We believe that the local church can and should play a unique role in connecting, encouraging and informing adoptive and foster families. Unlike any other community organization or agency, local church ministries are uniquely positioned and equipped to live out God's heart for the fatherless by ministering to those who love and serve children through adoption and foster care.

• A True Community for Adoptive and Foster Families - Recently Tapestry has had several opportunities to share with others what we have learned about thhe unique role of the local church in the area of adoption and foster care ministry. You can view a presentation by Michael and Amy Monroe (entitled A True Community for Adoptive and Foster Families, presented at the 2007 Annual Convention of the National Association of Christians in Social Work) that highlights the unique role of the local church in providing community for adoptive and foster families.
  
  
• What Church Ministries Wish Adoption/Foster Agencies Knew . . . - Tapestry recently participated in a panel discussion at Summit IV in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans.   The topic focused on what local church ministries, such as Tapestry, wish agencies knew or better understood about the role and needs of the local ministry.  You can read a summary of our thoughts here.
  
  
• The Safest Place on Earth for Adoptive and Foster Families - The local church should be the "safest place on earth" for adoptive and foster families.  And yet, this is far from the reality that many adoptive and foster families have experienced.  Read Michael Monroe's thoughts on this in The Safest Place on Earth - Part 1 and Part 2.
  
  
• Testimonies About Church Adoption and Orphans Ministry - You can listen to a FamilyLife Today radio program from November 2006 that highlighted how God is using local church adoption and foster care ministries like Tapestry.

If you are just beginning to consider establishing a church adoption and/or foster care ministry or looking for ideas to help you get started, we want you to know about some helpful resources that are available.

• Tapestry's Ministry Plan - You can view Tapestry's ministry plan, which was presented to the leadership of Irving Bible Church in early 2006 in connection with the re-launch of the then existing adoption support ministry – what is today known as Tapestry.
  
  
• Practical Ideas for Church Ministries - After launching a church adoption and foster care ministry, we often hear ministry leaders ask the following question: now what do we do?  At Tapestry we have a variety of large group and small group ideas that we have developed and tried over the past several years. Here are just a few practical ideas and resources to help you and your ministry.
  
  
• Read So Now What Do We Do to find out about some of our ideas that we believe can help you move forward effectively with your church adoption or foster care ministry.
• Tapestry made a presentation at Summit V at Irving Bible Church (hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans) designed to help local church adoption and foster care ministries move forward to serve adoptive and foster families as well as those who are exploring these life changing adventures. You can listen to the audio (mp3 file) of the presentation here and download the materials for this presentation here.
• View a description of past Tapestry large group events (and find links to related resources) in the Tapestry Events Archive.
  
  
• Tapestry Strategy Guides - We have taken the time to write out the "why" and "how" for many of the things we have going on at Tapestry.  You can review the Tapestry Strategy Guides here.
  
  
• Common Challenges Church Ministries Face - It seems that there are some common challenges that people often face when starting and leading church adoption and foster care ministries.  Click here to read about some of these challenges and what the leaders of Tapestry have learned along the way.
  
  
• Learning More About Serving Children in Foster Care - Many churches are seeking to become involved in reaching out and serving children in foster care.  This has become a significant focus of Tapestry's outreach efforts in recent years.  However, an understanding of some of the basics of the foster care system is generally needed in order to serve children and families well in this area.  Click here to view a resource that Tapestry, together with Arrow Child & Family Ministries (a Texas-based foster care agency), has developed to help provide church ministry leaders with a good start in understanding the Texas foster care system.  (Note:  While this resource we have developed focuses on the Texas foster care system, most of the information is applicable to foster care systems in other states.)  You can also read an article by Michael Monroe, Privileged to Serve, in the January/February 2009 issue of Fostering Families Today magazine that focuses on the many ways churches can reach out to and serve children in foster care.
  
  
• Hope for Orphans - FamilyLife's Hope for Orphans has some great resources that can help you launch an adoption and foster care ministry. The book Launching an Orphans Ministry in Your Church by Jason Weber is an invaluable resource for every new church adoption, foster care or orphan care ministry. This book outlines in eight steps how to effectively launch an adoption or orphan care ministry in your local church.  You may also want to check out FamilyLife's small group bible study entitled Considering Adoption.

