Registration for Together for Adoption’s October 21-22 national conference in Phoenix is NOW OPEN! Visit our conference page for information. Make sure you check out all our informational links on our conference page, too. We are particularly excited about the potential of our conference’s onsite Haitian Tent City.

Would you help us spread the word via twitter, Facebook, and your personal blog?

Join us as we consider “Missional Living, the Gospel and Orphan Care.”

Note: We just created a new Together for Adoption Facebook page. Please visit and Like it to help us spread the word. Thanks!

If your organization is interested in being an exhibitor at the conference, let us know by sending us an email through our contact page.

Yesterday, I was deeply moved by something that I read in a letter that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher. As I reflected upon his words, it occurred to me that he touches on something that is profoundly relevant to the global orphan crisis. Tolkien writes:

“We all long for [Eden], and we are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature at its best and least corrupted, its gentlest and most humane, is still soaked with the sense of ‘exile’. If you come to think of it, your (very just) horror at the stupid murder of the hawk, and your obstinate memory of this ‘home’ of yours in an idyllic hour (when often there is an illusion of the stay of time and decay and a sense of gentle peace) are derived from Eden” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 110).

One of the challenges for Christians in the Western world is that we are often guilty of trying to dry up our profound “sense of exile” with the nonabsorbent paper towels of the incomplete joys of this world. That’s not to say that it is wrong for Christians to enjoy themselves in the here-and-now. God gives His children many good gifts that we are to enjoy now with gratitude in our hearts. But our here-and-now enjoyment was never meant to be the way we deal with the deep ache of exile. When we deal with our “sense of exile” by using God’s good gifts to self-medicate, we will find ourselves moving away from the world’s most needy rather than to them. Self-medicating people are not easily mobilized for self-sacrificial service.

The reality is that we are in exile. Eden has been lost. We are exiles in the here-and-now (1 Peter 1:1). The period of time in which we live as exiles is deeply marked by suffering and unrest (Romans 8:18). The presence of 143,000,000 vulnerable and orphaned children in the world is irrefutable evidence of that fact.

Although we find ourselves in exile—still soaked with a deep sense of Eden-lost—God has not left us to wander aimlessly within it. He has not left us alone to cope with our deep sense of exile through self-medicating behavior. No, Jesus entered into our exile, became a man of sorrows, was forsaken by the Father at the cross in order that he might lead us out of our exile into eternal belonging. Jesus endured the very worst of our exile in order that he might bring us home!

What Jesus did through his life, death, and resurrection has provided us with “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19-20) in the midst of our exile. As a result, we can enjoy the incomplete joys of this world without using them to deal with our deep sense of exile. Only when we rest in what Jesus has already done to one day bring us back home (Romans 8:19-23) are we able to move toward our world’s most needy.

The gospel takes those who are marked with a deep sense of exile, frees them from the “need” to self-medicate, and moves them out to serve the orphan, the widow, and the marginalized. Only by the power of the gospel can we do the self-sacrificial work of caring for orphans while soaked with the sense of exile.

Below is the audio of the main sessions from Together for Adoption Conference 2009, Oct 2-3, at Christ Community Church, Franklin, TN.

Session One – Adoption: Making Outsiders Insiders, Dan Cruver (Read session summary)

Session Two – The Freedom of Adoption, Scotty Smith (Watch brief video interview and read session summary)

Session Three – Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation, Scott Roley (Watch brief video interview and read session summary)

Session Four – The Gospel, Social Justice and the Missional Church, Ed Stetzer (Watch brief video interview and read session summary)

Session Five – Orphan Care and Jesus, the Great Servant of the Poor, Michael Easley (Watch brief video interview and read session summary)

Session Six – Adoption and the Renewal of Creation, Russell Moore (Watch brief video interview and read session summary)

Breakouts were not recorded.

When we reprove our children, do we do it as those who DELIGHT in them? See Prov 3:12. God reproves and delights in us. May the Gospel shape our parenting.

You may not agree with Ralph Erskine on every point of interpretation in this series of posts, but he serves us very well by providing wonderful instruction on how to preach the gospel to ourselves whatever our faith-struggles may be:

“Go to God and say, O ‘do as thou hast said. Consider what he hath said, and take him at his word, and put him to it, that he would do to you accordingly. Whatever your care be, surely there is some word relative to it…

“But what says God to me, that am longing, earnestly longing for some taste of his goodness, some communion and fellowship with him? Why, God says to you, that he will satisfy the longing soul, and fill the hungry with good things. Mat. 5:6, ‘Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ Hath he said so? Then let your heart say, Lord, ‘Do as thou has said’” (Ralph Erskine, “Faith’s Plea Upon God’s Word,” The Works of Ralph Erskine, vol. 2).

