Adoption Sunday 2012 - Service Pack

Pilot - Oxfordshire

Adoption Sunday 2012 Service Pack Ideas and resources to enable your church to create a service that celebrates our adoption into God’s family, raises awareness of the plight of thousands of children in the care system in the UK, and encourages people to get involved in fostering and adoption - either themselves, or by supporting others.

This pilot is part of a wider initiative being developed

by Care for the Family and the Evangelical Alliance to recruit and support Christian foster carers and adopter.

The initiative, ‘Home for Good’ will be launched in 2013.

Thank you for taking part in Adoption Sunday.

Our prayer is that through your involvement we will see children find loving homes and lives changed. With more children entering the care system than ever before, there is a unique opportunity for the church to make a difference to some of the most vulnerable and needy families in our communities.

This pack contains all the material you need to put on Adoption Sunday in your church. Please feel free to adapt the material to suit your congregation. There are many different ways you could approach Adoption Sunday, from a ten minute component of your service, to dedicating the whole service to the theme of adoption.

For example, a ten minute section might include: 4 mins

Video or live story We’re producing a video that you could show, which contains a variety of stories about adoption and fostering. Alternatively, you could interview someone (or a family) live.

2 mins

Prayer Pray for children in care and those who are involved in fostering and adoption. You could possibly use one of the prayers that can be found on page 7.

4 mins

Short talk Explain why this is an important issue for Christians and encouraging people to get involved – either by considering fostering and adoption themselves, or supporting those they know who have foster or adoptive children.

Alternatively, this might be what an entire service would look like: Welcome Song (Be thou my vision) Prayer (see page 7) Adoption Sunday Video (Adoption and fostering stories) Children’s Talk (see page14) Song (Father God I wonder) Notices and offering Bible readings (see page 8) Prayer (possibly using some of the liturgy on page 7) Songs (The Father’s Song) (I’m accepted, I’m forgiven) Sermon (see page 8 to 12) Song (How deep the Father’s love for us) Prayer If you have any questions, need further information or would like a copy of the video, please contact Emma Barrett at e.barrett@eauk.org or 020 7207 2132.

Content Worship song suggestions

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Service interactivity

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Interview questions

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Liturgy (from Engage Worship)

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Model sermon

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Small group ideas

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Ideas for children

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Addendum: Text for notice sheets

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Memory Verse

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THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

This pack has been produced by the Evangelical Alliance.

A company limited by guarantee Registered in England & Wales No. 123448.

Registered Charity No England and Wales: 212325, Scotland: SC040576.

Registered Office: Whitefield House, 186 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4BT

Adoption Sunday 2012

Worship song suggestions Here are some ideas for some songs you could sing: • Father God I wonder - Ian Smale (Ishmael) • How deep the Father’s love for us - Stuart Townend • The Father’s Song - Matt Redman • I’m accepted, I’m forgiven - Rob Hayward • Be thou my vision - especially Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

• Wrap me in your arms - Gungor • When I was lost - Kate and Miles Simmonds • Children of the heavenly king - hymn • Father - Hillsong United • You have saved us - Paul Baloche • I am not forgotten - Hillsong Kids (very catchy)

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Service interactivity What do the following characters have in common?

• Harry Potter • Frodo Baggins • Luke Skywalker • Annie • Anne of Green Gables Answer: They were all orphans.

Question: What are some of the most difficult things about their situation?

There are 59,000 children in care in the UK; these are all children who are not being looked after by their parents or other family members.

Statistically there will be people in your school that are not living with their parents.

Read the first section of James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this...”

Then suggest the follow endings and see which one the children think is correct: • ...to come to church every Sunday.

• ...to do everything your teachers say.

• ...not to fight with your friends.

• ...to read Bible.

• ...to put lots of money in the collection box.

Now try and help the children memorise the correct version of the verse.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”

See Addendum 2 (page 21) with the words from this verse on separate pages and give out a random word to 9 children (give each child two words). Hold out the verse at the front of the church service so the congregation can see the word each child is holding.

Ask the children to get the Bible verse in the correct order and then ask the church to read out the verse - but each time taking out two of the words until there are none left.

What does this verse say to us as a church and our responsibility for the children in care in the UK? What does it say to us as classmates of children in care? What does it say to us as parents spending time at the school gate with carers?

