Many of us plunged into orphan care, adoption and foster care like most people do parenting: lots of heart and little training … and even less grasp of all we’d likely face along the way.

That’s not all bad.  There are indeed some things you can’t learn in school.  But the best service, like the best parenting, is most always a blend of theory and practice, book learning and on-the-job training, classroom ideas and elbow grease.

This is why I find the CAFO “OVC Essentials” Course so significant.  It lays foundation essential to wise leadership and effective service.  It’s critical knowledge, fresh angles and vital perspective.  In short, it’s what I wish I’d have learned at the start, rather than piecemeal over many years.

Most participants take the course as they intern with CAFO member organizations, pairing hands-on service with deep learning.  Others are staff and volunteers of organizations, desiring to broaden vision amidst their work.

Each cohort (winter/spring, summer or fall) joins in the 10-week journey learning together from all across America and often far beyond.  Along with articles, videos, books and podcasts, the content includes live presentations and discussion with veterans and experts from across the field.

Here’s what participants in last semester’s course had to say:

• “In 10 weeks, I’ve been better equipped than my own research over the past two years. I’m so thankful for this course and its personal impact on my life.” –T. Thompson.
• “Words really cannot express just how beautifully transformative this course and its material have been for me!  –S. Daley
• “I am so thankful for this course! …I have learned so many new, exciting, challenging, and shaping things for me to continue to think about in my future.” –A. Willis

Intern coordinators and HR leaders felt the same.  Nicole Tambursten, State Foster Care Director for Arizona Baptist Children’s Services, expressed, “I can’t tell you how grateful we are for the opportunity to provide our staff with the quality training that Mike and Hillary received. It was evident that both of them were fully engaged and much more dedicated to the Mission after the training. We definitely look forward to putting more staff in this deeply impactful training.”

You can see more, including registration, on the CAFO website at OVC Essentials.  The syllabus and course content are viewable HERE.

Registration for the winter/spring term is open through February 1…and the course starts next week.

Tuition for interns and staff at any CAFO member organization are provided via scholarship at no cost.  Feel free to share this information with interns you know…staff who are new and/or eager to grow…and/or your intern coordinator or head of HR.

Ultimately, OVC Essentials is about helping emerging leaders build foundation for a lifetime of effective service.  As Paul put it in Philippians, “And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best…”  Not just passion…or ideas and insight…or faithful labor…but all of these together.