Beginning the Adoption


Gathering the Team

1. Recruit Prayer

An important first step is to pray earnestly and to enlist others who share an adoption vision to pray for guidance. To attempt an adoption process without this foundation invites disappointment. Pray 1) for the adoption to be recognized as a valuable missions strategy by the congregation; 2) that members will be excited about reaching the lost within a particular people; 3) for selection of a particular people according to God's leading; and 4) for God to call enthusiastic committed persons to form an adoption committee.

2. Identify an Adoption Coordinator

Someone must "own" this vision and provide strong leadership for an adoption to be a successful reality. The coordinator will be someone who believes in adoption as an effective strategy tool and will commit him/herself to see it implemented. If you feel unable to take on this role yourself, ask God to bring to mind those with whom you could share this vision and develop as coordinator. Contact the U.S.<> Center for World Mission for an "Adopt-A-People Advocate Kit" to help you share the vision of adoption with your church leadership and congregation.

3. Meet with interested people

You may want to organize an adoption committee, perhaps as a subset of the regular mission board to gather information and to sponsor the adoption process through your church's approval structure. For example, one group of smaller churches chose to have their adoption committees meet together to share the workload and encourage each other through the adoption process.

4. Identify the decision makers

Who in your church needs to have input in order for the adoption to be widely accepted? Who will have the final authority to approve the decision?

Will an adoption proposal need approval by congregational vote, mission board, session, pastoral staff, or all of the above? When will these meet? Are they part of the decision-making process or will they only need to hear a presentation of the adoption committee recommendation?

Identifying the decision makers will insure that the adoption will go smoothly and that commitments made will be carried out.

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1/10/99