The Journey Meeting Updates

What's happening now???
 "Created to Connect"

• Authors Michael and Amy Monroe will be present to kick off our study!
• This companion study guide for The Connected Child was written by the Monroes with Karyn Purvis.
• The study guide is designed to help adoptive and foster parents better understand how to build strong and lasting connections with their children.
• Childcare available
• Meeting every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month!

November 6th:  Orphan Sunday

• 6:00pm in the theatre of FBC McKinney
• This event will connect believers worldwide in worship and prayer as we encourage one another on behalf of the fatherless.

As always...keep checking out the blog for more events in our area!  

Back to School: Strategies to help your child have a positive school experience

The school experience is an important aspect in the life of a child. And yet, school often presents unique and sometimes unexpected challenges for both children and parents in adoptive and foster families.

Join us on Saturday, September 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, at Irving Bible Church for an event focused on school-related issues from an adoptive and foster family perspective.

During the first half of this Tapestry large group event we will take a closer look at some of the school-related issues and challenges for adoptive and foster families, and discuss ways that parents can help their child have a positive school experience. During the second half of the event, we will hear from a diverse panel of educators (including a public school elementary teacher, a middle school teacher at a private school, a principal and a home school mom) as they share their insights and 'lessons learned' for helping adopted, foster and at-risk children achieve and have a positive school experience. This event is sure to be helpful and relevant to all adoptive and foster parents, regardless of the age of their child(ren).

Childcare is available through IBC’s KidZone for ages 0 through 5th grade with online registration at least 48 hours in advance of the event, but space is limited. To register for childcare click here and sign-in to your existing ibcLink account (or, if you don’t have one, follow the steps to create an account). You will register for the “Tapestry Meeting (9/17/11).” If you have any questions about childcare registration or how to use the ibcLink online registration system, contact Tammy Hutchinson (IBC KidZone Director) at thutchinson@irvingbible.org.

Christian Alliance for Orphans Information Update

Orphan Sunday Campaign on a Roll!  With the 2011 Orphan Sunday campaign just underway, myriad events are already brewing.   Across the U.S, plans are being laid for city-wide concerts and multi-church gatherings….church services and Sunday School classes…more.  Individual families making plans, too, including the Orphan’s Table meal, along with prayer and discussion.   Like never before, the vision is starting to spread around the world, too.  The new Russian Language Website recently launched for Ukraine and Russia.   Additional new-language sites are in the works, too.  And local campaigns are starting up from the Philippines to Romania to Kenya. Orphan Sunday is a chance for anyone to spread the vision of God’s love for the fatherless in a church, community or family!  Harness the many RESOURCES and easy-to-use EVENT IDEAS on the Orphan Sunday website, and then post your plans on the EVENT MAP! Upcoming Conferences  A number of excellent conferences across the country are scheduled for the months ahead, including: The Pure Religion Conference is August 12-13 in Raleigh, NC, emphasizing both the Gospel roots of a vision for adoption and orphan care, as well as practical guidance for both personal and church action.  Hope for Orphans Institute will be held September 16 & 17 at the Hope Center in Plano, Texas.  This conference will equip not only orphan ministry leaders but also families struggling with challenging adoptions. It will feature experts in equipping the church to deal directly with the pre- and post-adoption challenges of children with special needs and high risk profiles.  It will also include CEU’s for professionals. The Empowered to Connect will be September 23-24 in Nashville, TN.  This 2-day conference sponsored by Show Hope is for adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals.  It is designed to help them better understand how to connect with children from hard places in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be. Hope at Home will be held at Northlands Church in Norcross, GA on September 23-24.   It’s designed for adoptive parents, providing both spiritual encouragement and practical parenting help, along with local connections with other adoptive families.  The Together for Adoption Conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ on October 21-22.   This annual conference will include rich theological exploration, as well as practical instruction on a wide range of topics related to adoption, foster care and global orphan care. The Tapestry Conference will be held on Saturday, October 29th, at Irving Bible Church. With more than twenty breakout sessions to choose from, this year’s free Tapestry Conference promises to be the most informative yet.    Childcare is available. The "Wounded Children, Healing Homes" Conference at Salem Church of God will focus on the emotional and spiritual needs of adoptive and foster families, many who find themselves parenting children who have come from hard places.  It will be held Saturday, November 12, as the first of its kind for the Dayton, OH area.

Upcoming Webinar

Transracial Adoption: Becoming a Multicultural/Multiracial Family

REGISTRATION OPEN SOON

Date:  Wednesday, August 31, 2011              Time:  2:00 PM Eastern

Visit http://www.christianalliancefororphans.org/resources/webinars/ for more info!

New Study Coming this Fall!

http://empoweredtoconnect.org/guide/

Join us this fall as we launch "Created to Connect"- A Christian Guide to the Connected Child. Created To Connect is designed to help illuminate the biblical principles that serve as the foundation for the philosophy and interventions detailed in The Connected Child.

We will be meeting the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month to go through this fantastic study. We will start promptly at 6:15PM. Details on room location, etc. will follow.

The Connected Child, co-authored by Dr. Karyn Purvis, has already helped countless adoptive and foster parents. Now Empowered To Connect™ has created a companion study guide entitled Created To Connect — A Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child as well as other helpful resources that highlight the underlying biblical principles of The Connected Child and offer new insights for parents.