Adoption Fund - Summer 2007

Wellspring Is Initiating a New Ministry:

As many of you know from our worship service on Sunday, June 24, 2007, our leadership is being led by God to initiate an "Adoption Fund." What's an adoption fund? It's a unique way for you to support the adoption of children. Why are we doing this? Because we believe that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Let me explain…

Adoption of children is a powerful picture of the gospel in operation. When you became a Christian, you were immediately ADOPTED into the family of God. You were given a new family name, a new permanent home address, and a new relationship with Almighty God. Galatians 4:4-7 says, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons [and daughters]. And because you are sons [and daughters] God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

Isn't that good?! We started out as slaves but God has adopted us into His family and now we are His children! Praise Him! Ephesians 1:5 says that the motivation for our adoption was love! And so adoption becomes a living model of the power of the gospel. As we bring fatherless and motherless children into our homes, we give them a new name, a new home address, and a new relationship. Adoption is nothing less than a deliverance from the past. Adoption means hope for the future (Romans 8:16-17).

This is the primary reason why we're initiating the adoption fund. But there's another reason, as well. Many families have children by natural generation and other families have children by adoption. It just so happens that adopting children (whether US-born or foreign-born) is very expensive. Our adoption as the children of God was expensive to God (the price was the blood of His Son) and adopting children is expensive. The expense is not just financial, but emotional. We are motivated by love to help our brothers and sisters as we can - financially, but also in prayer and other forms of support. For instance, you can make a contribution to the Adoption Fund by offering to babysit, preparing meals, contributing clothes that your kids have grown out of, or by writing notes of encouragement and support to families going through the process.

Wellspring has received a financial gift to initiate this ministry. And for this we are thankful! As we prepare to go into a building fundraising project, it is important to hear what one person said: "Our building is a platform from which to do ministry. The goal is ministry, not a building." I couldn't agree more. And I couldn't agree more with our leadership that a ministry of helping to support families who are seeking to adopt will please our heavenly Father.

Our Communicants Class will be studying the doctrine of Adoption in a number of weeks. Here is what the Westminster Shorter Catechism says about adoption: "Adoption is the act of God's free grace by which we become His sons with all the rights and privileges of being His." I believe that adopting children is a powerful witness to our children (and the watching community around us) that the gospel is true!

Our vision at Wellspring is to share the transforming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in Botetourt County and beyond. We believe that covenant family adoption is a beautiful way to participate in the transforming grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

I would love to see a culture of adoption flourish at Wellspring Church. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please simply make a check payable to Wellspring and write in the memo line "Adoption Fund." You can be sure that it will be set apart for this great purpose.

- Pastor David