"As a father and a pastor who prays without ceasing for his own wayward children, I know these pressures firsthand. And as I’ve walked this road of sorrow, four principles have provided support and helped reshaped my perspective." - TGC
"The standoff revolves around a clause in a new contract with the state that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and that Sunrise Children’s Services is refusing to sign." - C.Leaders
". . . I am essentially the bizarro version of them. I started off as a religious none in a non-religious home, graduated to being an atheist, then moved on to being an anti-theist, and wound up a Christian in the end." - Grayson Gilbert
By Paul Golden
Do Christians realize that adoption is truly a special opportunity for believers to affirm and demonstrate the sanctity of life to an unsaved world? Sadly, and for a variety of reasons, many Christians do not seriously consider adopting. Churches can and should play a crucial role in encouraging their members to “look after orphans … in their distress” (James 1:27, NIV).
Here are some specific ideas on how to become an adoption-friendly church.
Pray that you and your church would become an adoption-friendly church. The ministry of prayer is invaluable. Pray that potential couples will be sensitive to the Lord’s leading. Pray that the church as a whole would step up its involvement in assisting couples who adopt.
Preach key passages on caring for orphans and spiritual adoption. Passages like James 1:26 and 27 remind us of what pure and faultless religion is all about (caring for those who are least able to care for themselves), and the act of physical adoption in Ephesians 1:3–5 is a great object lesson for spiritual adoption in Christ. “God’s example of care for us in our affliction should impact our understanding of what it means to care for orphans in their affliction,” says Dan Cruver, ministry outreach coordinator for Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency.
"It turns out that it’s not mainly what you’re doing that makes a life. It’s why you’re doing it. And no one taught me that lesson more powerfully than Elisabeth Elliot." - Michele Morin
"Once the pandemic ends, 66% of parents expect the time they spend watching content with their kids will either stay the same or increase. More than half of parents (62%) said the most popular device for co-viewing are smart TVs." - C.Leaders
"The amount of divorce and heartbreak and sexual confusion and even suicide in the lives of these individuals who have apparently attempted to prioritize friendship over marriage raises a question about causation: does prioritizing friendship over marriage actually doom healthy marriages? The cases presented in this article would seem to suggest so." - CBMW
"Virtual meetings and other online options are more accessible than ever before thanks to the pandemic. And they may help a hesitant family take that first – and sometimes most difficult – step in the process" - BPNews
