If someone wants to begin an orphan ministry in their church, we encourage them to contact us directly, and we have resources that can help them greatly through that process.
Adoption can be wrenching for the mother who gives her child to another family, and for the family that struggles through the adoption process. Given the emotional complexities and risks, is adoption worth it?
The presence of orphans and the very need for adoption is proof that this world is a very broken place. Choosing to go to this place often involves real pain and sacrifice for everyone involved. But that's not a reason to shy away. It's where Christ dwells. And if we are going to know Him, we need to follow Him there.
What would you say to a young woman who is deciding between abortion and bringing her child forth for adoption?
I would encourage this young woman to know beyond doubt that she is a mother already. There is a precious child within her. And the beautiful and difficult decision that she has to make is how best to love that child. That may be through bearing the child and making the huge sacrifices required to raise it herself. And if she feels unable to do that, it may involve bearing that child and giving it to someone who is better equipped to raise the child than she is.
Studies and research consistently show that adopted children do as well and often even better than their peers that have not been adopted. So while there will be as many unique situations as there are individuals, a mother putting her child up for adoption can feel confident that there is a tremendous amount of love and nurture ready to be offered by so many adoptive parents.
How does adoption reflect our calling as Christians? How does it embody the gospel?
I've come to believe that love for orphans can be powerfully transformative. Transformative for the child. Transformative for the family that chooses to love him or her. Transformative to the Church that moves beyond self-focused religion. And transformative to a watching world that sees, perhaps for the first time, the gospel embodied in love for the least of these.
As Christians, we believe that all of us were orphans, separated completely from the love of our Father. And in that state, God pursued us and wooed us and has adopted us. So as we model love for orphans through adoption or other forms of care for orphans, we are both reflecting God's heart and making the gospel story tangible to all who see it.
This article appears as part of a series on orphans and adoption. Please also see :"Orphan Stories," "Surprised by (a Bundle of) Joy," "On Fathering a Daughter," and "A Joy Beyond Expressing"
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