It is often said "there is strength in numbers." We believe that this is certainly true when it comes to church adoption/foster care ministry. As a result, the following two church collaborations have recently been established to connect churches that are interested in or are currently ministering in the adoption/foster care areas:

• DFW Alliance of Adoption and Orphan Care Ministries (www.DFWAlliance.org) – The DFW Alliance of Adoption and Orphan Care Ministries is a network of local church ministries in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that are committed to serving orphans and at-risk children in our local community and around the world. The DFW Alliance seeks to provide area ministries and church leaders with opportunities to share ideas and coordinate and collaborate on events and activities to serve adoptive and foster families as well as orphans, at-risk children and children in foster care.  Listen to the audio from this breakout session (mp3 file - it may take a few seconds to download this file) presented at Summit V in 2009 highlighting the benefits of local church ministries working together.
• Christian Alliance for Orphans (www.christianalliancefororphans.org) - The goal of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) is to inform, educate and engage churches and individuals in orphan and adoption ministry.  CAFO is coordinating resources and efforts to expand orphan ministry in the Christian community and offers some helpful resources and opportunities for churches wanting to get more involved in orphan and adoption ministry.
• The Faith Connection (www.TheFaithConnection.org) – The Faith Connection is a volunteer-led initiative that connects churches across North Texas with children in foster care. It seeks to help local churches by raising awareness, providing resources, sharing ideas and helping them effectively love and serve children in foster care in a variety of meaningful ways.

Increasingly more and more church adoption ministries are establishing adoption assistance funds or similar financial assistance efforts. This is a great way to connect resources and needs within your ministry and community in order to bless the life of a child and a family forever.

There are several different ways to establish an adoption assistance fund and it is not always easy to figure out which way is best for your church. Below are some helpful resources for you to consider:

• Show Hope - Show Hope (formerly Shaohannah's Hope) is an adoption and orphan care ministry that was begun by Stephen Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman and it has published some helpful and informative resources designed to help churches launch adoption assistance funds. Click here  to find their Beginning Guide to Starting an Adoption Fund and the Complete Guide to Starting an Adoption Fund (which requires free registration).
• Borrow from Tapestry's Experience - You can find more information about the Tapestry Adoption Assistance Fund and view a strategy guide for the Tapestry Fund.  Tapestry also had the opportunity to make a presentation entitled Turn-Key Solutions in Creating Local Church Adoption Funds in May 2008 at Summit IV, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans.  You can view the presentation slides and also view and print the resources and forms for the Tapestry Fund.
  
  
• LifeSong for Orphans - Tapestry has partnered with LifeSong for Orphans since late 2006.  You can learn more about LifeSong and its ministry at www.lifesongfororphans.org.
  
  
• Resources from Other Churches About Their Assistance Funds - Church ministries that have already established adoption assistance funds are often the best resources for other ministries wanting to do the same. In addition to our fund at Tapestry, there are at least two other church adoption assistance funds in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area (Christ Chapel Bible Church (Ft. Worth) and Lake Pointe Church (Rockwall)) that we can put you in touch with.  And interestingly, each of these ministries pursued a slightly different way of launching their adoption assistance fund. Please let us know if you would like to talk with the leaders of these ministries to learn more about their adoption assistance funds.

A description of past Tapestry events and activities along with links to related resources and materials . . . [more]

We have taken the time to write out the "why" and "how" for many of the things we have going on at Tapestry.  You can review the Tapestry Strategy Guides here.

In May 2009 Tapestry presented a breakout session at Summit V at Irving Bible Church (hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans) designed to provide practical ideas for church adoption and foster care ministries.  You can listen to the audio (mp3 file) of the presentation here and download the materials for this presentation here.

Listen to the audio of a breakout session presented by Michael Monroe (Tapestry at Irving Bible Church) and Kim Johnson (Lake Pointe Church) at Summit V entitled Keys to Hosting an Effective Church Adoption and Foster Care Conference, in which they talk in detail about their respective conferences - the why, the what and the how.  You can also download the handout materials for this breakout session.  These resources are especially helpful other church ministries wanting to learn more about hosting their own adoption and foster care conference.

In 2006 Tapestry created the DFW Alliance of Adoption & Orphan Care Ministries.  Listen to this breakout session (mp3 file - it may take a few seconds to download this file) presented at Summit V in 2009 or find out more at DFWAlliance.org.

The goal of the Christian Alliance for Orphans is to inform, educate and engage churches and individuals in orphan and adoption ministry.  Visit www.christianalliancefororphans.org to learn more.

LifeSong for Orphans (formerly Life International) has helped numerous churches establish and launch their own Adoption Fund as a ministry of their local church.  Tapestry partners with LifeSong as we serve children and families through the Tapestry Adoption Assistance Fund.  Learn more about LifeSong at www.lifesongfororphans.org.

The Faith Connection is a volunteer-led initiative that seeks to connect churches across North Texas with children in foster care.  The Faith Connection helps local churches by raising awareness, providing resources, sharing ideas and helping them effectively love and serve children in foster care in a variety of meaningful ways.  Learn more at www.thefaithconnection.org.

Together for Adoption focuses on vertical adoption (i.e., our adoption in Christ), with a secondary focus on its implications for orphan care and horizontal adoption (i.e., adoption of a child).  Visit www.togetherforadoption.org to learn more.

Our adoption into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest adoption miracle of all.  Explore some of our favorite resources celebrating our spiritual adoption in Christ . . . [more]

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