I have to brag. I am so proud of my church. We are launching this Sunday, Mother’s Day, the Grand Family Adoption Fund. We have decided that adoption is not only Biblical, but a valid and practical way of reaching the world for Christ. I am excited to be apart of a church that is actually doing something about the issue of adoption and orphan care. This fund that we are starting will provide qualified members of our church the opportunity to obtain a no-interest loan to finance their national or international adoption.
My wife and I have talked about adoption since we first got married, and we are getting close to actually starting the process. It is an extremely daunting process with lots of paperwork and lots of waiting. The thing that holds a lot of people up is the finances. We looked at adopting from the country of Russia. It is one of the more expensive countries to adopt from, being over $30,000. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of money sitting around. The other day, my wife and I began looking at minivans, and they are priced at over $30,000 for a new one. That is a lot of money, but the websites do a great sales job of breaking it down into manageable monthly payments. If we can do this for prospective adoptive parents, it would be a huge step in getting people to proceed with something maybe they have only been thinking about for years.
It is time for our churches to step up to the plate on all kinds of social issues. I think it is sinful for us to bury our heads in the sand and do nothing. Thank you Grand Avenue Baptist Church for stepping up. May we be an example to many other churches out there!
God Call 
I am not sure how or who will determine if a couple is ‘qualified’ to be adoptive parents. I do feel that providing this opportunity to become parents is certainly a valid way to encourage Christian brothers and sisters who deeply desire to become parents. May God bless this endeavor within our church family. We are a GRAND FAMILY.
Rachel – Thanks for writing. The Agency that will manage the funds will qualify the adoptive parents. This keeps our church out of a sticky mess where we might have to say no to someone for some reason. I am sure the qualification process will be based on many things such as finances, home studies, etc.