Today I'm pleased to welcome back my friend Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) who is guest blogging today. On April 29-30, 2010, CAFO will hold Summit VI, the premier gathering of orphan care advocates and organizations. If you have not registered to attend, you can still do that. When you register, you'll have the chance to win 2 FREE front row seats to Steven Curtis Chapman's concert on April 29 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN. This is an exclusive offer for my blog readers, but you must register for Summit VI in order to be eligible to get the tickets. After you read Jedd's article, I'll explain what you need to do to enter the contest…

THE DANGER OF CARING FOR ORPHANS

Can you think of moments when your heart has been stabbed by the plight of an orphan?  A short-term mission trip?  A story on CNN?   Something written by Tom Davis?  I’d say “yes” to all three.

In such moments, I experience deep ache, sorrow…as well as gratitude that God has finally pierced my often-calloused heart enough to get me to feel at least a small bit of what so many children live with every day.

But there’s a danger in such moments. 

As C.S. Lewis observes in The Screwtape Letters, "The more often [one] feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel."  The truth is, to feel without acting may be worse than never feeling at all.

That’s not to say that every tear we shed for human sorrow needs to be followed by some grand new undertaking.  That’d likely lead to many foolhardy deeds, and, ultimately, to exhaustion.  But it does mean that when our hearts are stirred, we need to be particularly open to God’s invitations to act upon conviction.

For those who’ve been stirred by the plight of the orphan, one such invitation might just be Summit VI.   The national conference host by the Christian Alliance for Orphans and its 60+ member organizations promises to be the biggest and best opportunity of the year to learn how to act upon conviction for orphans.

At Summit, your passions will likely be roused further by speakers like John Piper, Mary Beth Chapman, Tom Davis and Al Mohler….by compelling voices from the global church, from Africa to Central America…and by music by artists like Steven Curtis Chapman and The Desperation Band. 

But just as vital, more than fifty workshops (and many new friends) will give you the practical know-how you need to take next steps—from starting an orphan ministry in your church, to supporting adoptive families facing difficult emotional issues, to engaging your local foster system.

If God has stirred your heart with the plight of orphans, now is the time to act.  Whether you plan to join us at Summit, or take some other step you’ve felt God nudging you to take, don’t let this moment pass.  

– Jedd Medefind, President, Christian Alliance for Orphans

Okay readers, who would like some free tickets to see Steve Curtis Chapman at Summit VI? Here's all you need to do:

STEP 1: Register for Summit VI. This contest is only open to registered participants. 

STEP 2: Leave a comment on this blog post, and briefly describe how you have (or would like to) dangerously love and care for orphans.

Bonus, the runner-up wins coffee with me and my team at Summit VI!