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Interview questions If possible, find someone in your church who is involved in fostering and adoption - either as a foster carer or adopter, or someone who has been fostered, adopted or has lived in a children’s home. If you are unable to find someone, we can provide speakers who can be interviewed about their experiences of fostering and adoption. Just contact Emma Barrett at e.barrett@eauk.org or on 020 7207 2132.

Great questions to ask include: • What motivated you to get involved with fostering and adoption?

• What difference has being a Christian made to your fostering/adoption?

• What is the most difficult experience you have had?

• What has been the most rewarding part of being a fosterer/adopter?

• What would you say to someone sitting here this morning who is wondering if they should apply?

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Liturgy A general prayer of response to issues of adoption

Intercessory prayers for issues around fostering and adoption

God of welcome, God our home, Help us to show your welcome, and open up our homes.

When I say “Father to the fatherless”, you can respond “hear our prayer.”

God of generosity, God our provider, Help us to show your generosity, with all you have given.

God of adoption, God our Father, Help us know your accepting love, and show it to all your children.

A Trinitarian confession of faith Faithful Father, we are chosen by you.

When we were far off, you came running to meet us.

As a hen gathers chicks, you long to hide us under your wings.

Loving God, perfect parent, thank you for all who foster, adopt and care for children.

Give them strength, patience and grace, that they may know your presence in joy and in hard times.

Father to the fatherless, hear our prayer.

Loving God, perfect parent, we lift up to you all children in need of homes and care.

We ask you to meet them in their emotional, practical and spiritual needs.

Show us where we can be your hands and feet in answering this prayer.

Father to the fatherless, hear our prayer.

Saving Son, you are our friend and brother.

You show us the Father, and lead us into His embrace.

Friend of the friendless, you show us how to love.

Loving God, perfect parent, we pray for social workers, authorities and politicians.

Bless and lead all those who make decisions about children’s lives.

Release provision, wisdom and compassion.

Empowering Spirit, you make us family.

You break down the barriers, and surround us with peace.

You’re the promise of our eternal home, where every tear is wiped away.

Father to the fatherless, hear our prayer.

Amen.

Liturgies written especially for Adoption Sunday

by Sam Hargreaves from Engage Worship, visit engageworship.org for more resources.

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Adoption Sunday 2012

Model sermon Romans 8:14-17 and 22-25 are the passages that this sermon is based on. However, other passages you may choose to use are: Exodus 22:22,23 “Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.”

Proverbs 21:13 “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

Isaiah 58:6-9 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”

Sermon learning goals: 1. Inspire Christians to value their adoption into God’s family as the highest privilege imaginable.

2. Underline that our adoption into God’s family is due to his grace and compassion - not because we have deserved it or because He needs us.

3. Encourage Christians to see adoption and fostering of the children in our community as a living parable of God’s gracious adoption of us.

4. Challenge the couples, families and individuals to see if God might be asking them to step up to the challenge of adoption or fostering the vulnerable children in Oxford.

5. Envision the whole church that we all have the opportunity and the responsibility to support and encourage those that step forward in fostering and adoption and the children that come into our church family as a result.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

(Romans 8:14-17)

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1. God chooses to adopt you The story is told of a little girl being teased in a playground because she was adopted. The little girl responds: “At least my parents definitely chose me, they knew all about me and chose to be my parents, while your parents didn’t know anything about you.”

God’s choice to adopt us into His family is one of the most precious truths of scripture. God knew all about us, all the things we had ever done, all the things that we failed to do. God knew all about us and yet still wants us as part of His family. If you are someone here who doesn’t yet know God, this morning we want to tell you that God knows all about you - He knows you better than anyone else on the planet, He sees behind the façade we present to the world, beyond the smiles and the keeping up appearances, He sees you as you really are and still chooses to invite you into His family.

Paul uses the family structure of the ancient world to help us understand the incredible change that occurs when any of us becomes a Christian.

In the ancient world slaves were always second class, outsiders. They brushed shoulders each day with the family who had bought them. But they were never to think they belonged there.

New Testament scholar James Dunn explains: “The idea of slavery… focuses on the slave’s lack of freedom, as one who orders his life at another’s behest, who must live within the terms of a code which restricts him firmly within servitude, and who as a slave is divided in status from members of the family by an unbridgeable gulf.”1 But what if this ‘unbridgeable gulf’ could be bridged? What if outsiders can become insiders? What if strangers can become family? What if slaves can become sons and daughters?

2. Earthly adoption and foster care is a living parable of God’s love for us There is something about the gospel that is implicit in every adoption. There is a mini-parable of the grace of God demonstrated every time a genuine adoption occurs. The outsider becomes the insider. The transient relationship becomes permanent. The fear factor is replaced by an intimate loving relationship.

