According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, determining how many churches exist in the United States can be quite difficult, as there is no official directory for every congregation in the country. Roughly five years ago, it was estimated that 350,000 churches could be found in the United States. While that estimate is representative of the total number of physical buildings, it does not allude to just how many people attend these places of worship. That number is projected to be well over 100 million people (according to the Hartford Institute).

In comparison, there are a reported 120,000 orphans in the United States, while an additional 400,000 children are living without permanent families. Many times, these children will age out of foster care, and are left with little to no financial or emotional support. Although these statistics appear startling at first, the number of children in need is vastly less than the millions of churchgoers who are called to care for orphans through Scripture.

At Show Hope, it is our desire to see every child welcomed into the love of a forever family. Not everyone is called to adopt, but there are so many other opportunities to transform the lives of orphans in America and abroad. For ideas on how you and your family can become actively involved in caring for vulnerable children, please visit Show Hope’s blog for plenty of inspiration, including these suggestions!