20 Ways to Become an Adoption Friendly Church or Synagogue

By Paul Golden of Adoption Today Magazine, April 2010. 

While most faith groups commonly praise adoption, most American churches and synagogues do not have a single family that adopted a child during the past year. Faith assemblies can and should play a crucial role in encouraging members to “look after orphans in their distress” (James 1:27). Here are some specific ideas on how to become an adoption-friendly church or synagogue:

1. Pray that you and your ministry will become adoption-friendly. Pray that potential couples
will be sensitive to adopting. Pray that the assembly as a whole steps up its involvement
in assisting couples who adopt.
 
2. Preach key passages on caring for orphans and spiritual adoption. Passages like James
1:26-27 remind us that pure and faultless religion emphasizes care for those who are
least able to care for themselves. Since God cares for us in our affliction, we should care
for orphans in theirs.

3. Invite guest speakers to raise awareness of adoption needs and opportunities. Those
who lead adoption ministries can share their passion in small groups, Sunday School and services. Give members the opportunity to hear about these needs while giving them ways to help.

4. Make adoption resources available to the faith community. A wealth of adoption
resources can be helpful to couples considering adoption. Most of the time misconceptions about the adoption process keep families from considering adoption.  The church or synagogue can be a tool to provide helpful facts for couples to make informed decisions.

5. Frequently list pro-adoption ministries and organizations. List them in your bulletin and
have a “resources” link on your Web site connecting to these ministries. You help these
ministries by making them known to your people, but you also assist your people by
providing accessibility to helpful resources.

6. Encourage couples facing infertility to connect with adoptive parents. Some couples hop onto the emotional roller coaster of infertility drugs, and in the process incur huge medical expenses. Graciously counsel those couples to consider the privilege of parenting an adopted child before their emotions and finances are exhausted.

7. Regularly have adoptive parents and birth mothers share their testimony of God’s
goodness and grace. Testimonies can be powerful reminders to the congregation of
what “good” can come out of a “bad” situation.

8. Educate your members regarding the costs involved in the adoption process. Many
members may be unaware of the expenses involved in adoption such as: homestudies,
background checks, attorney fees, airfare and travel costs, especially for international
adoptions. Adoption costs vary from a few thousand dollars to $20,000 or more. The
cost should not scare off potential adoptive families, but should motivate the church
or synagogue to “count the cost” and offer assistance. What price tag can we put on a
young life?

9. Encourage the membership to give financially to adoptive couples. Giving financially to adoptive parents is one of the most — if not the most — significant things you can
do. As potential couples take the giant step of faith in the adoption process, one of the
biggest concerns will be “how are we going to pay for this?” A monetary gift along
with a note of encouragement can greatly encourage the couple by affirming their
decision to pursue adoption.
 
10. Create a standing fund for adoptions costs.  Church or synagogue members can contribute
to this special fund which adoptive families can utilize (either an interest-free loan or one-time gifts to these couples).

11. Challenge Sunday School classes and small groups to raise money for adoptive couples. Love offerings help lessen the financial burden of adoption while exhibiting how the faith community can encourage and support each other. Imagine the surprise on the couples’ faces when they discover that their class sacrificially gave to help in the adoption of their child.

12. Establish an adoptive parents small group in your church or synagogue. Get a key person
to take this on as a ministry. Meet on a monthly or quarterly basis as needed. This support group provides encouragement for those couples in the midst of the adoption process or those contemplating adoption.

13. Create e-mail list-serves of adoptive parents for support and encouragement. Since
the adoption process brings emotional highs and lows, staying connected by e-mail can prove helpful — especially when a couple needs a timely word of encouragement.

14. Connect with local social service agencies. Most counties and states have child welfare and foster care programs in which members should be involved. Many times there is financial assistance for those families who are foster parents or are in fosteradopt programs.

15. Use attorneys or caseworkers within the church or assembly. Some lawyers specializing
in family law are willing to donate their time and expertise to assist a family with the legal documents for adoption.  Such volunteers provide both financial savings and peace of mind.

16. Sponsor a child. Find a ministry of like faith that you know and trust — encourage others to do what they can to pray for and financially support orphan and adoption ministries.

17. Participate in mission trips to orphanages abroad. What better way to raise awareness for adoption than to experience the desperate living conditions of others?

18. Maximize special holidays to emphasize adoption. When adoption needs are presented
with sensitivity and discernment, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be ideal times to raise awareness of adoption.  A special offering could be collected for an adoptive couple. An adopted child or adoptive parent could give testimony to God’s gift of a family to them. At an
annual Sanctity of Life day, typically the third Sunday each January, discussion of adoption can be a poignant reminder to the church of the devastation of abortion, and at the same time a powerful prompting for the church or synagogue to become adoption-friendly.

19. Celebrate adoption as a faith community. Affirm those who pray and encourage others to adopt. Praise those who give financially to adoptive parents. Celebrate the living object lesson of our own spiritual adoption.

20. Support adopted kids as they struggle with questions of identity, abandonment or
rejection. 

Adoption is the ultimate expression and outworking of loving the modern day orphan. 
While not everyone will be called to adopt, the faith community can and should do what it
can to encourage and facilitate adoption. Will you help your church or synagogue become
adoption-friendly?
 
This story can be found at http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=36173&&pn=&p=27