Zach Nielsen writes:

Owen Strachan draws attention to a new systematic Theology book for kids (6-14) by Dr. Bruce Ware called,Big Truths for Young Hearts. I’m sure we’ll be picking up a copy for our kids. Some of you might be interested as well.

Here is a description from Amazon.com:

Sure, it’s easy to teach your children the essentials of Christian theology when you’re a theology professor. But what about the rest of us?

With Big Truths for Little Hearts, Bruce Ware, (you guessed it!) a theology professor, encourages and enables parents of children 6–14 years of age to teach through the whole of systematic theology at a level their children can understand. Parents can teach their children the great truths of the faith and shape their worldviews early, based on these truths.

The book covers ten topics of systematic theology, devoting several brief chapters to each subject, making it possible for parents to read one chapter per day with their children. With this non-intimidating format, parents will be emboldened to be their children’s primary faith trainers—and perhaps learn a few things themselves along the way.

Are you a Tolkien fan and on Twitter? Check out JRR Tolkien’s Twitter page by clicking the image below.

You may not agree with Ralph Erskine on every point of interpretation in this series of posts, but he serves us very well by providing wonderful instruction on how to preach the gospel to ourselves whatever our faith-struggles may be:

“Is there any word to me, that am such a filthy monster, such a polluted creature in heart and way, that am stinking, as it were, in the grave of sin? He hath said, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, ‘From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you.’ Zech. xiii. 1, ‘There is a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.’ Is there a promise of cleaning? Then take him at his word, and cry, Lord, ‘Do as thou hast said’” (Ralph Erskine, “Faith’s Plea Upon God’s Word,” The Works of Ralph Erskine, vol. 2).

The Gospel proclaims that at the cross Jesus became that “filthy monster” that we might be cleansed in him (2 Cor. 5:21). Praise be to God!

This is part six of a 20 part series. Many, many more gems to come.

We are pleased to announce that registration for Together for Adoption Conference 2009 is now open. Click here to register.

General Session Speakers and Topics:

Michael Easley, Topic: Orphan Care and Jesus, the Great Servant of the Poor

Michael Easley recently joined the pastoral staff of Fellowship Bible Church (Nashville, TN) as a teaching pastor (read his church bio). Dr. Easley came to Fellowship Bible Church from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, where he served as president (and currently president emeritus) since March of 2005. Michael and his wife, Cindy, have four children, three of whom were adopted.

Russell Moore, Topic: Adoption and the Renewal of Creation

Russell D. Moore has served as the Senior Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since January of 2004. Dr. Moore is also a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, where he ministers weekly. He is a senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. Dr. Moore has also written the forthcoming book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches. Russell and his wife, Maria, have four children, two of whom were adopted.

Scott Roley, Topic: Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation

Scott Roley is Senior Pastor of Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN). Based on his experiences in local mercy ministry, Roley authored God’s Neighborhood: A Hopeful Journey in Racial Reconciliation & Community Renewal which traces his personal call to racial reconciliation and community renewal and shares the powerful narrative journey of a white pastor’s identification within an African-American community. He followed that book with its sequel, Hard Bargain, to be published in 2009. Scott and his wife, Linda, are parents of a multi-ethnic family and live in Franklin, Tennessee with their five children, three of whom were adopted.

Scotty Smith, Topic: The Freedom of Adoption

Scotty Smith is Pastor of Worship, Preaching and Teaching at Christ Community Church (Franklin, TN). Scotty is Founding Pastor of Christ Community church, a member of The Gospel Coalition, and author of five books: Unveiled Hope, with Michael Card; Speechless, with Steven Curtis Chapman; Objects of His Affection; and his latest two, The Reign of Grace and Restoring Broken Things, with Steven Curtis Chapman. Scotty and Darlene, his wife of thirty-five years, have two adult married children.

Ed Stetzer, Topic: The Gospel, Social Justice and the Missional Church

Ed Stetzer is President of LifeWay Research and LifeWay’s Missiologist in Residence. He is also Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Visiting Research Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ed has written numerous books, two of which are Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living (with Philip Nation) and Breaking the Missional Code (with David Putman). Ed and his wife, Donna, have three daughters.

Worship will be led by Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace. Zach Nielsen, blogger at Take Your Vitamin Z, will be live-blogging the Friday night / Saturday conference. The list of our excellent breakout sessions (four breakout session slots) and other conference details are forthcoming. Childcare will be provided—limited availability, additional fee.

