REQUIREMENTS
We have 10 requirements for any Christian couple that wants to list with us.
1. We represent Christians--that desire to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We began this service to give Christians an exclusive place to meet on the Internet. We believe in the traditional Christian family with a husband and wife as the core of the family unit. Our service is designed to help other born again ones pursue adoption by trusting in God's guidance and believing in His deliverance. Our statement of Christian faith is this:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
In order to maintain our integrity with birth parents(s) and adoption professionals that contact us, we must have a standard for those that list with our service. Any Christian couple or family that is prayerfully considering listing with our service must agree with our statement of faith. We represent Christians that use the Holy Bible as their sole source for truth and as their sole source for knowing our Lord Jesus Christ--who is the way, the truth, and the life. We believe that our service is a ministry that is blessed by God because we serve His people and encourage them to trust in Him.
2. Study our web site in detail--we want you to understand how our web site works and what birth parents are reading. In addition to birth parents and birth grandparents, we also have adoption professionals that surf our web site. Why adoption professionals? Statistically, birth parents seek to place their baby in a Christian home, even if they are not Christian. (Our first set of our birth parents were/are Buddhist.) When a birthmother steps into an adoption professional's office; be that an adoption social worker, adoption agency or an adoption attorney; and she states that she wants her baby to be placed in a Christian home--these adoption professionals cannot ethically ask their clients if they are Christian. More and more of these professionals are 'surfing' our web site. As one attorney in Florida told me, "Deborah, everyone on your web site is pre-qualified. I already know that I'm looking at Christians to present to my birthmothers." As a result, we have had many successful adoptions associated with our web site come from the contacts received by adoption professionals. We require that you see for yourself how our web site works, how it is cyclical in usage, to read our text/information, and to understand our commitment to serving you in your adoption process. Our web site is comprehensive and easy to navigate.
3. Contact some or all of our references--we have over 60 references. You have no idea who we are--we could be good web site designers and good salesmen. We require that you check us out. We would prefer and require that you do not contact 2 or 3 references, but rather 15-20 of our references. When you review the reference pages, anywhere that you see "Meet Us!" (which is underlined) double click on those words--it is a hyperlink to a photo of that reference. We continue to prove over and over again that we are for real and that our services are honorable. (THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY BEING RE-CONSTRUCTED. Please contact us for reference information.)
4. Pray--with your spouse, pastor, family or in your own prayer closet about whether or not you should list with us. We list those Christians that are convicted about coming online with us. We are not hunting for new couples--God keeps sending them to us. We are praying for those couples that are supposed to come online with us, because they are directed to do so. IF WE SELL you to come on board, IT WILL NOT WORK. IF GOD DIRECTS YOUR STEPS--YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! Honestly, we do not know what our part is--in your adoption process. Our part may only be the information that you read and learn on this web site. It may be that when you contact our references, that in a response, someone shares something with you that helps you to walk through the door that God is preparing for YOU. It may be that after you study the web site, contact references, and pray--that then you will know what you need to do about pursuing adoption. We don't know what our part is, but we do know that if we encourage you to trust in God first and foremost--you will not disappointed in following His guidance. We know that He is able and He is willing to guide you and to direct you. If God leads you to list with us, you will KNOW it. You will have a peace and a confidence that this is where you need to be--this is the right place at the right time for YOU. (Don't expect NEON signs of guidance from God! He usually speaks to His people with a still quiet voice or nudging.) Once Christians have found their way to Christian Adoption, followed these steps, and then come online, they join a unique family on the Internet--a Christian family that seeks God's direction and help. A group of believers that don't just want to adopt, but seek God's absolute will and blessing in their lives. These are good people on our web site, these are God's people, and they are exactly where they are supposed to be--at this time.
5. We require full payment--in order to list your profile. God is able and willing to be your sufficiency and to supply your needs in every area of life.
Formed in 1996, Christian Adoption has been online for over 140 months and we have successfully completed 282 adoptions/births. (1 of those placements/births was in 1996 [when we began Christian Adoption]; 35 in 1997 & 1998; 28 in 1999; 27 in 2000; 23 in 2001; 31 in 2002; 28 in 2003; 32 in 2004; 20 in 2005; 27 in 2006; 24 in 2007; 6 so far in 2008!)
When we receive service fees from anyone that comes online with our service, here is how we will steward and allocate those funds.
Fee--$2,500.00: $250.00 tithe--we have or do support missionaries located in Cambodia, Laos and Nicaragua. We also support churches and/or Biblical teaching ministries located in Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. We have or do support Voice of the Martyrs, Christian Appalachian Project, Hand to the Plow, Great Commission Ministries and Covenant House. Additionally we purchase Bibles that we send to foreign countries, as well as Christian books and literature for the Christians that list with our service. $100.00 service fee per month for 1 year--to cover our monthly expenses. Christian Adoption expenses are currently: $1,250.00 per month. ($350.00--phone bills; $100.00--ISP; $200.00--office supplies (diskettes, computer software upgrades, ink cartridges for 3 printers, paper supplies, files); $200.00--postage; $300.00--advertising (Internet, newspaper, radio, magazine, Christian publications, SBYP's); $50.00--for our accountant, and for hired help (we personally commit a minimum of 160 hours a month to our service ministry, but occasionally hire outside secretarial services for additional assistance.) $50.00 service fee--to scan and design 5 additional photo pages for each profile letter. $1,000.00 payment to the administrators of Christian Adoption. We promise to dedicate a minimum of 160 hours of our time per month, helping those that list with us successfully adopt ASAP, and we allot 10 hours of phone counseling time per listing. When we receive love offerings, those monies will be used solely for the promotion of our ministry, enabling us to locate additional birthmother contacts.
