizations we choose to support. Please consider looking deeper into the Bair Foundation and all the ways they minister to the community right here in our city. Let’s love Albuquerque’s children, youth, and families. Harvest, go be the church!
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. —James 1:27 NLT
Love Jesus. Love each other. Love your city.
Harvest, Go be the Church!
If you have any ideas for a good blog post consisting of stories within our church family, we would love to hear from you. Send your idea, along with your contact info to: [email protected]