Ministries Making a Difference

Ministering as a light in dark and broken places

I have family members who became foster parents and eventually adopted their teen foster daughter. It’s not a pretty story, and, as of yet, doesn’t have a happy ending. So much trauma surfaced after the adoption process was complete. Now they lead a support group at their local church, and other foster families have expressed relief at having a safe place to talk and grieve through some of the darker realities of walking alongside children who have endured trauma. Watching what foster families face—and what foster children are forced to overcome—is a brutal reminder of our broken world.

I’m so thankful for believers who are willing to enter into those dark and broken places. Those who are feeding the hungry, giving a cup of cold water (or hot coffee), clothing the naked, caring for the sick, visiting the prisoner. Who are helping foster families pay for counseling, writing trauma-informed devotionals for war-torn children, hosting kids discipleship clubs in countries where access to the gospel is limited, and providing young adults with a Christ-centered education—such as the ministries listed below. The world is broken, but Jesus reminds us: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Finally Home’s Family Strengthening Conference

In Colorado, Finally Home is equipping foster and adoptive families to care for children who have experienced trauma. Fostering is hard—nearly half of foster families leave the system within one year. Finally Home partners with churches to provide support for loving families to stay in the game by helping navigate resources, facilitating training, and offering scholarships for counseling and mental health care.

Through the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), nearly 30 million children worldwide were exposed to the gospel in 2024—an increase of 2.2 million children from the year prior. CEF also trained more than 534,000 teachers. The ministry’s primary discipleship programs are its Good News Clubs and Christmas Party Clubs, but it has also expanded its digital U-Nite platform, which includes TV, radio, and games. CEF has 2 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 75.

Photo via Mission Network News

Keys for Kids is working to develop a devotional specifically compiled for Ukrainian children in the midst of crisis trauma. One in five has lost a close family member since war broke out over three years ago, and they don’t know what each day will bring. Since 2022, Keys for Kids has shipped over 600,000 devotional booklets to Ukraine. The new ones will contain tough topics with stories of war, conflict, and tragedy alongside the hope of the gospel. Keys for Kids has 2 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 80.

Photo via Church of the Nazarene

MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) in Olathe, Kansas, has elected Dr. Jon North as its 6th president. North, who will take the helm July 1, is an MNU alum and has worked at the university for 15 years. He led the “university’s most extensive fundraising campaign, raising over $90 million for scholarships, academic initiatives, and capital development.” Before his tenure at MNU, he was CEO at Heart to Heart International.

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