Church orphan ministry webinar!

How does an adoption fund fit with your church's mission/vision?

• Evangelize the lost – Adoption is evangelism at its core…Bringing the mission field home, where children are loved, cared for, and discipled to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

• Edify the saved – Adoption Fund challenges, encourages, and enables Believers to put their faith in action, by stepping out in faith to adopt (fulfilling God’s commands in scripture).

• Minister to those in need – There are millions of children waiting for forever families who would like to adopt them, but just can’t because of the financial barrier.

• Be a Conscience in the community –  As th e Church becomes obedient to God’s commands concerning the fatherless, the community will see Jesus Christ is alive and working in the lives of His people to care for those children who can’t care for themselves.

Read more. Reserve your spot now!

Rallying an Industry behind the cause of the orphan

Retail Orphan Initiative  - Rallying an Industry behind the cause of the orphan    

It started as a chance meeting between two retail technology executives. Paul Singer was a huge adoption advocate working with JCICS and CCAI. Greg Buzek had recently launched an orphan care ministry and church adoption fund at Grace Chapel in Leipers Fork, TN. They met in the midst of a gathering of over 40,000 technologists in San Francisco to talk about how they might work together and learn from each other.

In their discussions they bemused, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get the $12 trillion retail industry excited about the cause of the orphan?”  Then it was just as if the Lord dropped the name right out there…Retail Orphan Initiative or RetailROI. It’s a term that resonates with the technology side of the business. 

2 weeks later interested parties were invited to a conference call and 6 weeks later the Retail Orphan Initiative was created.  The charity has three primary goals:

1. To raise awareness to the needs of the over 400 million orphaned and vulnerable children worldwide.

2. To help companies create internal programs to help in their communities and supply chain.

3. To help collect funds and distribute those funds to charities who are on the front-lines of working in orphan care and adoption.

RetailROI held its first major fundraiser in January 2010 in conjunction with the National Retail Federation Show and raised $115,000. In attendance were retailers representing more than 107,000 retail stores. People are starting to catch the vision! Vendors are now making donations in lieu of giving away coffee mugs and other branded items. 

RetailROI has given over $90,000 in grants to LifeSong, Bethany Christian Services, 4Kids of South Florida, Lydia Home, Free for Life Ministries, and FulaaLifeline.

The charity is now working with retailers to take donations from consumers at the cash register where they can round up their transaction to the nearest $1 or make a fixed dollar contribution at the register. 

God has a big plan for orphan care through His church and through you... He has no backup plan!

It's not about us!

We heard a couple speak on international adoption in church when I felt a God-ordained passion to adopt from Africa. My husband didn't catch the passion until he prayed about it for several months.  After studying as much as we could on the orphan crisis we initially ventured out in the Rwanda program.    We requested a healthy infant, as we didn't want to deal with social, emotional, or health issues. 

All of a sudden we had a turn of events. Our adoption agency advised us to get out of the newly established Rwanda program. At this crossroads, we considered getting out of the adoption journey.  After all, there were so many unknowns, frustrations, and pitfalls on this long road.  And, we already had four children. 

We prayerfully realized that we were "called" to adopt and His ways are not our ways. 'It's not about us' became our mantra.  We switched to the Ethiopia program and found two precious biological sisters on the Waiting Child List (ages 6 and 3 yrs). Our older daughter is HIV+. God had totally different plans for us on this adoption journey and we couldn't be happier!! I am even a stay-at-home mom now which would have been completely out of the question had we not trusted in Him. God takes situations that seem impossible and makes them possible. That way He gets all the credit. 

While in Ethiopia we were able to meet the biological parents of the girls, who are both HIV+ and unable to care for them. They told us that we were the answers to their prayers!"

Great fundraising idea!

Looking for unique ways to raise money for your adoption? For your orphan care ministry? We are always so amazed at the unique, fun, innovative ideas that we hear about!

One of our church fund partners, Kentwood Community Church in Kentwood, MI holds an annual Easter flower fundraiser. This is the 2nd year and continue to be AMAZED at how God uses this fundraiser! The flowers are purchased from a local retailer at a discounted price and church members purchase the flowers in honor/memory of a loved one. The proceeds from the sales are then used to fund the KCC adoption fund with Lifesong.

The flower fundraiser is a great way to let your whole church know that we have a fund and that you are helping families.  Then, God draws hearts into it and called some people to generously give.  Amazing!"

This has been a GREAT way for KCC to inform families that they are helping to bring down the financial barrier to adoption as well as raise funds for the account. This year, God moved BIG and provided $13,794 for their adoption assistance fund! Praise God!

 Their stage looks so beatiful with all these flowers!

Lifesong Interview on Catalyst

"Put your faith in action...answer God's call to care for the fatherless"

Check out Andy Lehman’s interview with Brad Lomenick from the Catalyst team as he shares how Lifesong can partner with you, your church, your family to make a difference in the life of an orphan.

Catalyst Interview

To listen to the entire podcast, click here and go to episode 94 with Jimmy Wales.