We live in times of continual outrage, in which a bombardment of news and events come at us daily. This is so constant it creates a numbing effect, so that when an issue comes along that needs our full attention, Christians have grown apathetic.

Take, for example, the urgent issue of foster care. Did you know that there are approximately 8,500 children currently in Oklahoma DHS custody? A number like that can sound like a mere statistic, but these are real boys and girls in need of homes and hope.

That is partly why leaders with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) and Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) are hosting a special event on the evening of Tues., Nov. 13 at Edmond, First, called “The Gospel, the Church & Foster Care.”

Regarding this event, BGCO Executive Director-Treasurer Hance Dilbeck said, “We believe God is calling Christians to do even more to meet the vast foster care needs in Oklahoma, and we want to highlight the need through this event and call people to action.”

Dilbeck went on to say, “While Baptists and others have already done good work to serve children in foster care and come alongside foster care families, the urgent need remains. This event will be a catalyst for change.”

The event, which is free to attend, begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature a wide array of speakers and resources. The keynote speaker for the event is Russell Moore, who serves as president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Moore, who is a bestselling author and recognized expert on the topic of adoption and foster care, said, “The Bible calls Christians to care for vulnerable women and children in their distress (James 1:27). I’m really encouraged to see how the Spirit is moving among Oklahoma Baptist churches when it comes to our responsibility to orphans and their mothers. I pray that more and more churches and families will consider how to be ‘Ground Zero’ for the love of Christ for the fatherless.”

The event also will include a panel that will focus on the church’s role in foster care and will feature author and pastor Alex Himaya; pastor Charlie Blount, associate pastor Cody Brumley and his wife Breanna.

The event will feature a foster care simulation at the event, in which we see and experience some of the situations and emotions that foster children undergo. In addition to this, there will be video testimonies and giveaways.

Representatives from faith-based foster care and adoption agencies and Oklahoma DHS will be in attendance to provide information and resources. For more information or to pre-register for this free event, visit www.bgco.org/foster.

I don’t know if God is calling you to become a foster care family. He may be doing just that. Or perhaps He may be calling on you to support a family that is in foster care.

What I know for certain is that God is calling you—and all Christians in Oklahoma—to care about these 8,500 children, and to find out how you and your church family can serve them in the Name of Jesus.

So will you take part in this important event? Will you help put the care in foster care?