God works in the lives of these families and their testimonies are broadcast to others and ultimately those who hear and are called will answer that call. Please pray for the continued favor of God on this ministry and that the seeds here planted are in fertile ground so that the workers can become as numerous as needed to accomplish the Harvest work at hand.
The Gilead House Home for Children is not designed to be a therapeutic facility. Children with sever therapeutic needs would disrupt and make the environment for healing for all the other children in our care unviable. We understand that most children who have suffered mal treatment may manifest behavioral traits that are less than desirable. We are fully prepared to handle children with bad behavior. Some children however require more intensive care due to chemical imbalances or sever mental trauma that requires constant professional oversight. While we will be able to take some children that have been stabilized we will always need to weigh the best interests of the majority of children in our care. If one child disrupts the beneficial care of the other children we would reluctantly need to refer that child to another agency more appropriate to their needs.
Eventually we will grow to a point where we will sponsor multiple homes. Each home will be configured in such a way that 12 children will be housed in a home with two sets of full time house parents. Each set of house parents will be assigned no more than 6 (six) children. The reason for this is that in order for our care model to succeed we need to demonstrate to the children how a functional family behaves. Any more than six children per house parent unit would feel less like a family and more like a facility. Being brought up in and out of facilities has institutionalized too many children in care. Our model is designed to avoid that. The physical structure of the home will be a duplex with an adjoining dining area that is usually separated by a removable partition. Each side of the duplex will house 6 (six) children, the house parents and one additional room for respite care givers or any natural children of the house parents. Each side of the duplex will operate independently most of the time.
Another advantage of having two house parent units in such close proximity is that the partition can be removed and one set of house parents can care for all 12 (twelve) children for short periods of time providing respite for the other house parents or by simply being available while the other house parents conduct business away from the home. This two house parent model also furthers the concept of community and demonstrates to the children the need for extended support for successful families.
Concentration on the care and healing of the children and their families will be a full time job. Therefore, in addition to the house parents the staff will include another married couple. This couple will assist with the daily maintenance of both houses and when needed serve as additional caregivers. This will insure that the house and grounds are always maintained and that respite care is always available. This couple will be housed on property in a bungalow or cottage.
Additionally a state certified psychological therapist would be retained to oversee all programs to assure that each child is being given the necessary mental health support. This person will not provide intensive individual therapy but rather refer any child who needs such care to the appropriate provider. This person will do an initial assessment for each child brought in to care and facilitate weekly group meetings to determine that the home is functioning in a healthy fashion.
The Gilead Home for Children plans to provide care in a model that will be most beneficial for children requiring care away from their natural family. Experience and research has brought us to this place but without divine direction this cannot be achieved. We will begin to seek out financial support to make The Gilead Home for Children a reality. While we will depend greatly on the local church community we realize that the church community may not support this concept in its entirety. We will therefore solicit additional finances through fundraisers, grants, the local business community and government agencies.
The ultimate goal is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program so that homes following this model will open in every community. When Roe vs. Wade is overturned the need for foster and adoptive group homes will increase. The finacial need will be met by God if this is his will. The vital immediate need that we covet is your prayers. Please add our mission to your prayer list.
If you are prayerfully led to participate physically or financially in this ministry or would like to know more about the unique model that the Lord has laid on our hearts, please contact us.
The result of caring for these children and their families is the increase of glory to God.
1. Creating public awareness of abuse and neglect of children and adolescents that exists in the area,
2. Intervening in the lives of children and their families to prevent the continuation of abuse cycle,
3. Providing nurturing Christian homes for children in peril,
4. Demonstrating healthy family models and serving as mentors to the children and to the community,
Shofar Call Ministries Inc. Currently support a foster home on the Mississippi Gulf Coast which we call the Gilead House. We are in the process of raising funds to purchase a piece of property on which to build a lager facility that will permit us to house more children and minister to more families. The Gilead House Home for Children is a home in which these children will receive care. More than shelter and sustenance these children will receive biblical counseling coupled with psychological oversight to help them onto a path of healing and reconciliation with their natural family. In a family setting these children receive loving care in a safe environment. They will learn concepts of forgiveness, self-control and self-esteem.
Reunification with natural parents is the primary and desired goal of The Gilead Home for Children. Treating the children without preparing the parents would ultimately be fruitless. More than sheltering the children, The Gilead House Home for Children works with other agencies to counsel the families of these children. Each case is individualized, however a combination of belief therapy and group counseling in the form of bible study with a concentration on parenthood and stewardship is offered to those parents who wish to participate.