The respected Bible commentator FF Bruce comments that in the Roman world “of the first century an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature, and might well enjoy the father’s affection more fully and reproduce the father’s character more worthily”.2 What a transition.

From affliction to affection.

From outsider to insider.

From servitude to security.

From fear to family.

1. Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). Vol. 38A: Romans 1–8. Word Biblical Commentary (460). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

2. Bruce, F. F. (1985). Vol. 6: Romans: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (167).

Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

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What are the fears we used to live in? Fear of death? Fear of not measuring up to other people’s expectations? Fear of failure? Fear of letting someone down? Fear of getting caught out? Fear of financial ruin? Fear of the future? Perhaps those things still haunt us.

To us Paul says that the Holy Spirit in our life will remind us that we are adopted. When push comes to shove knowing that we have a home with God, a heavenly Father who loves us makes even the most difficult situation a little more bearable.

Maybe most of us have suffered at the hands of bullies at school. It can painful just thinking about it. Even though we grow up those memories and feeling can still sting. But when people are bullied if they can go how to a loving and secure family it is a lifeline.

Similarly, knowing now that we have a secure home to go to when I die has helped me through many dark and fearful moments.

Home is a very powerful place. When that home is a place of safety and love, we can become what we are designed to be. Perhaps most of us can think of times of instability, when we were afraid…and then the real relief of getting home and feeling safe.

The antidote to fear is knowing that we belong somewhere safe. This gives us hope, even in our darkest moments.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22-25) Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope.

Paul can’t say it often enough. Six times he repeats it in this short passage.

Adoption can change fear to hope.

3. We need to offer hope to the vulnerable children in our town Our culture loves and longs for this kind of turnaround.

The orphan-hero is a much-loved character in our films and literature. You can’t miss it. Luke Skywalker, Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Dick Whittington, Pip from Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones, Romulus and Remus, Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, Cinderella, Snow White, Mowgli, Paddington Bear, Tarzan. To name but a few. The idea of a foundling alone in the world that is taken in, fostered or adopted and then makes good is a dominant theme in many of our most loved stories.

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Why is this such a strong recurring theme?

Perhaps it has to do with the romantic rags-to-riches dream we tend to aspire to. Perhaps we all secretly want the underdog to win occasionally.

Perhaps it is because being faced with vulnerable children we cannot help but become emotionally engaged.

Perhaps the idea of being alone haunts us, and no one is quite as alone as an orphan.

Literary scholar Melanie Kimball argues: “Orphan characters in folk tales and literature symbolize our isolation from one another and from society.

They do not belong to even the most basic of groups, the family unit, and in some cultures this is enough to cut them off from society at large… Orphans are a tangible reflection of the fear of abandonment that all humans experience.”

The orphan-hero stories that fill our culture should inspire us, and vulnerable children everywhere, that change and hope and success and acceptance are possible, whatever our background. The real-life stories of orphan-heroes even more so, for example journalist Kate Adie, model-turned-TV-chef Lorraine Pascale, and footballer Mario Balatelli who show that their early experiences have not stopped them finding their potential.

Statistically, however, it is true that kids in care are most likely to end up on the streets, in the prisons, and in refuges. There is a mismatch between the romantic notions on the silver screen and in our literature, and the stories we read in our newspapers.

What does come across loud and clear is that our culture is in search of hope. The hope that things could be better. The hope that in the world it is not just the strong that survive, or the rich that make good.

There is a hope that kindness, compassion and mercy could win out.

There is a deep-seated longing that abandonment, murder and malice need not have the last word.

There is a fascination with adoption, because it symbolises that possibility of turning deeply instilled fear to a life-changing hope.

4. Call to action As Christians we have experienced this. We have the ultimate death-to-life, rags-to-riches story. We were lost and alone and now belong to an eternal family. We have seen that life is not about the survival of the fittest, but about the salvation of the most unlikely. We have lived in fear, and now we “eagerly await our adoption” in great hope.

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There are children living in this town who don’t know this kind of hope.

