Hope

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Hope For A Fatherless Generation Presenting The Cause & Effect Of Fatherlessness & God’s Solution. Produced ByFather Heart Communications Copyright 2003 Statistics based on North American Researchas sourced on the Internet Photos used by permission www.photos.com Soundtracks used by permission Ken Vandevrie Copyright 1999 Spirit Born Music Publishing - www.spiritbornmusic.com

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Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (NIV Bible)

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According to 72% of the U.S. population, fatherlessness is the most significant family or social problem facing America. *Fathering In America Poll January 1999

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There are many factors that contribute to the absence of fathers in our families…

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1/3 of all newborns were born out-of-wedlock in 1994 in the USA.* *Moore, Kristin A., Angela Romano, and Cheryl Oakes. "Facts at a Glance.", Child Trends, October 1996.

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The number of live births to unmarried women went from 224,300 in 1960 to 1,248,000 in 1995. *U.S. Bureau of the census. Abstract of the United States 1996, 1997. Washington, DC; GPO, 1997

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Of the children born to married parents, half will experience their parents divorce by the age of 18.* *Bumpass, Larry. "Children and Marital disruption: A Replication and Update.", Demography 21 (1984): 71-82.

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The number of currently divorced adults in the U.S. quadrupled from 4.3 million in 1970 to 17.6 million in 1995.* *Saluter, Arlene F. "Marital Status and Living Arrangements: March 1995, Update." US Bureau of the Census. Current Population Report, PPL-52. Washington, DC: GPO, 1997.

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42% of fathers fail to see their children at all after a divorce.* *[Frank F. Furstenberg, Jr. and Christine Winguist Nord, "Parenting Apart," Journal of Marriage and the Family, vol 47, no. 4, November, 1985.]

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As of June 1994, there were an estimated 778,761 dads behind prison bars with children under 18.* *Bureau Of Justice Statistics

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And every year, thousands of children lose their fathers to untimely deaths due to accidents & illnesses.

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The impact of fatherlessness is far-reaching….

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Three out of four teenage suicides occur in households where a parent has been absent.* *Jean Beth Eshtain, “Family Matters: The Plight of America’s Children.” The Christian CenturyJuly 1993

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Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drugand alcohol abuse.* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics Survey On Child HealthWashington DC, 1993

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75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.* *Rainbows For All God’s Children

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Children in single-parent families are 2-3 times as likely to have emotional & behavioral problems.* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics National Health Interview Survey Hyattsville, MD, 1988

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Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics Survey On Child Health Washington, DC GPO 1993

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71% of teenage pregnancies are to children of single parents.* *U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

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85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.* *Fulton Co. Georgia Jail PopulationsTexas Dept. of Corrections 1992

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90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.* *[U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census.]

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Boys born to an unmarried teen mother are 10 times more likely to become a chronic juvenile offender.* *Source: Conseur, Amy et al. "Maternal and Perinatal Risk Factors for Later Delinquency." Pediatrics 99(1997): 785-790.

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Preventing Homosexuality Focus On The Family Radio Broadcast April 2003 Dr. Joseph Nicolosi – Author “A Parents Guide To Preventing Homosexuality” “I have worked with thousands ofhomosexuals. I have never seen ahomosexual who had a loving, respectful relationship with his father.”

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These are only a few of the available statistics that point to the absence of fathers as the root of many of our sociological problems.

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…And there are many other factorsthat cannot be quantified by statistics.

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Many fathers are at home but are emotionally absent, abusive, angry, hurting or simply uninvolved in their children’s lives.

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Driven by the pressures of work, many men don’t have time to be there for their children.

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Some have struggled with the pain of growing up in difficult father situations themselves.

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…And could only pass on to their children what they first received from their fathers.

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For generations, hurting fathers devastated by traumatic events, have been unable to provide the love that their children needed.

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The end result is that millions of people are struggling with father-related issues.

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“When I was 6 years old, my dad grabbed me by the shirt and told me that he never wanted me and that I was a mistake. I couldn't stop crying for at least three days.” VT

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“I was abandoned by my father at 10 months old. The next time I met him, after tracking him down, he abandoned me again. I was 28 years old at the time. It was even worse this time as I could put a face to the father who didn't want me.” Steve

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“My step dad abused me from the time I was 2 until I was 13. The man that my mother married next constantly made sexual advances towards me.” Elisabeth

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Even the best fathers can’t meet all their children’s deepest needs for love.

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Our need for unconditional love and acceptance goes far deeper than what any earthly father could satisfy.

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Unfortunately, many people relate to God as a Father in the same way they related to their own father.

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“I have difficulty praying the Lord’s Prayer because whenever I say ‘Our Father’, I think of my own father who was hard, unyielding and relentless. I cannot help but think of God in that way.” Martin Luther

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But God is not like our fathers. He is the Perfect Father. Matthew 5:48

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…And He is revealing Himself as a Father to a fatherless generation. Psalm 68:5

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It is only His love that can satisfy our deepest longing to be fathered.

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For God (the Father) so loved the world… John 3:16

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That He sent His Son Jesus Christ to show us what He really was like. John 14:6-11

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To fully reconcile us back to Himself through the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

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Throughout the ages, God has been continually restoring revelation to the world.

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At this time in history, we are seeing a greater revealing of the Father-heart of God than ever before.

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For God has seen our devastation and is answering our heart’s cry to be fathered.

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…And He promises to be the Father that we have been looking for all our lives.

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“I believe the church is about to experience a revelation of the Fatherhood of God. A new wave of evangelism will result as millions of prodigals will see the Father’s love in the church again.” Paul Cain – Charisma Magazine January 1990

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“To know God's love as a Father is something I have longed for, for many years. Here I found the answer to my heart's cry.” Gill

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“I never knew who my biological dad was, but Papa God is now my Daddy and has shown me the love that I was always looking for.” Mamitiana

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“I have been looking for my father for so many years and God has helped me to realize that He is my Father and has been with me all the time.” Darla

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Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (NIV Bible)

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Hope For A Fatherless Generation Produced ByFather Heart Communications Copyright 2003 Sharing The Message Of Father’s Love Everywhere And In Every Way. www.FathersLoveLetter.com www.FatherLovesTheWorld.com