In my last blog post, I asked if your life has been touched by adoption in any way.  And, if so, do you feel like you may be called to use this experience in a ministry of some sort. 

I have recently had the privilege of reading a book called The Adoption Network by Laura Christianson.  I'm honored, as the  book was "hot off the presses" and I received one of the very first copies!  You can read about Laura's experience of receiving her first book here.

I just don't have enough good to say about this book!  If you could answer "yes" to either of the questions in the first paragraph here or in my previous post, then you NEED to read this book!  In my own personal experience, I have had times of fighting against a ministry that I've felt called to do~ maybe I've felt inadequate to the task, or maybe I just felt like I didn't want to go it alone, or whatever~ there's always an excuse.  But, I've experienced the other end of the spectrum too~ I've answered a calling and have been so blessed as a result.  I've seen this in my life when it came to teaching Sunday School~ I couldn't quite see myself doing it at all, let alone with a group of young teens!  Now, I couldn't imagine my life WITHOUT it! 

Anyway, that's just a rabbit trail.......

Laura Christianson has written a book FULL of great information and ideas about how YOU can form an adoption network in your church or local area.  Maybe you've never even thought of such a thing.  Then, all I have to say to you is BUY THIS BOOK!  I read two chapters of it and the wheels were turning in my head and I was trying to figure out how I might use this information in my own church.

Laura is the founder and director of Heartbeat Ministries, an adoption support system/network in the Seattle area.  She has experienced all that goes with having a vision for and setting out to establish a network for adoption-related issues.  She has thought of and covered EVERYTHING in this book.  She's included planning tips and forms to fill out to get you started.  As I was reading it, I often thought, "hey, I wish I had this book when we were starting our ladies ministry at church".  The worksheets and forms are things that you could use in developing and planning any ministry.  She covers things that I hadn't thought of before, or might not have taken into consideration when starting a ministry.  But, obviously, the main focus of the book is starting an ADOPTION ministry.

Why might your church or local area need something like this?  Well, statistically, as stated in my last blog post, 1/3 of all Americans have considered adoption, but only 2% have actually followed through.  Why do you think this is?  Maybe because they are uninformed or don't have anyone  they feel comfortable to talk to and question.  Sure, there are books available and internet websites,  but alot of times people want to interact with someone "real" or face-to-face.  That's where The Adoption Network comes in. 

This book will explain in detail exactly how you can start such a ministry~ it includes tips on developing a mission statement for your group, planning a budget, recruiting leadership, reaching out to the community, and creating workshops, support groups, and lots more!  It shares ideas on how to reach out to a variety of different people~ those currently experiencing infertility, those in the adoption process or just starting it, single adoptive parents, first (or birth) parents, adult adoptees, foster parents, parents who have adopted special-needs children, and more.

I attend a rather small church and live in a small, somewhat rural community.  So, as much as I'd love to just dive right in and start a huge adoption ministry, I realize that's probably not realistic.  However, that's no excuse to take the wealth of information I have gleaned from reading this  book and ignore it.  I have been thinking for a long time that I need to use my experiences to help others in some way.  We have a small "people helping people" type ministry established at our church, and I am going to make myself available to talk to and listen to people who may have adoption-related questions.  Who knows what could happen as a result of something so seemingly small and insignificant?  Only God.  But, the point is, we need to be open to His leading.  And, I've always believed firmly that God gives us certain experiences, challenges, and trials, so that we might use them to help others. 

If an adoption network is something you feel might be needed in your area or church, please pick up a copy of this book.  Laura is offering it on her website with a buy 1, get 1 free special right now.  Click here to read more about the book, check out some reviews, and see what's included in each chapter.   The  book is also available at Amazon.com.

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