As an associate pastor I am always looking for effective ministry opportunities that truly change the lives of people. As a father who has seen the wonderful blessing that adoption is first hand, I can think of no more powerful ministry than helping a loving Christian family share themselves with a child who needs the love that family provides. What better way for the local church to minster to lives than by establishing an adoption ministry.
Begin Small
I know first hand the challenges of beginning any ministry in the local church, especially if that church is small. How do I know? I have a bi-vocational position that carries a full time responsibility. Like any ministry an adoption ministry can begin small. Encourage members of the local congregation to consider adoption. There is a wealth of free information that can be made available. Have an adoption information center in the church foyer where prospective parents can get information to review and pray about. If a couple in your church begins the process of adoption, take up a special offering for them or make their endeavor one of the fundraiser projects of the church. You may only raise $500.00, but that is the cost of a home study. There is no such thing as a small offering when a couple faces the cost of an adoption. Remember, that couple has committed to spending from $15,000.00 and up in order to provide a loving home for a child.
Look For Ways to Expand the Ministry
Look for ways to expand your adoption ministry outside the four walls of the church. Once the church becomes enthused about supporting an adoption ministry, begin an adoption fund. There are many ways to set this up, but follow these guidelines for your own protection.
1. Create an application form. Giving money away is a big responsibility that requires much prayer and thought, and you must know as much about the applicant as possible to make a wise decision.
2. Require the applicant to have already completed the home study. This shows that they are serious.
3. Don't exclude private or attorney based adoptions. Why do I mention that? My wife and I had several bad experiences with adoption agencies. This not an indictment against adoption agencies, it is just our experience. We found a knowledgeable Christian attorney who helped us through every step of this process and we found this route much more to our liking than dealing with an agency. The bad part was that many ministries that we could have looked to for assistance did not support private or attorney based adoptions. The reason I was given was "if you can afford an attorney you don't need help. Our adoption was actually less the way we did it than had we worked with an agency.
You can expand this ministry by offering assistance to members of other congregations in the community. This is truly a community ministry endeavor. As you offer this blessing to others, encourage the other churches that you contact to assist financially with this ministry. Suggest to them the techniques in the first paragraph. Note: as more churches become involved be prepared to change the name of your ministry to reflect the diversity of the congregations.
Any one can begin this ministry at their local church and this ministry runs hand in hand with the great Commission of Jesus Christ to go into all the world and share the wonderful gospel with all that will receive.
Begin Small
I know first hand the challenges of beginning any ministry in the local church, especially if that church is small. How do I know? I have a bi-vocational position that carries a full time responsibility. Like any ministry an adoption ministry can begin small. Encourage members of the local congregation to consider adoption. There is a wealth of free information that can be made available. Have an adoption information center in the church foyer where prospective parents can get information to review and pray about. If a couple in your church begins the process of adoption, take up a special offering for them or make their endeavor one of the fundraiser projects of the church. You may only raise $500.00, but that is the cost of a home study. There is no such thing as a small offering when a couple faces the cost of an adoption. Remember, that couple has committed to spending from $15,000.00 and up in order to provide a loving home for a child.
Look For Ways to Expand the Ministry
Look for ways to expand your adoption ministry outside the four walls of the church. Once the church becomes enthused about supporting an adoption ministry, begin an adoption fund. There are many ways to set this up, but follow these guidelines for your own protection.
1. Create an application form. Giving money away is a big responsibility that requires much prayer and thought, and you must know as much about the applicant as possible to make a wise decision.
2. Require the applicant to have already completed the home study. This shows that they are serious.
3. Don't exclude private or attorney based adoptions. Why do I mention that? My wife and I had several bad experiences with adoption agencies. This not an indictment against adoption agencies, it is just our experience. We found a knowledgeable Christian attorney who helped us through every step of this process and we found this route much more to our liking than dealing with an agency. The bad part was that many ministries that we could have looked to for assistance did not support private or attorney based adoptions. The reason I was given was "if you can afford an attorney you don't need help. Our adoption was actually less the way we did it than had we worked with an agency.
You can expand this ministry by offering assistance to members of other congregations in the community. This is truly a community ministry endeavor. As you offer this blessing to others, encourage the other churches that you contact to assist financially with this ministry. Suggest to them the techniques in the first paragraph. Note: as more churches become involved be prepared to change the name of your ministry to reflect the diversity of the congregations.
Any one can begin this ministry at their local church and this ministry runs hand in hand with the great Commission of Jesus Christ to go into all the world and share the wonderful gospel with all that will receive.
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