Episode Details

In this episode of Faith & Clarity, Dr. Mark Turman is joined by Chris Elkins and Christie Erwin, founder of Project Zero, for a powerful conversation about foster care, adoption, and the role of the church.

Christie shares how her years of fostering shaped a calling to serve vulnerable children and advocate for those still waiting for families. Together, they explore common misconceptions about foster care, the realities children face, and how churches can partner with the system through practical support and compassionate involvement.

The conversation also highlights the impact of Project Zero’s work, from storytelling to community engagement, and offers a hopeful vision for how believers can help ensure every child has a place to belong.

Topics

(0:00) Introduction 

(3:14) Project Zero origins

(9:13) Fostering lessons and adoption

(18:11) System challenges and church role

(23:20) Scope of the need

(25:06) Reunification versus adoption

(31:52) Hope building and community support

(33:26) Awkwardness of adoption

(37:33) Churches can step up

(53:11) How to get involved

(55:03) Conclusion

Resources

• Project Zero 
• Ask Us Anything: info@denisonforum.org
• Sign-up for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribe

About Chris Elkins

Chris Elkins narrates The Daily Article podcast that brings Dr. Jim Denison’s and Dr. Ryan Denison’s biblical insight on current events to a daily listening audience. In addition to his work in broadcasting and production, Chris serves as special assistant to Jim Denison and contributes articles to denisonforum.org

About Christie Erwin

Christie Erwin is the founder and Executive Director of Project Zero, an organization dedicated to finding forever families for waiting foster children. Her deep passion for children in foster care stems from her personal experience; she and her husband, Jeff, fostered over fifty children during twenty years, and their family includes six children, two of whom are adopted. Christie is the author of the book The Middle Mom and has been recognized as a 2009 “Angel in Adoption” award winner and represented Arkansas as the American Mother of the Year in 2016.

About Dr. Mark Turman

Dr. Mark Turman serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of the Faith & Clarity podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Lake Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.

Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in