Miracle in Franklin

No words for this one...just tears. WOW!

There is still time! T4A Conference 2009

There is still time to sign up for the Together for Adoption Conference 2009.

Click here to go directly to the site

Together for Adoption Endorsements

We are pleased to announce that the next Together for Adoption (T4A) conference will be held at Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN) on October 2-3, 2009 (see conference schedule, childcare information, and list of hotels).

Registration for our breakout sessions is now open. Visit our Breakout Sessions page for instructions.

Join us as we explore “Our Adoption in Christ: What it Means for Us and for Orphans.”

Registration: $40 per single or $60 per married couple. Group rate is available (email dan.cruver@TogetherforAdoption.org for information). New: College Student Rate: $25 (Parents may also utilize this rate for children 9 years old and older).

With over 132 million orphaned and vulnerable children in the world, what our world needs is Christians who have been freshly gripped by the stunning vertical reality of their adoption by God. If anything can mobilize the church to address our world’s orphan crises, it will be the good news of vertical adoption.

Join us as we seek to connect the dots between our adoption by God and the adoption of children. Registration is now open. Click on the animated button in the left sidebar to register.

General Session Speakers and Topics:

Michael Easley, Topic: Orphan Care and Jesus, the Great Servant of the Poor

Michael Easley recently joined the pastoral staff of Fellowship Bible Church (Nashville, TN) as a teaching pastor (read his church bio). Dr. Easley came to Fellowship Bible Church from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, where he served as president (and currently president emeritus) since March of 2005. Michael and his wife, Cindy, have four children, three of whom were adopted.

Russell Moore, Topic: Adoption and the Renewal of Creation

Russell Moore has served as the Senior Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since January of 2004. Dr. Moore is also a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, where he ministers weekly. He is a senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. Dr. Moore has also written the forthcoming book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. Russell and his wife, Maria, have four children, two of whom were adopted.

Scott Roley, Topic: Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation

Scott Roley is Senior Pastor of Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN). Based on his experiences in local mercy ministry, Roley authored God’s Neighborhood: A Hopeful Journey in Racial Reconciliation & Community Renewal which traces his personal call to racial reconciliation and community renewal and shares the powerful narrative journey of a white pastor’s identification within an African-American community. He followed that book with its sequel, Hard Bargain, to be published in 2009. Scott and his wife, Linda, are parents of a multi-ethnic family and live in Franklin, Tennessee with their five children, three of whom were adopted.

Scotty Smith, Topic: The Freedom of Adoption

Scotty Smith is Pastor of Worship, Preaching and Teaching at Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN). Scotty is Founding Pastor of Christ Community church, a member of The Gospel Coalition, and author of five books: Unveiled Hope, with Michael Card; Speechless, with Steven Curtis Chapman; Objects of His Affection; and his latest two, The Reign of Grace and Restoring Broken Things, with Steven Curtis Chapman. Scotty and Darlene, his wife of thirty-five years, have two adult married children.

Ed Stetzer, Topic: The Gospel, Social Justice and the Missional Church

Ed Stetzer is President of LifeWay Research and LifeWay’s Missiologist in Residence. He is also Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Visiting Research Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ed has written numerous books, two of which are Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living (with Philip Nation) and Breaking the Missional Code (with David Putman). Ed and his wife, Donna, have three daughters.

Worship will be led by Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace. Zach Nielsen, blogger at Take Your Vitamin Z, will be live-blogging the Friday night / Saturday conference. The list of our excellent breakout sessions (four breakout session slots) and other conference details are forthcoming. Childcare will be provided—limited availability, additional fee. Together for Adoption Conference 2008 audio. Review of Our First Conference.

Orphan Sunday. November 8th 2009

What is God calling you to do?

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Finally!

Wanted to update everyone. I have had to resort to posting only videos while we wait and wait and wait for some movement on our adoption process.

After the home study was ready, then it wasn't, then it was....then it went to the International agency for review, then back, then ready for DHR, then not, then ready, then not......Did that make sense? It didn't to me....but that is what has been happening on our end here. We have just been riding the waves as they come.

But, FINALLY our home study is officially at DHR. Currently we are being told that DHR approval is taking 6-8 weeks. This is WAY too long for a home study to get approval from DHR before it can go to Immigration. (USCIS) In fact, it just so happens that only Alabama (maybe a couple others) has this step of going to DHR for approval before USCIS. So to me this seems like unnecessary waiting.

But, it is a step we have to take to get closer to our baby. Please pray with us that some how DHR will process our home study quickly so it can move on for Immigration approval. Once we have that, we can send our Dossier to India!

For now, we are focusing on the task at hand. The LORD has given us lots of Kingdom work while we wait for baby girl to get here. So, we are staying VERY busy!

Blessings,

PS....be on the look out for our coffee fundraiser coming soon!