Stand Sunday Archives - Tasmanian Baptists

During September

Stand Sunday 2022

Fostering Hope is Tasmanian Baptists’ official foster care agency

Stand Sunday is a way for us to all rediscover the importance that Jesus puts on caring for vulnerable children in our community.

Individual Christians have fostered, offered kinship, and informal care for decades, but overall the church in Australia is not responding to this local need. Fostering Hope believes if the church in Australia takes seriously the call to open our homes and churches to vulnerable children, there would be more than enough homes for all the children who need one.

Stand with Carers

The early Church was known for its sacrificial care for widows and orphans. Can you imagine the ripple effect in our community if Christians took this seriously today and we became known as the place that offered families and communities of respect, healing, and kindness to everyone in the system?

We all hear the negative media about child protection systems, workers, and children growing up in care, As Christians, we can step into this space to offer light and hope and point to our Heavenly Father.

Stand Sunday is an opportunity to stand with the carers in your church or community, and to celebrate them! It is also a time to talk about the needs in Australia and ask people to consider responding.

When is Stand Sunday?

Stand Sunday is an international movement. In Australia, we celebrate it on the second Sunday in September (the 11th in 2022) as it is National Child Protection Week and National Foster Carer’s Week in the first two weeks of September. So it is a great time for churches to STAND with children and their carers. However, your church is welcome to participate any Sunday in September.

Fostering Hope recognises not everyone is able to be a foster carer. But we can all do something. You could be a mentor – Fostering Hope runs a mentoring program for children growing up in care, and connects volunteer babysitters and tutors. As well, we facilitate meals for fostering families, and run trauma-awareness training so churches can have greater understanding of children with extra needs. You may also know some carers in your local community who you could reach out to.