We have diligently prayed, dedicated our hearts, labored for over 17,200 hours over the past 140 months, and we have given over $27,000.00 of our own personal funds to maintain this service, helping others successfully adopt. We acknowledge that we have 'paid our dues' so to speak and that God clearly states "The laborer is worthy of his hire." (Luke 10:7) As our service has grown, as our understanding has deepened, as our experiences have increased, as our knowledge and application has multiplied, and as our perspectives have broadened we have concluded that we must charge a fair and equitable fee for our products, for our services, for our time, and for our labor. With a clear conscience we can declare that we do not profit from those that desire to become parents. With full assurance we can give God the glory and the praise for every successful adoption associated with our service.
THESE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS WENT INTO EFFECT
AUGUST 1, 2000.
We require a letter of reference from the pastor/minister at the church that you attend, which also defines your involvement in that church. (As of 12.3.04, we no longer require this letter of reference from a pastor or minister. Our point of making this a requirement was to insure that we were/are representing CHRISTIANS. If you believe in Romans 10:9 and are thus a born again one, we're on the same page.)
6. We require 2 letters of reference from anyone outside of your family with their names and addresses on these reference letters.
7. We require a written statement from you, the adoptive couple, which states that you are married, the place and date of your marriage. (We do not need a copy of your marriage license; just the honest statement defining for us that you are married.)
We require a written statement from you, the adoptive couple, which states that you both attend the same Christ-centered church of your choice. (As of 12.3.04, we no longer require this written statement. We have come to understand that many CHRISTIANS do not attend a "church" building for their spiritual growth and fellowship with God.)
8. We require that you and your spouse both sign a letter that states that you have both read and collectively fulfilled our entire list of requirements.
THESE 2 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS WENT INTO EFFECT
January 7, 2006
9. Describe your marital commitment to one another and how you renew your marriage covenant with each other.
10. What are some issues that you are facing or have faced with each other, and how have you resolved them?
These additional requirements should not pose a burden upon any adoptive couple that believes that God is leading them to list with Christian Adoption. Letters of reference from a pastor/minister as well as from others outside of the nuclear family unit are usually required for a home study. Almost all states require that a couple be married in order to adopt. We are requesting a statement that prospective couples have read and fulfilled our list of requirements, because we believe that by reading/studying the web site many couples will learn how/what/why we do what we do and can then determine if God is leading them to list with us. It is our fervent prayer that adoptive couples come to understand what Christian Adoption is all about as a ministry.
It has been a continuing challenge to discover how many couples have come online, having fulfilled none or very few of our simple requirements. We have an obligation to our birthmother contacts. When they come to us praying to find, looking, hoping to find honest Christ-centered married couples--we want to present such Christians to them for their consideration. Our ministry is all about honesty.
We have endeavored to walk in love and with complete honesty with every Christian that has contacted us at Christian Adoption. However, we have discovered that not every Christian has the same desire to walk in love and be honest with us. Hence, we have been 'forced' to have a list of requirements, and to continue to define, add, and re-define these requirements.
We are a unique fish swimming upstream in the rushing waters of adoption. You will not hear salesmanship techniques from us. We are not interested in numbers or quantity--but rather God's best at this time and in this place in space. (Which just happens to be Cyber Space!) Adoption is an extremely emotional and challenging journey. There is no reason to sugar coat that reality. Our service ministry may not be for you, and then maybe it is just what you have been searching to find.
We will let God do the leading, the guiding, and the directing. He is the One that answers your prayers, delivers your heart, and provides you with the strength and the tenacity to endure the adoption process.
If after you have completed the above requirements--and you are convicted to list with us--we welcome you and we will work diligently and honestly to help you.
Our goals are the same as yours--a healthy, happy, and blessed baby in your arms ASAP!
For more information please read Statistics and Why Start.
We encourage you to follow God's loving guidance.
adoption@christianadoption.com
WE THANK GOD!
See the January '05 issue of Focus on the Family: Double the Love (p. 20) to read the testimony of birthmother Stephanie! She chose adoption for the future of her twins--successfully placing with Christian Adoption couple Mark & Tyler!
Hear the January '05 Focus on the Family: Radio Broadcasts to hear the testimony of birthmother Stephanie! She chose adoption for the future of her twins--successfully placing with Christian Adoption couple Mark & Tyler!
See & Hear the Monday January 17, '05 Focus on the Family: NATIONAL TV BROADCAST to see & hear the testimony of birthmother Stephanie! She chose adoption for the future of her twins--successfully placing with Christian Adoption couple Mark & Tyler!
To purchase and hear the Focus on the Family Radio Broadcast go to:
1/17/2005 - Monday
ALL THANKS & GLORY TO GOD!
A Christian ministry
that assists birth parents & Christian couples in their adoption process.
Over 11 years of family building experience!
1.800.277.7006 620.251.4405
Deborah S. Hill P.O. Box 243 Coffeyville, KS 67337
adoption@telepath.com or adoption@christianadoption.com
© All rights reserved CHRISTIAN ADOPTION