Conference 2009 Hotel Accommodations

Review of Our First Conference.

All the audio from Together for Adoption Conference 2008 is now online:

• Jason Kovacs and Maridel Sandberg – “Conference Welcome and the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ Vision for Orphan Ministry“
• Dan Cruver – “Adoption in God’s Story of Redemption“
• Rick Phillips – “The Good News of Adoption“
• Carl Robbins – “Adoption and the Multi-Ethnic Family of God“
• Tullian Tchividjian – “Our Adoption and Visiting Orphans in Their Affliction“

I had the privilege of preaching at Grace Church of Memphis yesterday on the cosmic significance of adoption within the story of redemption. You can listen to it here.

One of my favorite scenes in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (the book not the movie) takes place in the land of Rivendell after the hobbits, Frodo and Sam, almost lost their lives at the hands of those seeking to capture the ring of power and before they continued their dangerous journey to the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the ring. J.R.R. Tolkien writes:

Such was the virtue of the land of Rivendell that soon all fear and anxiety was lifted from their minds. The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have any power over the present. Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each good day as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song (The Fellowship of the Ring, 287).

The good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is of such a quality that the past, present, or imagined future, “good or ill, are not forgotten, but cease to have any power over the present.” We could write pages of application on this. If you are prone to worry about tomorrow, you need the gospel. If you tend to fear people or circumstances, you need the gospel. If you are paralyzed by regret or plagued by guilt, you need the gospel. Only the gospel can free us from these things.

One of the ways our family seeks to serve orphans is by praying for them at supper time. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to orphanages in China and Ethiopia. So I printed out pictures of orphans I’ve had the privilege of meeting on those trips and put them on our refrigerator. Each time we eat supper our children choose a different orphan to pray for. Once they’ve made their choice and have the picture of their orphan in hand, we talk about what it means for God to be a “father of the fatherless” and how He adopts us into His family. We then take turns praying for each of their orphans.

On Saturday our youngest (4) prayed for the little girl pictured in the middle of the far right column. Here’s what he prayed:

“Father, thank you for my wonderful family; and I love the orphan that I chose today. Give her a mommy and a daddy, some toys, a couch, and lots of food to eat for her tummy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Carolina Hope invites you to join us for an Ethiopia Orphan Benefit Dinner & Auction at Furman University (Greenville, SC) on Saturday, September 6, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

In addition to dinner, the fundraiser will feature…

• » live musical entertainment
• » a silent auction with jewelry, rounds of golf, clothing, home interior pieces, purses, spa treatments, a girls night out package, and more

Read more at our Relief Dinner page.

From Daniel Taylor’s book, Tell Me a Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories:

“Grace is the ultimate act of empathy. It is possible on the human level only to the degree that we can imagine ourselves in other people’s shoes. Such an act of imagination is a story act. It is being able to see oneself as a character in another’s story, and acting in accordance with that imaginative perception in one’s own. Grace is more than empathy, but empathy is its starting point. Because I know keenly my own need for receiving better than I deserve, I can imagine your similar need and can use my freedom to fulfill that need.”

Steven Curtis Chapman and family were interviewed on Good Morning America today about the death of Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman. Watch the interview here (Note: Interview begins with a short clip of the interview, moves into a commercial, and then shows the full seven minute interview).

Registration for Together for Adoption Conference 2008 is now open! Please join us for this unique event as we explore what our adoption in Christ means for us and for orphans.

Conference Speakers: Rick Phillips, Russell Moore, Carl Robbins, and Tullian Tchividjian.

See conference schedule here.

You may not agree with Ralph Erskine on every point of interpretation in this series of posts, but he serves us very well by providing wonderful instruction on how to preach the gospel to ourselves whatever our faith-struggles may be:

“Is there any word to me a backslider, a grievous revolter, that many times after vows have made inquiry? My promises and resolutions have been but paper walls before the fire of temptation? Are you afflicted with this and would have relief? ‘Behold,’ he says, Jer. iii.22, ‘Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.’ Hos. xiv.4, ‘I will heal your backslidings and love you freely. I will be as the dew of Israel.’ Hath he said so? Then let your heart say, Lord, ‘Do as thou hast said?’” (Ralph Erskine, “Faith’s Plea Upon God’s Word,” The Works of Ralph Erskine, vol. 2).

The Gospel proclaims that at the cross Jesus became the backslider that we might be healed in him (2 Cor. 5:21). Praise be to God!

This is part five of a 20 part series. Many, many more gems to come.