Grace Church is committed to caring for vulnerable children through a growing community of kinship, foster and adoptive families, as well as supporting biological families in partnership with local organizations. Showing up and serving these children involves opportunities for all Grace members to engage in some way throughout each year. Read on for information about resources available to fostering, adoptive and kinship families at Grace Church and in the community at large.

Neil and Jessica Barley had always been compelled by the idea of fostering, so it was a natural first step for Jessica to begin mentoring a teenage girl in foster care. That one step of obedience eventually led to them fostering and adopting their daughter. Within a few months of her adoption, they added a baby boy to their family as well. It was a time full of big changes, and they had to learn to lean into God in the face of the unknown. Reflecting on their experience of adopting a teenager, Jessica and Neil say, “We have learned that whatever God calls us to, we need to be faithful with the small thing in front of us and trust him—that he’s faithful to walk us through whatever he’s called us to.”