A Biblical model of Caring for the Vulnerable

Last weekend Billy had the opportunity to be a plenary speaker at the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination’s bi-annual conference for Sunday school teachers. Over 200 teachers from more than 40 CMA churches across Lima participated in the 3-day retreat held at the denomination’s camp center in Huaral, Peru.

His session was entitled “A Biblical model for Caring for the Vulnerable”. According to the INEI (the Peruvian government Institute for Statistics and Information), more than 70% of children and teens in Peru have experienced physical or psychological violence at some point in their home. More than 35% of teens have suffered one or more instances of sexual abuse and 1 out of every 3 Peruvians live affected by poverty or extreme poverty. We believe that the local church is called to care for the vulnerable. In light of these statistics, the need is greater than ever.

During the 90 minutes, Billy used 1 Kings 19:1-8 to look at how we can learn to care for people who are living in a constant state of fear through the example of the Lord drawing near to Elijah in the desert. Through this passage he shared about how the teachers can better serve the children in their ministries from a trauma-informed viewpoint, giving ideas for them to use in their Sunday school programs and practical tips to implement in their specific classrooms.

It was a great opportunity to share about the importance of caring for the vulnerable kids and families that these teachers interact with weekly and how the church can better serve and welcome them.