ohio
mobilize
conference
March 3 & 4, 2023
Raising awareness & equipping OH communities in the care and support of vulnerable children & families
NE Ohio
Registration now OPEN!
Click each button below to register for each event.
Pastors' & Ministry Leaders' Brunch
Benefit Dinner
Resource Conference
March 3, 2023 @ 9 am
March 3, 2023 @ 6 pm
March 4, 2023 @ 9 am
Ohio children are in crisis.
You can help.
Join us at the...
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Pastors' & Ministry Leaders' Brunch
3.3.23 | 9:00 am
The Church's call to
the vulnerable and tools to help set up foster care and family advocacy ministries
Keynote: Jason Johnson
Benefit dinner
3.3.23 | 6:00 pm
Rallying the community, businesses, and individuals to care for vulnerable children in our communities
Keynote: Lynn Johnson
conference event
3.4.23 | 9:00 am
Encouraging & equipping those who are involved or desire to be involved in caring for children in foster care
Keynote: Jamie Finn
Ohio’s foster care system entered a point of crisis this year. There are so many vulnerable children and families in need of services and support and just not enough of the Church knowing HOW to provide that.
The Mobilize OH Conference was born from a place of knowing the many levels of needs and wanting to help others learn exactly HOW to step in to help. While not everyone can become a foster family, we believe everyone can do something. However, we recognize that many people aren't sure exactly HOW to get plugged in, so we are providing the perfect opportunity to start.
Main Speakers
Jason Johnson
At the Pastors’ and Ministry Leaders’ Brunch, you will hear from Jason Johnson - foster dad extraordinaire, Pastor, writer, and speaker who encourages families and equips leaders in their foster care and adoption journeys so they can find the hope and support they need along the way. He will encourage and embolden you as he provides a picture of the Church as a whole coming around and supporting the vulnerable families in your communities while offering practical and tangible ways to it.
Learn more about Jason!
Lynn Johnson
At the Benefit Dinner, you will hear from Lynn Johnson, current President of ALL IN Fostering Futures and who previously served in the Senate confirmed position of Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families in the US Dept. of Health and Human Services. We will share more about the OH foster care system crisis and what you can do as a business, organization, and individual to help and step in. We will share about many local organizations who have been formed for this purpose and how you can be involved as a donor, volunteer, and all around supporter.
Learn more about Lynn!
Jamie Finn
At the Resource Conference, we will have Jamie Finn, best selling author, writer, and Executive Director of Foster the Family, sharing, encouraging, and equipping foster families and those in support roles around them. There will be breakout sessions on topics ranging from developing relationships with biological families, to finding ways to impact your local community, to finding “your people'' and connecting with Foster Our Community. You’ll have an opportunity to visit our resource table room full of mental health resources, agency options, nonprofits to support, and more.
Learn more about Jamie!
Jillana Goble
& Jennifer Bracken
Jillana Goble and Jennifer Bracken are two mothers living in Portland, Oregon just two miles apart. Jennifer’s biological child was fostered by Jillana before she and her husband adopted him. They have walked an unlikely road of collaboration for the past 14 years by remaining in relationship through countless ups and down’s, many of which are told in Jillana’s debut memoir, A Love-Stretched Life: Stories on Wrangling Hope, Embracing the Unexpected and Discovering the Meaning of Family. Jillana and Jennifer speak monthly to state child welfare caseworkers sharing their unlikely story of collaboration. While recognizing the many barriers, together they have a joint heart for families, when possible, to walk towards one another and not away.
Jennifer Bracken is the mother to four children. Jennifer grew up in the foster care system and all four of her children have been child-welfare involved at one point in their lives. Jennifer has 7 years clean, the longest consecutive stretch since she was a pre-teen, which Jennifer calls the “proudest accomplishment” of her life.
Jillana Goble has five children who call her mom. She founded an initiative that became a catalyst for a statewide movement called Every Child Oregon and authored a previous book in 2019 entitled No Sugar Coating The Coffee Talk You Need about Foster Parenting.
You'll find them and hear from them BOTH at the Resource Conference on Saturday, March 4th!
Learn more about Jillana!
About the Organizers
Following the example of Jesus, The Christ Foundation seeks to make sustained, positive impacts for those facing difficult circumstances. From helping children overcome poverty, abuse and neglect to providing life-saving resources to new mothers, we’re passionate about supporting programs that allow others to more fully experience God's love.
Foster our Community exists to serve those who serve our children by providing resources, support, encouragement, love, and practical necessities to foster, adoptive, and kinship families and the children they are caring for. As a ministry, we hope to fill the gap for families needing encouragement and support.
Hotel Accommodations
Our Why
stats that matter
14,702
OH children in foster care
licensed homes
8,167
10,610
churches
STARK CO.
407
children in foster care
395
churches
SUMMIT CO.
842
children in foster care
442
churches
CUYAHOGA CO.
2,295
children in foster care
821
churches
MAHONING CO.
234
children in foster care
255
churches
If each church had ONE family fostering, we could meet 72% of the need in Ohio.
*Statistics made available by More Than Enough
ohio
mobilize
We invite you to become a part of this gospel-led mission to mobilize the state of Ohio into action by raising awareness and equipping communities in the care and support of vulnerable children and families.
Connect with us to join us on mission!