There are children who don’t know that their future can be better than their past. They don’t know that the abuse and neglect they have experienced doesn’t need to be their future. There are children who are wondering if anyone will love them. There are children in this town with broken bones because a parent has attacked them. There are children with broken hearts because their parents have never told them that they loved them. There are children in our town who are wondering if their learning difficulties will mean no one will want to be their mummy or daddy. There are children in this town who are wondering if they will have to be separated from a sibling; the only person in the world they know that loves them. There are children in Oxford who have never been to the seaside, never been shown how to ride a bike, never had someone sit and read a book with them. There are young children in Oxford who if no one adopts them are likely to end up homeless or in prison because once they age out of the care system this is the most common future for them. Can we give hope to the children who have been neglected or abused in our town? Can we play our part in offering the children in care in Oxford a better future?

Where would you and I be if it wasn’t for God seeing our need and choosing to adopt us into His family?

How different our future has become because of God’s compassion and kindness to us. Having received this kind of love, having experienced this kind of adoption – is God calling us to show His love to the most needy children in our town?

Is God calling some of us here to step forward and become foster carers? To help children in transition who have been removed from their families experience a safe home while their future is decided by the law courts and social services?

Is God calling some of us here to adopt the children in our town that nobody wants? The children who have all sorts of additional needs?

Is God calling us as a church to be a big adopted family and to stand alongside and offer genuine practical help to those that choose to open their homes and their hearts to the needy children in our town?

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Small Group ideas 1. Divide into two teams and have a competition to see which team can list the most orphans featured in film, music or literature.

2. Why do you think orphans feature so often in the great stories of our time?

3. Why do you think Paul links our adoption into God’s family with the longing of all creation for renewal? Read Romans 8:22-25 4. What does knowing that you are adopted into God’s family mean to you?

How would you complete the following sentence: “Adoption into God’s family is one of the greatest gifts God can give us because...”

5. How does our adoption into God’s family equip us to understand the situation of the children in care in our city, town or village?

6. What is our church currently doing to serve the children in need of families who are in the care system in our city, town or village?

7. What do you think are the most common reasons that Christians volunteer for fostering and adoption?

8. What do you think are the most common reasons that Christians don’t consider getting involved in fostering and adoption?

9. What kind of practical support could our church give to church members who stepped up for fostering and adoption?

10. How would welcoming children from the care system into our church be a good challenge for us as a congregation?

11. Prayer Spend time thanking God for adopting us into his family.

Spend some time asking God what steps he might be asking us as individuals, as families and as church to get involved with children in care in our city.

Pray for more foster and adoptive carers to step forward from our church.

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Ideas for children These ideas have been put together by Yvonne Morris, children’s adviser, Diocese of Oxford, to enable ‘Adoption Sunday’ to be accessible to children as well as adults. It seeks to explore some of the issues around family and adoption, and asks children to think about their relationships with adopted and fostered children in their schools or locality.

This material is aimed at children aged 5-11. Where parts are more appropriate for older or younger children, this is indicated or noted.

As with any material exploring issues about family and relationship, sometimes difficulties or observations are shared that might be sensitive. Leaders will need wisdom about safeguarding and confidentiality, and should check they know who to talk to if they are concerned about anything that comes up.

We don’t want children to go away worried that they will be taken away from their families.

We don’t want children to be over anxious that new children will suddenly join their family. If their parents believe adoption or fostering is right for them all, there is a process to go through and the children will be included all the way.

If other fears and concerns arise, listen to them and address them appropriately. Reassure the children and talk to parents about the children’s fears if they seem particularly worried or anxious.

This material encourages ‘wondering’ questions. Wondering enables children of different ages and stages to explore an issue on a level playing field. Anyone can wonder! But adults beware - the process of wondering can take time. Try it yourself! So if children do not answer immediately assume they are processing internally (rather than ignoring you). This is really important in nurturing children’s spirituality - it takes time and does not require immediate answers. Try to be comfortable with silence and do not rush them, especially if they are new to this way of working.

The author has tried to reflect different ages, settings, group sizes and room spaces in the suggestions made here. Feel free to adapt the ideas to better suit your setting and environment. You should also pick and adapt the activities to fit the time slot you have available.

A useful document for background reading and different types of ideas for exploring this issue with children can be found at www.orphansunday.org The author would like to acknowledge grateful thanks for the help of a dear friend whose adopted children engaged openly and honestly in conversation and have given permission for their experiences, suggestions and ideas to be reflected on here.

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Introduction Throughout the Bible, God asks his people to look after widows and orphans. In Bible times, to be without a husband or parents could mean that you were outside the normal structures of protection – that means nobody to look after you, no one to help feed you, nowhere to stay in safety.

