Pastor Claude Thomas, Efforts For Child Welfare

Affirmation of Togetherness

Pastor Claude Thomas — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:57:11 +0000

Author: Pastor Claude Thomas

Paul makes a very important observation in 1 Corinthians 12 about our relationship in the human family and especially the family of faith.
He affirms we are interdependent on each other and not independent of each other… “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’”(v,21).
Cooperative with each other and not competitive with each other… “there should be no division(schism) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.”(v.25).
Individual parts make the whole but no part is the whole… “For in fact the body in not one member but many.”(v.14). And again, “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?”(v. 17).
“Now you are the members of the body of Christ, and members individually.” (v.27).
We are individuals but we are together… supporting each other. God made us this way. Why?
1) Supporting each other fulfills an emotional need.
We have heard of the “phantom feeling.” When a person loses an arm or finger or toe, the feeling continues. It is just like the arm or finger or toe is still there.
When a person is missing from our circle of family or friends, we feel the loss of that person. It is like the table has been set, their place at the table is prepared and they are not there.
We need each other because God made us to be together!
2) Supporting each other fulfills a spiritual need.
Paul said it best. We are like the body.
Families get together and put a puzzle together. The pieces will be all over the table. They make no sense separated but when they begin to go together, it makes sense. It makes a beautiful picture.
So it is with us! The family is beautiful when all of us are together and supporting each other. And others will see it.
That is what Jesus prayed in John 17:21 when He said, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that they world may believe that You sent Me.”
There is a spiritual impact to make on others when we are together!
Supporting each other fulfills a practical need.
We can do more together than alone. Consider the “team concept.” One or two stars on a team can contribute greatly to the team but they are not the team. It takes all working together to reach the full potential.
Let us affirm each other!

Personal Growth

Pastor Claude Thomas — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:18:13 +0000

By Pastor Claude Thomas
The birth of a baby is an occasion for celebration. Today, dads gather in the delivery birth room and when the baby is born, everybody celebrates together. But that is only the beginning. More days, weeks, and years follow. What follows after the birth is of great interest to everyone.
When we take our children to the pediatrician, the doctor measures so many things about the child that it is hard to keep up with them. Weight, height, girth, alertness, motor skills, and many other things are measured. Why? They want to measure the growth in all of these areas.
Think about this one. The baby takes its first step. Now that’s an occasion for celebration. Mom and dad are on the floor whooping and hollering. The child looks around in amazement at all the excitement that a single step has caused. Why is that? Because the first step indicates growth is occurring that we can see and measure. We want our children to keep growing.
We see growth is important for a child. Is it important for an adult? A. Lincoln said, “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” (Great Quotes from Great Leaders, p.22).
The Bible calls upon us to reach toward out God-given potential. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) This is a prescription and an opportunity. “Grow” is a verb of prescription. God told the believers Peter was addressing “to keep growing.”
Someone has noted that growth for a Christian can be seen in three ways: an option to exercise, an obligation to fulfill, or an opportunity to realize.
No doubt growing can be seen as all three wrapped up in one. “To grow as a person and a believer” is an option to exercise. You can continue to grow or you can choose to stagnate.
Cliff Barrows has been a member of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team for many years. Although he is growing older in years, he said a few years ago, “I am going to continue to change as long as I live.” What was he saying? I will continue to exercise my option to be a growing person. (Graham Missions Metroplex, Texas Stadium Club Room. Celebration Announcement of October 17-20, 2002).
“To grow as a person and a believer” is an option to exercise. It is also an obligation to fulfill. A key to growing is obedience to God and what He says. And He says, “Grow!” To fail here is to fail!!!
That is nowhere more obvious than in the life of Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul lost his future because he failed to obey what God told him to do. Obedience is the main essential for us to keep growing in our relationship to Christ, as a person, and in our relationship to others!
“To grow as a person and a believer” is an option to exercise, an obedience to fulfill, and an opportunity to realize. John Maxwell wrote: “God’s gift to me is my potential. My gift back to God is what I do with that potential.” Maxwell. Developing the Leader Within You, p. 148.
To keep growing is an option to exercise, an obligation to fulfill, and an opportunity to realize. Now we realize all of us are not at the same place, but we all have potential to grow. We may not grow at the same rate but all of us can grow. And for you and me to become the best that we can be, the Scriptures teach us that we all have the potential to grow, and we should invest in growing toward what God has for us.

Tips Must Be Consider While Adoption

Pastor Claude Thomas — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:08:11 +0000

Author: Pauline Goo
There are multiple reasons due to which many older couples in their 40s opt for adoption. The most common reason is infertility. However, there are parents who postpone starting a family till they were financially established. While some parents want to have a “second” family as their children have grown and left, others want to start a family after remarriage. Such parents can either look around for children in their home country called as domestic adoption or else choose one from overseas known as international adoption.
Domestic adoption is quite a tedious process that requires couples to wait for an extended duration of time till they have the child. International adoptions tend to get completed faster and generally encourage by the countries which are considered to be poor. Choice is wider for parents who are on a look out for a child to adopt since many children in these countries are abandoned or live in orphanages.
However, older couples opting for an international adoption have to primarily deal with adoption laws in the child’s country of origin, provincial adoption laws in the parents’ country of residence and immigration laws as the child is an immigrant. Apart from these, other problems worth considering include the language and cultural differences that are often difficult to get adjusted.

