Sermon Recap: Our Zoe Kids—and the Promise of Jeremiah 29:11

On Sunday, Beth Potter stopped by and shared some eye-opening information with us about the impact our support has on Zoe Empowers.  We provide missional support to Zoe Empowers through the Florida Conference of the UMC.  They provide a 3 year training program to teach orphans and vulnerable youth about hygiene, entrepreneurship, and child rights.  It is an opportunity for these youth to learn skills to not only provide care for themselves, but to help those coming behind them, too.

I’ve heard Jeremiah 29:11 many times: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord… “plans to give you hope and a future.” But hearing it in the context of the Zoe Empowers program changed the way I see that promise.

We were reminded that “our kids”—the 77 children we’ve been supporting in Rwanda—aren’t just a line item in the budget or a photo on a bulletin board. They are real lives being transformed by love, faith, and empowerment. These kids, many of them orphans or heads of household as young as 14, are growing food, building businesses, and caring for their siblings—all because a group of churches said yes to hope.

One story that stuck with me was Clarice. She started with just a $50 microgrant, bought clothes to resell, and used her profits to attend vocational school. Now, she’s a tailor. But she didn’t stop there—she put her sister through school too and helped her launch a business. That’s what Zoe does: it empowers kids to lift each other.

It’s overwhelming—in the best way—to realize that our prayers, support, and small sacrifices have helped launch futures. These children who once lived in total poverty are now entrepreneurs, students, leaders, and believers in a God who has not forgotten them.

And they call us their parents.

They thank us. They believe they won't disappoint us. That’s what hit me hardest: they see us as family. And we are.

This December, our Zoe kids will graduate. But the work isn’t done. Our district is already forming support for a new group, and some churches are even stepping forward to adopt additional groups on their own.  We have the opportunity to partner with 2 other United Methodist Churches in our district to support a new group of kids.  The new group launches in January 2026 and we hope to be the third to help launch these kids into a new life of independence.

If you’ve ever wondered if your giving makes a difference—wonder no more. It does. It has. It will again.

Let’s keep being the hope.

If you’d like to check out the sermon from Beth, click HERE.  If you would like to support Zoe Empowers, you can give using the same method you use for your tithes and offerings, just make sure to notate Zoe Empowers in the memo or note line. If you’d like to give online, you can do that HERE.