In our society children who can’t live with their own parents or families are looked after in children’s homes, by foster parents (often just for a short while), or adopted and given a new mum and dad. Children in need will always be looked and cared for by someone in our country. In Church today the grown ups are being asked to think about the role that Christians have in adopting or fostering children, and exploring the issue that it says in the bible God wants us to look after orphans, so what does that mean for us as Christians when so many children need new homes to live in?

It’s a tough question and for you children it’s even harder because they are not in control of decisions grown ups make. But as Christians you do have a role to play in this and we’ll be exploring that in our session/group today.

Run around game Find a home: Spread newspaper sheets on the floor, play music & have the children move around. When the music stops children must ‘find a home’ on a sheet of paper. Start the music and remove one or more sheets.

As the game goes on more & more children will be trying to get on one sheet - encourage them to help each other!

Children not on a sheet (you define the ruling on what that looks like) are ‘out’.

Wonder and Reflect: What was it like to be out?

Sitting down game Play the Happy Families card game.

Wonder and reflect: What or who makes a ‘happy family’? Are families always happy places?

Quiz Many well known characters from books and films are orphans and/or weren’t raised by their birth parents.

Have a quiz to see if the children know who raised these characters. There are a wide variety of ways you could conduct this quiz – you might like to use pictures of the characters, or you could write the names of the characters and who raised them on sheets of paper and get the children to match them up.

Make sure the children identify the link that all the characters in the pictures have been adopted or fostered.

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You could develop this idea and ask the children whether they know anything about what happened to the characters in the stories.

These are characters that 5 to 8 years olds will probably know about: Character

Raised by

Cinderella

Step Mother

Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)

Aunt Em & Uncle Henry

James (James and the Giant Peach)

Aunt Spiker & Aunt Sponge

Miss Honey (Matilda)

Miss Trunchbull (her Aunt)

Harry Potter

Aunt Petunia & Uncle Vernon

Samuel

Eli the Priest

Tarzan

Gorillas

Oliver

Workhouse, Fagin, Mr Brownlow

Luke Skywalker

Owen & Beru Lars (his Aunt & Uncle)

Mowgli

Wolves (before being taken to the ‘man village’)

Moses

Pharaoh’s Daughter

Snow White

Step Mother

These are characters that 8 to 11 years olds will probably know about:

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Character

Raised by

Batman & Robin

Batman (Bruce Wayne) - Alfred the Butler Robin (Dick Grayson) – Bruce Wayne

Baudelaire’s

Count Olaf attempts to trick them into living with him in his different guises

Superman

Sam & Molly Kent found & raised him

Alex Rider

His Uncle Ian

Lord Voldemort

Children’s home, then Hogwarts

Prince Caspian

His Uncle

Frodo Baggins

His Uncle Bilbo

Tracey Beaker

In care. at the children’s home ‘Elm Tree House’ aka ‘The Dumping Ground’

Queen Esther

Her cousin Mordecai

Spiderman

Aunt May & Uncle Ben

Mephibosheth

King David

Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Mr Ping

Service Pack

You may or may not be surprised to hear that although the concept of looking after children in need is an important theme in Bible, mentioned several times, there are only stories about four people who were fostered or adopted.

They are: Samuel Moses Esther Mephibosheth

Find the story in 1 Samuel 1:21-28 & 1 Samuel 2:11 Find the story in Exodus 2: 1-10 Find the story in Esther 2: 5-7 Find the story in 2 Samuel 9

Talk together Invite the children to share what they think it means to be adopted or fostered. Do they know anyone who has been adopted or fostered?

Encourage sharing whilst respecting they may not want to so don’t force anyone to speak out loud.

Story Have a look at the story of Moses in Exodus 2:1-10 (New Century Version) or watch the beginning of ‘Prince of Egypt’ on DVD. Wondering Together: Have you ever thought about this story through the lens of ‘adoption’ before? What do you view differently as a result?

What might it have been like for Moses, leaving his birth family at a young age to go and live with and be brought up in the Egyptian royal household?

Let’s think of some of the changes; • Birth family to Royal family (possibly not accepted by new ‘brothers and sisters’ but no longer belonging to his birth family) • Different house • Different religious practices (Jewish practices and customs) • Different food (Jewish law) • Different education • Different status • Different routine

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I wonder what Moses thought about it all.

I wonder how Moses’ mum felt I wonder how Moses’ brothers & sisters felt I wonder how Pharaoh’s daughter felt when Moses came to live with her.

I wonder if adults and children today have similar thoughts or feelings about adoption.

Is there anything constant and unchanging that might help at times of change?