There are numerous private agencies that help in arranging for international adoptions. Most of these agencies have network and operations in more than one country. Before looking for a private agency, couple should be clear about the country from which child is going to be adopted, the age of the child, sex, race and health. Since requirements for adoption differ from country to country, it is important to have a clear understanding about the requirements of the desired country so as to make the process hassle free. A lot of paper work is required during the process of adoption, which is usually taken care by the private agency.

The Beauty Of Adoption!

Pastor Claude Thomas — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:54:59 +0000

Author: Noel Clarke
Adopting a child would have to be one of the most noble and loving acts any person, or couple could perform. For many people the chance of adopting a child is a Godsend, because for what ever reason, they are unable to have children naturally.
People without children, often feel like there is something missing in their lives, and can remedy this by adopting a child. The benefits of adoption, obviously do not only benefit the new parents. Adoption, gives a child who has no family of their own, the opportunity to grow up surrounded by loving family, and enjoy all the benefits and support that only family can provide.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of expense and negotiation of red tape involved in the whole adoption process. This unfortunately leads to a situation where some potentially fantastic parents cannot adopt children due the expense and difficulty involved.
One of the first steps in adopting a child is doing a bit of soul searching. In other words take some time to really think about what you are getting yourself into, adopting a child is a very serious business, and will impact on all aspects of your life for the rest of your life , and the life of the child you adopt. Keep in mind that you will be responsible for this child for many years, and the cost of raising children is staggering.
You will have to “be there” for your child not only when they are good and adorable, but also when they are sick, naughty and rebellious. If after a good solid dose of honest self-analysis you are still keen on the adoption idea, then the next step is to get in contact with a reputable licensed and preferably non-profit adoption agency.
When you receive your information from the agency, take your time and go through the information very carefully, because in the adoption process, you must follow the adoption agency’s guidelines to the letter. To run the risk of repeating myself, you cannot be to careful when following the guidelines and rules laid down by the adoption agency.
Something to keep in mind is that you should be prepared for the possibility of disappointment. Even though adoption agency’s try and make the process proceed as smooth as possible, due to the delicate nature of the process, sometimes problems can arise.
In the case of private adoptions, the mother of the child can change her mind once the baby is born. In the case of public adoptions, there often are not many babies or toddlers available for adoption, and some of the children who are available have come from broken homes, and in some cases have been exposed to violence and substance abuse, which could lead to them needing special attention.
But for all this, many people have negotiated the red tape and obstacles, and discovered the joy of parenthood and how being a parent can help you grow as a person. In fact many of these special people go back and do it all again.

General View of Adoption

Pastor Claude Thomas — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:47:43 +0000

Author: Reima Petramaa
It is obvious that adoption is an interesting topic for millions of people. For individuals who love children, adoption is always somewhere in their subconscious. It would be magnificent if adoptive children could be placed in loving homes without so much red tape and expense. There are thousands of parents who would like to take children but simply cannot afford it.

There are, fortunately, also thousands of people who are in the financial position to adopt unwanted and abandoned children.
For people who are unable to have children of their own, adoption is a dream come true. Because of thousands of loving adoptive parents, thousands of children are placed in permanent homes where they are cared for and provided for.

They are also able to experience the normal life of a North American Child with trendy clothes, trendy toys and all the special things children are used to having.

Adoption for these children means being rescued from a life of hardship and possibly growing up in an orphanage.

Adoption for adoptive parents means being rescued from a life of loneliness and never knowing the joy of raising children. It requires plenty of careful consideration especially when making decision to adopt a child. It compels the prospective adoptive parents to assess their financial situation since adoption can be very expensive. It demands the adoptive parents to assess every single aspect of their life and the changes an adoptive child will make to their lives.

Once the final decision is made to adopt, the actual adoption process starts beginning with decisions regarding the adoption method, the type of child wanted and the country or area to adopt from.

At this point prospective adoptive parents should gather as much information as possible about adoption in order to learn about the process of adoption and what to expect.

A successful adoption will depend largely on the route taken to adopt. Choosing a reputable adoption agency or non-profit adoption organization is very important.

Prospective adoptive parents will benefit greatly from the services of a knowledgeable and experienced adoption agency. There are many agencies and organizations which are able to handle all sorts of adoptions, including international adoptions. Before making a decision regarding an adoption agency, prospective parents ought to research the subject and check with adoptive parent support groups for references.

When all of the decisions are made, the home study is completed and the application is approved, the prospective adoptive papers are closer to achieving their adoption goals.

If the adoption is a private domestic or public domestic adoption, the individuals do not have to worry about traveling to foreign countries and contend with their rules and regulations. However if choosing international adoption, prospective parents must prepare themselves for foreign travel and become educated about their adoptive child’s homeland.

Finally, after the visits, the legal procedures and hearings, the adoptive parents are able to bring their adoptive child home. Preparation for an adoptive child involves thought and consideration of any family members as well as the adoptive child. There are many important details to deal with before bringing an adoptive child home such as social security numbers, birth certificates and medical insurance. There’s no doubt, adoption can be a long, tiresome experience. The wonderful thing about adoption is, no matter how long, tiresome or stressful the adoption journey may be, no matter how expensive or complicated the adoption process may become, the end result is the same. The end result of an adoption is a permanent family and home for an otherwise orphaned and possibly forgotten child.