The Faith Community and Adoption

How can churches and other faith communities encourage adoption and support families post adoption? What role should faith communities play in adoption and orphan care? How can you get your church involved? Join our guests: Jedd Medefind, president of Christian Alliance for Orphans, author of Upended: How Following Jesus Remakes Your Words and Your World; Lynn Young, who heads up the adoption ministry for Saddleback Church in southern California; and Kim Palmer, who is involved in the ministry at Grace Covenant Church in Charlotte, NC that supports adoptive and foster parents. She and her husband have 5 children: 2 biological, 1 adopted, and 2 foster.

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Hit the Highlights
  • When we hear the term orphan’s care ministry or adoption ministry, what does that mean? And do they differ?
  • When did the push start for churches to get involved with adoption?
  • How can churches or other faith communities establish an orphan’s care ministry or an adoption ministry?
  • What are some of the key elements of success?
  • Do orphan care or adoption ministries primarily focus on adopting children internationally?
  • How can the faith community support adoptions without encouraging families who are not actually equipped to adopt? For example, Larry and Carri Williams adopted 2 children from Ethiopia and tortured them including starving Hanna age 13 before leaving her outside to die of hypothermia. The parents adopted at the encouragement of their church and thought they were “saving orphans”. They tortured the children using a “discipline” book that came out of their faith community.
  • How does the biblical mandate to spank your children fit with discipline techniques for adopted children?
  • How can churches establish a thriving post adoption support ministry?
  • What are some practical support techniques that should be a part of any orphan or adoption ministry?
  • Should churches and faith communities offer financial aid to help families afford to adopt?
  • What are the options for providing financial aid for adoption?