Orphans Around the World Around the world there are millions of children who are orphans. They sometimes live in orphanages (but not like orphanages we think of), sometimes they live on the streets or join up in gangs.

Children become orphans for lots of reasons, can you think of any?

• Natural disaster • War • Health issues like HIV/AIDS • Poverty & economic reasons • The child is born with some kind of disability The experiences of children in orphanages around the world are hard for us to imagine.

There are often so many children and so few adult carers, the children do not receive the care and attention they need, so when they are ill, frightened or have nightmares there is no one to hug and reassure them.

They often wash in cold showers with lots of other children (no warm baths with bubbles or toys to play with).

They have no choices about the food they eat (they get what they get), food is sometimes scarce and children often eat quickly so no one else can steal the food from their plate.

They don’t have the choice of clothing you have, perhaps only one or two sets.

Shoes are worn until they fall apart. They have to be named so no one steals them.

Personal belongings, special toys and comforts are rare or non-existent.

This may seem upsetting and sad and is why God speaks so specifically in the Bible about caring for orphans and thankfully Christians all over the world work in partnership to support, care and bring relief and hope. I wonder what part you can play in this. Find out about Christian charities supporting orphans or street children and see if you can raise money, collect toys or clothing for them at Christmas or other times.

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Actions for Kids In preparing this material I did a bit of research amongst some friends of mine – grown ups who’ve adopted and children who’ve had their new mum & dad for a few years now.

The children all have strong memories of the adoption time and the sense of nervousness, feeling shy and worrying ‘will they like me’. It may surprise you to learn that the grown ups felt exactly the same!

The biggest anxiety of the children was that they would make friends in their new place.

Spend some time writing or saying prayers for children waiting to be adopted, about to move to new homes or settling in.

One really practical thing you can do is to make friends with a child you know is adopted or fostered.

Sometimes it happens in school that children find it difficult to make or keep friends. You could ask God to help you be a strong and stable friend (even if your other friends aren’t so keen). This isn’t easy, but it’s one way that we can show God’s love in a very real way.

Make a ‘Promise Post Card’ – write or draw your pledge or promise to include children, invite them to your party, (or whatever else you’ve thought of) on a post card and ask God to help you honour the promise.

Are there other things you can do to make a difference at school, in church or your community?

God’s love is for everyone Remind the children that whatever happens to them on earth, God’s love is for ever and for always. My adopted friend ‘N’ said “God will always love you even if you’re not sure if mum & dad will”. One of her favourite stories is ‘the cross’ because it reminds her that God will always love her.

You could finish up talking and praying with the children about this.

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Adoption Sunday 2012

Addendum: Text for notice sheets Notice Sheet (Sunday, 21 October) “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” (James 1:27) On Sunday, 4 November, our church will be taking part in Adoption Sunday. Please pray for this special day when we will be learning how much God cares about orphans. Please pray that God would raise up families here that will help meet the need for adoptive homes for hard-to-place children in Oxford and for families who will step forward as foster carers in Oxford. There will be an information evening at 7.30pm on Tuesday 6 November, at Oxford Community Church. For more information visit: www.eauk.org/adoption

Notice Sheet (Sunday, 28 October) “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families,” (Psalm 68:5-6) Next Sunday is our special Adoption Sunday event. Please pray for us as our church to see how we as a church family can support and encourage families to foster and adopt the children in need in Oxford.

Please pray for the special Fostering, Adoption and Christians information evening taking place at Oxford Community Church on Tuesday 6 November at 7.30pm.

Notice Sheet (Sunday, 4 November) Has God been speaking to you about fostering and adoption? Come along to the event Fostering, Adoption and Christians at Oxford Community Church on Tuesday 6th November at 7.30pm with guest speaker Krish Kandiah, executive director: churches in mission at the Evangelical Alliance, and meet other Christian foster carers and adoptive carers from the local area.

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Service Pack

Memory Verse 1. Religion 2. that 3. God 4. our 5. Father 6. accepts 7. as 8. pure 9. and 10. faultless 11. is this: 12. to look 13. after 14. orphans 15. and 16. widows 17. in their 18. distress

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Religion

that

God

our

Father

accepts

as

pure

and

faultless

is this:

to look

after

orphans

and

widows

in their

distress

www.eauk.org This pack has been produced by the Evangelical Alliance.

A company limited by guarantee Registered in England & Wales No. 123448.

Registered Charity No England and Wales: 212325, Scotland: SC040576.

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