Bethany Baptist Church Foster and Adoption Ministry “Open Hearts, Open Homes”

1. Bethany Baptist ChurchFoster and Adoption Ministry“Open Hearts, Open Homes”

2. Presentation Outline • Ministry Goal • Biblical Mandates • Opportunities for Believers at Bethany • Opportunities for Bethany as a Church • Current Status and Next Steps

3. Ministry Goal • Equip families to reach foster children and orphans through the ministry of the Home, with the guidance, support and prayer of the church body—to the glory of God!

4. Biblical Mandates • God’s Care for Orphans • Deut 10:18a – He executes justice for the orphan and the widow. • Psalm 10:14b – The unfortunate commits himself to Thee; Thou hast been the helper of the orphan. • Psalm 68:5 – A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. • Hosea 14:3 – For in Thee the orphan finds mercy.”

5. Biblical Mandates • God’s People Care for Orphans • Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. • James 1:27 – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

6. Biblical Mandates • Orphans and Evangelism • Deut 6:6-9 – And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

7. Biblical Mandates • Orphans and Evangelism • Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“ • Revelation 5:9 – And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

8. Opportunities for Believers at Bethany 1. Adopting Children 2. Fostering Children 3. Mentoring Families who Foster and Adopt 4. Prayer Commitment 5. Financial Support 6. Babysitting 7. Administration

9. 1. Adoption - Domestic • Sharing the love of Christ with a child by making him or her a permanent member of a family • Agency Adoption - Children matched with parents via Agencies (DCFS, Catholic or Lutheran Social Services) • Numerous eligible children in the Central Illinois area • Through DCFS, little to no cost & partial expense subsidization through age 18 (medical card & WIC) • Private Adoption – Children matched with parents via Doctors, Lawyers, Crisis Pregnancy Center, word of mouth, etc. • A consenting birth mother matched with an eligible family

10. 1. Adoption - Foreign • Sharing the love of Christ with a child from another country by making him or her a permanent member of a family • Number of Orphans worldwide is over one hundred million • Common countries for adopting include China, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, India, and Guatemala (to name a few) • Children matched with parents via agencies • Agency has staff in both the US and in target country • FamilyLife has recommended agencies

11. 2. Foster Care • Sharing the love of Christ with children by bringing them into the family on a short or long term basis • Short term foster opportunities exist for families to offer respite to long term families • Eligible children range from newborn to age 18 • Through DCFS, families must: • Complete a home study • Complete classes • There is a constant waiting list of children • Families can decide to foster a “placement” child based on gender, race, age, disability, likelihood of adoption, and any other available information

12. 3. Mentoring • A Mentor serves to guide a new family through the Adoption and Foster process from the very first step • Many families within Bethany have experienced Adopting and/or Fostering and can offer prayers, advice, answers, encouragement and guidance to new families. • Adopting and Fostering can be emotionally and mentally overwhelming • The adoption experience can bring long waiting periods, last minute back-outs by biological Mother, private questions, numerous questions, etc. • The foster experience can include frustrations with agencies, emotionally scared children, separation anxiety for both the children and foster parents when children are relocated, etc.

13. 4. Prayer Commitment • The faithful prayers of believers at Bethany will be essential for this ministry • Prayer needs include: • Families both considering and in the process of adopting and fostering • Children who will be impacted by this ministry • Orphanages around the world who sustain children while they wait for adoption

14. 5. Financial Support • Believers at Bethany have the opportunity to give to help meet the financial needs associated with adoption • Adoption expenses range from $10,000 to $30,000 • Opportunities may exist for: • Giving to specific families who are trying to adopt • Giving towards an adoption fund • Giving to the general fund

15. 6. Baby-sitting • Providing relief to foster parents by babysitting • Increasing the family size can stand as a significant barrier • Other families, individuals, or even a team could organize to baby-sit for families who are fostering children on a monthly or quarterly basis • Could utilize church facilities to accommodate numerous families

16. 7. Administration • The assistance of several individuals will be needed to organize, plan, and communicate for this ministry • Opportunities include: • Communication to the Church and those involved • Planning and running events • Informational Meetings • Bible Study • Answering questions • Leadership responsibilities for specific areas • Domestic Adoption • Foreign Adoption • Foster Care

17. Opportunities for Bethany as a Church 1. Facilities 2. Communications 3. Financial Support

18. Facilities • To help with the ministry, Bethany could offer facilities for: • Informational Luncheons several times a year • Meeting place for a Bible study • Baby-sitting team once a month or quarterly for participating families • Provide a meeting place for DCFS training classes • Meetings for general administration purposes

19. Communications • Individuals leading this ministry will need to communicate to the general congregation and to those involved • Bethany could facilitate the communication of this ministry to the church body through: • Announcements in the bulletin • The pulpit • Adult Bible Communities • Website • The Broadcaster

20. Financial Support • As families face significant expenses with adoption, Bethany has the opportunity to help by creating a specific adoption fund and assisting from the general fund • Expenses can range in cost from $10,000 to $30,000; varying significantly based on country, agency and foreign vs. domestic • Most significant expenses consist of: • Agency/Program fees: $2,000 - $28,000 • Orphanage fees or donations: $1,000 - $5,000 • Travel – airfare & accommodations: $500 - $10,000 • Attorney fees: $500 – $9,500 • Birthmother expenses: $0 - $5,000 • Home study fees: $500 - $3,000 • Document fees: $35 - $2,400 • Misc: $500 – $5,000 • Screening, fees in foreign country, physicals, dossier translation & preparation, USCIS fees, etc.

21. Current Financial Assistance Available • Employer Grants • State Farm - $5,000 per adoption (Caterpillar - ?) • Life International Matching Grants ($1,000 - $5,000) • Needs Based at the discretion of LI • Funds from Bethany (church & individuals) given to LI for Bethany grant purposes + Funds raised by the family (through support letters for example) • Adoption Tax Credit ($10,000 per adoption) • Remaining credit can fall to next year for up to 5 years • Does not help with up-front investment

22. Funding opportunities for Bethany • Connect a giver with a specific adoption effort • Adoption Fund – Fixed amount per adoption and/or variable amount based on needs • General Fund – Discretionary assistance from the general fund would be available for families who still fall short on necessary funds • Support Letters – similar in concept to support letters for missions trips • Consider starting a Fund at Life International for their matching grant program • Grant amount is needs based at the discretion of LI

23. Funding opportunities (cont.) • Funds provided by Bethany should have specific criteria established by leadership • Criteria examples: Married for at least a year, Members of Bethany, Completed the Bible Study, Personal financial status review (see application for LI for net worth determination example) • $10,000 Tax credit is prior to Adopting • An Interest-free loan could be est. with the intent that tax credit is used to repay (LI provides a program like this)

24. Current Status and Next Steps • Next Steps: 1. Continued direction from leadership 2. Organization of ministry participants into functional areas (Domestic and Foreign Adoption, Foster Care) 3. Plan Bible Study and Informational Meetings 4. Finalize scope of the ministry at Bethany and begin communicating