His Adoption Ministry - We're just invited!

The Adoption Ministry at FBC started officially in 2006, so we just celebrated our 4th year! I am often asked by people who desire to start similar ministries at their church how to go about starting an Adoption/Orphan Ministry. For the first 3 years of ministry, I would have said something like the following, "Plan events, seminars, monthly meetings, host a blog, socials, etc. . .". For 3 years, that is what the ministry looked like. I often felt tired, overwhelmed, and frustrated. I realize now that I was trying to run the ministry in my own strength and in my own timing. I even remember asking God to give the church a certain number of adoption by a certain deadline. Sometimes I would wonder if it was worth all the time and effort, but as each family expressed interest, and each child joined a family, God would remind me that all the work would be worth it for just one child to find a home.

Fast forward to the present. When I am asked that same question, my response is, "Pray! Pray! Pray!" I have finally let go of the control (I never really was in control, but just tried to be). I pray and wait on God to show us the next step. He has blown me away more times than I could even describe. He has literally set up events, contacts, and meetings without any of my help! The most amazing thing is that he is working on hearts. The adoption team has a list of families that we think would be amazing adoptive families, and we pray regularly for God to move the hearts of these families to adoption or foster care if that is in his perfect plan for them(some know about it and some don't :-). Over and over it has happened that families on my "list" come up an mention an interest in adoption. And why am I so often surprised? Why wouldn't God move the hearts of his children to care for his fatherless children?

I bring this up because lately I have been wanting to contact the CASA organization(Court Appointed Special Advocate) to come and make a presentatin at church. It has been sitting on my "to do" list for awhile (as things often do). Yesterday in the mail I received a DVD from a woman of God in our church that highlighted the CASA program. I laughed and told God, "OK, I guess it is time to make that call." See how easy it is?

So, if you have a heart to start an adoption ministry at your church, just start praying. Pray for families to be moved to care for orphans (make a list of their names), pray for your church leadership to become passionate for the fatherless, pray for guidance and direction of what to do when. Each ministry is different. There is no secret recipe. Just know that God has been in the Ministry of orphan care and adoption since the beginning of time and he is more than ready to guide and lead anyone who would like to join Him.

For those of you part of the Adoption Ministry in Lodi, you are going to be blown away with what he is doing! I can hardly even believe it! Off the top of my head there have been 13 children placed for adoption, 3 families in the process (at least), and many more looking into adoption and gathering information. Honestly, I feel like we haven't seen anything yet! I know I am being a tease, but seriously, God is mighty busy sowing the seeds of adoption and foster care in our church body and I believe the harvest is going to be huge. I can't wait!