Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia: Foster Care and the Great Commission
Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia
When most people hear the phrase “Great Commission,” they think of overseas missions, Bible translation, or evangelism training. And rightly so. Jesus’ command in Matthew 28—to make disciples of all nations—has mobilized generations of believers around the world.
But missions doesn’t always require a passport. Sometimes, it begins in the seat next to us. Or at the edge of our neighborhood. Or in a courtroom where a child waits for someone to say yes.
Foster care isn’t often discussed in the context of the Great Commission, but it should be. Because at its core, the Great Commission is about discipleship—helping people know they are loved, seen, and called into relationship with God. And that begins with presence, stability, and trust.
Children in foster care have often been neglected, mistreated, or simply caught in cycles of instability. Before they ever hear a sermon, they need someone to show up. Before they can believe in a good Father, they need to experience what safe authority looks like.
When the Church enters foster care with compassion, humility, and consistency, we are doing Great Commission work. We are discipling—not through programs alone, but through presence. Through the daily decision to love children and birth families alike, even when it’s hard.
Too often, churches separate missions from local service. One budget line goes to international work, and another to domestic outreach. But for the child who’s just been removed from their home, that separation doesn’t exist. They’re not looking for categories. They’re looking for hope.
Foster care also creates an opportunity for spiritual formation within the church. Volunteers grow. Families stretch. Entire congregations learn to serve without spotlight. And through that growth, the gospel moves—not in mass events, but in quiet, faithful steps.
This kind of work doesn’t compete with global missions. It complements it. It teaches believers how to live on mission wherever they are. It prepares them to go deeper when they are called to go further. And it grounds their theology in action.
Not every Christian will foster. But every Christian has a role in discipling others. For many, that role starts with helping create an environment where children in care feel safe enough to hear, and eventually trust, the message of Jesus.
There are children today—right now—who have never experienced unconditional love, who have never been prayed over, who have never been discipled in any form. The Church doesn’t need permission to begin. It has a mandate.
If the Great Commission is our calling, foster care is one place we can live it out with urgency and depth.
Let’s not miss the mission field in our own backyard.
To explore foster care engagement, national dialogue, or connect with Pastor Bob Griffith’s book Fostering Jesus, visit FosteringJesus.org.