Archive for February, 2010
Posted on February 26, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
Make plans to join us on Saturday, March 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm for Tapestry’s next large group event entitled The Parent Balancing Act.
Parents are required to balance many different things for ourselves and for our children – work, family, school, sports and the list goes on and on. In order to help our children develop a deeper sense of trust, heal from past wounds and form stronger connections, successful adoptive and foster families need to understand the importance of balancing nurture and structure and all that entails. This event will focus on helping adoptive and foster parents understand the need for this balance and practical ideas on how we can better achieve it.
No matter where you are in the adoption or foster care process, this event is sure to be relevant and helpful. Training credits will be available and childcare is available for ages 0 to 12 with advanced registration of 48 hours.
For more information or questions contact Amy Monroe at tapestry@irvingbible.org.
Posted on February 17, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
Michael Monroe wrote an article in the February 2010 issue of Adoption Today entitled Becoming More Real to My Kids. The article focuses on how important it is for parents to fully embrace their children, including those difficult and painful aspects of their stories. By doing so, parents have the opportunity to forge a stronger and deeper connection with their kids, and help them better understand how God is at work in all of our lives.
As Michael writes in the article, “The difficult reality is that but for the difficult realities of my children’s past we would not be the family we are. I love who we are and who they are. I love all of each of them. So instead of running from these things, I want to choose to run toward them, hand in hand with my kids. By doing so I believe I have the opportunity to become even more “real” to them, and to make more real the redemptive story that God is writing with our lives.”
Read the entire article Becoming More Real to My Kids . . .
And by the way, if you aren’t familiar with Adoption Today, you can look through the latest issue of the online magazine at www.adoptiontoday.com, or you can subscribe for $12/year. They also publish Fostering Families Today magazine as well. Every month these publications are full of great articles, stories and information — and they are a fantastic value. Be sure to check them out!
Posted on February 11, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
For many years we’ve thought, “wouldn’t it be fun to share a family camp experience with a lot of other adoptive and foster families.” Thanks to our friend Russ Ware at Horn Creek Family Camp, this thought has now become a reality.
Adoptive and foster families from Tapestry (as well as from several other churches across the U.S.) are already signing up for the adoptive and foster family camp (called Castle Peak) at Horn Creek, August 8-14.
This camp will consist of all the fun, relaxation and family time that Horn Creek is known for — but it will also have a few special extras designed especially for adoptive and foster families. These extras will include a chance to hang out with a diverse group of families from all of the country, some focused discussion time on topics that are particularly relevant for adoptive and foster families as well as a teaching focus on our adoption in Christ.
Please consider joining us for a great time with your family and together with other families who have also experienced the blessing and miracle adoption. For more information or to download the registration form for this exciting family camp opportunity, visit the Horn Creek website – or contact Amy Monroe at tapestry@irvingbible.org.
Posted on February 8, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
As I read the article, A heartbreaking request: Take My Child, from the Miami Herald, I was struck once again by the extent of the devastation and hopelessness that pervades Haiti.
The realities revealed in this article are both shocking and unimaginable. Scores of Haitian parents are convinced that they and their children have no hope. Let that sink in for a moment — or even longer. These parents are willing to go to extreme measures to provide for their children, yet the only hope they see for their children is to say goodbye and send them to the U.S.
As followers of Christ we, who live here in the land of plenty, have the opportunity and the privilege to take help and hope to Haiti. While adoption has been and will be the answer for some Haitian children, what Haiti needs most is for God’s people to not be stingy with our hope, but instead take it to Haiti. In response to the mother’s plea “take my child,” we must be ready with hands extended and hearts committed to reply instead, “take hold of this hope” — a hope and a Good News that is both “good” here and now and for eternity.
Each and every church can play some part; each and every family has a role — whether in Haiti or elsewhere. We ask that you join with us as we prayerfully consider how God would have us, our families and our churches ”take hope to Haiti.” To that end, let me encourage you to learn more about the Haiti Orphan Relief Team efforts, and consider how your church will be a part.
Posted on February 5, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
We often tell folks that we can’t make the licensing process to become a foster parent and/or adopt from foster care easy — but we can make it a little more accessible and convenient. This is why starting next week Tapestry is hosting foster care and foster adoption training for those wanting to be licensed to become a foster parent and/or adopt a child from foster care.
The training schedule is listed below and each of the classes will be held at Irving Bible Church:
- Wednesday, February 10, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm (Room West B)
- Thursday, February 11, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm (Alcove)
- Saturday, February 13, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Room West D, lunch provided)
- Wednesday, February 17, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm (Room West B)
- Thursday, February 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm (Alcove)
- Saturday, February 20, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Room West D, lunch provided)
If you are interested in attending this training, please contact Amy Monroe at tapestry@irvingbible.org. You are required to register for the training in advance. In addition, we apologize but we will not able to provide childcare for these these training classes.
This training will be provided by Covenant Kids, a licensed child placing agency. There are many different foster care/adoption agencies to choose from and we know that no one agency is necessarily right for everyone. Tapestry will host additional foster care/adoption training in the future conducted by various agencies.
If you have questions about which child placing agency might be best for you, please contact Amy Monroe at tapestry@irvingbible.org or check out our suggested questions for selecting a foster care agency.
Posted on February 2, 2010 by The Tapestry Team
If you are interested in seeing God use your church to serve orphans and waiting children and you are in the North Texas area (or are willing to drive), check out Sketching Floor – a new initiative being launched in February by Embrace.
You can read about Embrace’s ministry journey and also learn more about the heart behind Sketching Floor on the DFW Alliance blog.
