Building Legacies: Empowering Older Youth in Foster Care with Sean and Jenny Miller
In this episode of The Defender Podcast, we explore Lifeline Children's Services' Heritage Builders program alongside guests Sean and Jenny Miller. The Millers share their inspiring journey with Heritage Builders, shedding light on their personal connection and commitment to serving the foster care community. Through engaging dialogue, we uncover the holistic approach of Heritage Builders, which emphasizes providing both practical life skills and spiritual guidance to older youth in foster care. Sean and Jenny discuss the challenges faced by these individuals as they transition to independence and how the collaborative partnership between Lifeline Children's Services and local churches is integral in supporting older youth in foster care.
GUESTS
Sean and Jenny Miller are US Missionary Chaplains to foster care through the Assemblies of God. They have five amazing children: Jordan, Eli, Arianna, Avianna, and Thomas. As U.S. Missionaries, their mission is to resource and equip local churches to care for foster children, as well as their birth, foster, and adoptive families. They believe the church is the answer to the orphan care crisis in America.
HOST
Herbie Newell is the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services and its ministry arms.
CO-HOST
Dr. Rick Morton is the Vice President of Engagement at Lifeline Children's Services.
RESOURCES
Older youth in foster care face challenges as they get close to living independently. Without intervention, these youth often leave the foster care system with little or no positive adult support, limited knowledge of basic life skills, and limited resources. These situations often result in high percentages of unplanned pregnancies, school dropouts, becoming victims of child trafficking, abuse of their future children, and chronic homelessness.
Through Heritage Builders, Lifeline equips churches to invest in the lives of these youth, both practically and spiritually. Your church can be part of changing the life trajectory of their lives. Visit LifelineChild.org/Heritage for more information.
LIFELINE CHILDREN'S SERVICES
The mission of Lifeline Children’s Services is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children. Our vision is for vulnerable children and their communities to be transformed by the gospel and to make disciples.
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Creators and Guests
Host
Herbie Newell
Herbie Newell serves as the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services, holds an MBA in Accounting from Samford University and brings years of experience from his work as an independent auditor at WAKM Companies, LLC. Serving as Lifeline's Executive Director since 2003, Herbie has significantly expanded international outreach, obtained licensure in 17 states, and led the establishment of the foster care arm. A passionate advocate, he co-founded (un)adopted in 2009, focusing on equipping orphaned children with life skills for community transformation. Herbie, also the author of "Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-birth to Pro-Life," emphasizes that being pro-life extends beyond opposing abortion, urging a broader ethic that includes fighting for racial equality and embracing every individual with the love of Christ. Herbie and his wife, Ashley, reside in Birmingham, Alabama, and are the parents to three children.
Host
Rick Morton
As Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the ministry’s outreach to individual, church, and organizational ministry partners as well as the ministry’s commitment to publishing resources that aid families and churches in discipling orphans and vulnerable children. Prior to Lifeline, Rick served for 15 years as a college and seminary professor, and he also served local churches in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is an accomplished writer and sought after speaker. Most notably, Rick is the co-author of the popular Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-centered Adoption and Orphan Care and the author of KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology. Rick and his lovely wife Denise have been married for over 32 years, and they have 3 children, all of whom joined their family through international adoption. God has continued to grow their family, and he now enjoys the role of “Doc” to his precious granddaughter!
Guest
Sean and Jenny Miller
Sean and Jenny Miller are US Missionary Chaplains to foster care through the Assemblies of God. They have five amazing children: Jordan, Eli, Arianna, Avianna, and Thomas. As U.S. Missionaries, their mission is to resource and equip local churches to care for foster children, as well as their birth, foster, and adoptive families. They believe the church is the answer to the orphan care crisis in America.