Summit VIII Reflection from Rebecca...

Rebecca Maas, adoptive mother and orphan advocate, is part of our Lifesong Blogger Network.  We were excited to see her win our Lifesong Blogger Network contest and win a trip to the Summit this year.  Couldn't help but share her kind words and wisdom that she took from Summit this year.

I just wanted to thank you and Lifesong again for the wonderful opportunity to attend Summit VIII. What a great time of refreshment and encouragement for me. 

It was also a time God used to open my eyes to the realities adoptive and foster families are facing after placement.  I know that God had been slowly opening my eyes to families in my area who are struggling after bringing their child home. There is no support network set up for them.  The church is really failing in this area.  They are cheering for and encouraging families to adopt/foster children but are not educating and following through with the families once the child is in the home.  I truly think it is ignorance.  I don't think they realize that the hard work STARTS when the child comes home.  After five seperate adoptions I can honestly say adoption is not for the faint at heart.  It is a lot of work and takes a huge amount of faith.  Adoption is probably the hardest thing I have ever done and the most rewarding.  

Thanks again for the opportunity!

To learn more about Rebecca, follow her blog at www.thissideofeternityblog.blogspot.com.

Summit VIII Reflection

Listen in to Summit VIII reflection from Christian Alliance for Orphans' President Jedd Medefind:

Summit VIII was nothing short of amazing.  Even for those of us who spent a lot of time scurrying behind the scenes, the passion and wisdom and experiences brought not only by formal presenters, but by virtually every attendee, left us full-to-the-brim.  Many of the workshop and plenary sessions will be available for download online in the weeks ahead, and we’ll share more stories and reflections as well.  But here’s one window from an article in the Christian Post that accurately captured the theme that pulsed in every aspect of Summit: Justice and Mercy Flow from the Gospel. 

Here's a glimpse into the Lifesong booth displaying the 2300 handprints (2nd picture) representing the number of children Lifesong has help bring into Christian adoptive families. We were so excited to MEET some of these families who have partnered with Lifesong like Dustin & Katie (3rd picture)

We'd love to hear from YOU! Whether you were able to attend Summit in person or through the LIVE Webstream, what was your favorite part or how did God speak to you through this event? We'd love to hear from you!

Also: Register today for Summit IX in May 2013 in Nashville, TN!

Summit VIII - LIVE Webstream Available!

Can't make it to SummitVIII this year? 

For the first time ever, Summit’s plenary sessions and certain other special features will be web streamed live on May 3 and 4!

Admittedly, there’d be no way to capture the full in-person experience online (and aren’t able to offer the closing night concert with Steven Curtis Chapman).  But the webstream will still provide a meaningful window for your friends and other advocates into some of the rich content that you’ll be encountering firsthand at Summit VIII. 

You may also want to invite your pastor and church staff to join online Friday, May 4, for the Pastor’s Track workshops with Rick Warren, Dr. Russell Moore and Alex Kennedy.

Upcoming Conferences! Together for Adoption & Summit VIII

Wanting to let you know of some EXCITING conferences that are coming up in the next couple months!

Together for Adoption Regional Conference -- Winston-Salem, North Carolina

April 28th, 2012 at Calvary West

Join us in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area for our first Together for Adoption Regional Conference. T4A has been called, “the theological engine of the evangelical orphan care movement.”

Our objective: to magnify the adopting grace of God the Father in Christ Jesus and to mobilize the church for global orphan care. T4A Winston-Salem will provide you with a deeper sense of God’s adopting love for you and a better understanding of how to love and care for orphaned and vulnerable children in tangible ways.

Register online: https://togetherforadoption.webconnex.com/T4A_Winston-Salem

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Orphan Summit VIII Conference -- Lake Forest, California

May 3-4, 2012 at Saddleback Church

If you've adopted or are considering adoption, Summit VIII is for you!

*Adoption Track includes a host of vital issues: cross-racial adoption, attachment & bonding, thriving marriage amidst adoption challenges, fundraising for an adoption, straight talk from adoptees, adoption medicine and much more...

*Hague Credits -- See more...

*For Moms: Women's Path (New this year! Connection, Refreshment, Relationship)

*For Dads: Men and the Cause of the Fatherless

*Pre-Summit Session with Karyn Purvis and Milan & Kay Yerkovich (Come early! See more...) 

*Unforgettable plenary sessions, Steven Curtis Chapman concert, and a host of other amazing resources, Special Features, and much more!

Register online: https://summit.webconnex.com/summit8

Summit VIII - Speakers

Summit VII is coming up May 3-4 in Lake Forest, CA (Saddleback Church)...will you be there?

Check out some of the speakers that will be there:

Rick Warren

Francis Chan

Kay Warren

Crawford Loritts

Jedd Medefind

...and so many more! To see the whole list of speakers, schedules, and how YOU can get resgistered, visit Summit VII!