Providing Hope and Restoration

For 130 years Missouri Baptist Children’s Home has served God by offering Hope and Restoration to children and families who desperately need both. Through our affiliate corporations, MBCH provides a variety of residential and community-based services throughout the state of Missouri.

As you explore all that Missouri Baptist Children’s Home has to offer, we invite you to look for ways that you can become a partner in providing Hope and Restoration to children and families who are hurting.

Thoughts from the President

By: Russ Martin

Tacos and Camp (posted 06/21/2017)

I recently posted a blog about FBC Marceline youth hosting a spaghetti dinner to raise money for scholarships for our MBCH camp.  I don't know if that inspired the youth goup at Hillcrest Baptost Church in Lebanon, but that group held a taco  fundraiser for camp and sent over $1,000 as a result of that event.

Thank you, youth groups for taking the initiative to help us fund camp this year for our children and youth.  It is truly appreciated and helps us to make a lasting difference in their lives.

Client Testimony (posted 06/01/2017)

You may have seen this on our Facebook page, but in case you don't follow us there, I want to share with you a testimony of a recent client in our Freedom 43:19 (human trafficking rescue) program.

"Even though life was rough there in the beginning, Missouri Baptist Children's Home is and always will be my home.  But more than just living there, the safe home I first entered into for about a year really challenged me in life, helped me grow and showed me what love is.  It was my first time having my own bed that wasn't vandalized, and my own room with a door.  It was the first place I could shower and eat freely and worship Jesus and go to church as much as I want.  I was challenged in my faith and relationships.  I got free counseling two times a week and group therapy.  I love you all, thank you for shaping who I am today.  You guys gave me a second chance at life and I am so grateful."

It is only because of our faithful supporters that individuals like this one is given hope and restoration.  Thank you for being partners with us in our ministries.

Erin Simpson Interview (posted 05/17/2017)

Erin Simpson was the first baby born and adopted through the ministries of The LIGHT House, one of our affiliates.  She was interviewed today by Bott Radio and it will be aired at the following times:

     Friday, May 19 - 2:00 p.m.
     Saturday, May 20 - 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
     Sunday, May 21 - 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

I would encourage you to tune in to your local Bott Radio Network station and listen to this interview.

Exciting News to Share (05/05/2017)

Some great news to celebrate.  We have a client who came to us in our human trafficking rescue program and then transferred to our transitiional livng group home and will be graduating high school later this month.  Not only is this an accomplishment, but we have learned she is the first from her family to graduate high school!

Thank you for helping make this accomplishment possible.  Your involvement is changing the lives of His children.

New Hope Ukraine

We just concluded a two week visit with Oksana and Roman who are with New Hope Ukraine.  New Hope Ukraine has a number of ministries for children and families, including an orphan ministry.  Officially there are about 100,000 orphans in Ukraine.  The state operates the orphanages and it is Oksana's and Roman's desire to work with famiilies in the churches to adopt chidlren from them.  New Hope Ukraine also operates a summer camp, which has phenomenal success in providing families not only recreation but also a time to learn and share what it means to be an adoptive parent.

They learned from us while they were here, but we also learned from them.  Their engagement of the church and their use of volunteers are both done exceedingly well and we hope we can adopt and adapt some of their techniques for use here in Missouri.

It was an encouragement and a blessing to share with a brother and sister in Christ in another country as to what God is doing to provide hope and restoration to His children.

Can spaghetti send youth to camp?

Brian Baker, pastor of First Baptist Church, Marceline, and a member of the executive board of the Missouri Baptist Convention, told me last week at the executive board meeting that his youth group hosted a spaghetti dinner and raised $800 for Missouri Baptist Children's Home.  This will be used to fund eight of our youth to attend summer camp at Baptist Hill in August.

Scholarships are needed to send more youth to camp and we also need cabin leaders and other volunteers.  Pray about how you might be involved in this mission activity and check our website for further information.

Celebration of Permanencies

In 2016 you were a partner with us in helping almost 500 children reach permanency.  Approximately 40% were reunifications with parents, 20% were through guardianships, and 40% through adoptions. 

During the first quarter of this year, we are reporting 43 permanencies.  Of these, 15 were reunifications, 4 were guardianships, and 24 were adoptions.

Thank you for helping us either return children to their own homes or helping them find new "forever" homes.  Together we are certainly making a lasting difference in the lives of children, youth, and families.