A Heavenly Vision for Fresno
The vision for City Without Orphans comes from the biblical vision of our heavenly city, the “new Jerusalem.” In our heavenly city, there will be no more orphans. While Jesus was on this earth he told his followers to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
As Jesus’ followers, we are called to pray and labor towards the vision of a city without orphans, on earth as it is in heaven. The vision God gave us for City Without Orphans is simply that: to pray and labor towards a day where there will be no more temporary orphans in Fresno. No more children waiting to be placed in a foster home or waiting to be adopted. Instead, every child who has been abused, abandoned or neglected will have a willing family waiting to give them the love and healthy home they deserve. Then Fresno will truly be a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden,” giving light and hope to the rest of the world.
The Mission of City Without Orphans
To equip and partner with churches, families and service providers to help all children in the Fresno County child welfare system be placed in a loving home.
The 7: Our Core Values
We believe anything is possible
The vision for City Without Orphans is built on the idea that with God, nothing is impossible (Matt. 19:26, Mark 9:23, Phil 4:13). We're not limited to the things we can easily see being accomplished. If God is calling us to accomplish something that seems impossible, we move forward in spite of our doubts. We call this "audacious faith", the ability to look beyond the vast needs we currently see to the future that God desires.
We believe every child deserves a loving family
Every child deserves a loving family regardless of age, race, socio-economic status or background. Children were not meant to be raised by governments, they need families to thrive. Through family reunification, kinship-care and adoption, we want every child to be placed in a loving home.
We believe in the local church
God accomplishes His work through the local church, the community of Spirit-filled believers. By God's grace, we believe the church has the calling, the resources, and the ability to bring about social transformation.
We believe anything is possible
The vision for City Without Orphans is built on the idea that with God, nothing is impossible (Matt. 19:26, Mark 9:23, Phil 4:13). We're not limited to the things we can easily see being accomplished. If God is calling us to accomplish something that seems impossible, we move forward in spite of our doubts. We call this "audacious faith", the ability to look beyond the vast needs we currently see to the future that God desires.
We believe every child deserves a loving family
Every child deserves a loving family regardless of age, race, socio-economic status or background. Children were not meant to be raised by governments, they need families to thrive. Through family reunification, kinship-care and adoption, we want every child to be placed in a loving home.
We believe in the local church
God accomplishes His work through the local church, the community of Spirit-filled believers. By God's grace, we believe the church has the calling, the resources, and the ability to bring about social transformation.
We believe in collaborative power
We have identified three major sectors in our city: government, business (or the private sector) and the faith community. We call this "the three legged stool". When one of these sectors is disengaged, or there is division among them, we are hindered in our ability to work towards social change. More can be accomplished when all three sectors work together to accomplish a shared goal.We believe in results over methods
We believe in our methods but we are committed to our vision. Our vision will never change. Our methods will. We will not stop until the vision is fulfilled. If our strategies or structures become outdated or fail to accomplish the vision, we will adapt our strategies to produce better outcomes.
We believe every person can contribute
We believe every person can do something to help abused, neglected and vulnerable children. The question should not be “am I called to care for these children?” but “how am I called to care for these children?” We seek to give a variety of ways people can help so the unique skills and passions of the community are aligned towards one purpose.
We believe in stewardship and excellence
We believe in stewardship and excellence
The resources at our disposal are not our own, they have been entrusted to us by God. We are accountable to leverage everything we’ve been given to it’s maximum potential. We want everything we touch: our finances, our programs, our organization, our execution, our message and our look to display the highest levels of integrity and excellence. We are representing our city and our God.
