While this topic may elicit a slew of thoughts, I want you to take a moment and imagine a kids’ ministry where no men are involved. Strange right? Think about a family that does not have a father in the picture. This, in my mind, would be similar to a kids’ ministry with no men.

As I have watched my son grow up, I have noticed that he picks up very quickly which things are the “boy” things. Skateboards, Legos®, superheroes, Star Wars—these things seem to be like second nature to him. Not only does he notice these things, he is obsessed with them.

“The answer to 168 million orphans in our world can be summed up in two words: family and church. Unless orphan care becomes personal to us it will remain something that’s ‘out there.’” —Kay Warren

Adoption is the heart of God. I have always agreed with this thought, but I don’t think I understood it until I adopted my son. For those who have biological children and choose to adopt, the impact of adoption is no less significant than the impact on those who pursue adoption because of infertility. But I believe many of the emotional experiences are different.

In James 1:27, the Bible says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (NIV).

This Father’s Day think of investing in the fathers of the future. The passing of time will likely bring whiskers and an interest in the opposite sex, but what does it take for a boy to grow up to be a man of character? While one may find an occasional exception, boys grow into men of character because men of character invest in their lives.