When a woman finds out she is unexpectedly pregnant and doesn’t have the support of a husband or family, she may feel overwhelmed with all that is required to care for and raise a child by herself. This can lead her to believe that abortion is the best solution.
Yet, the church has been strategically placed to make abortion unthinkable. We can offer life-giving support to those in an unplanned pregnancy. Indeed, this is the unique strength of a church family.
In Exodus 3:7-10, God had a conversation with Moses.
“The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’”
This passage reveals God’s heart for His people. This passage points out that:
- God sees the misery of His people.
- God hears the cries of His creation.
- God is concerned for their suffering.
- God has come to rescue them.
Yet, God chose to use Moses to be His answer for the needs of His people. He said, “I am sending you…” God partners with us and works through us to be His hands and feet extended and to reveal His love to others.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.”
Psalm 68:5-6a
What would it look like if we walked into the honor of “adopting” a family?
Here are some ideas on how we can practically implement this. Some of these solutions will be needed, and some won’t be necessary. These are just a few ideas to consider. It’s essential to truly know the family you are journeying through life with to see what their needs are personally.
- Offer free babysitting.
- Take them to their doctor’s visits.
- Grab a cup of coffee with them, listen to them, and offer an encouraging word.
- Celebrate their successes.
- Invite the family over to your home for a meal and fellowship.
- Bring groceries or a home-cooked meal.
- Help with finding a job and/or housing.
- Be a great friend to them.
- Step in to help with their children. Be a mentor to them.
- Provide maintenance on their home or vehicle.
It’s important to avoid coming across as trying to be the hero or treating them as a charity case. People want to know that you care for and value them without having an agenda. As a church, our role is to be bearers of Good News and to lovingly journey through life with others. We should reach out to single parents with pure love for them as fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. It’s not necessary to have a formal “adopt-a-family” program; we can simply find a mom who may find herself unexpectedly pregnant or with children and be a part of their lives.
“Adopting” a family can be one of the most rewarding ministry opportunities of all time. As a church, we should strive to be a source of life-giving support to those in need, just as God has called us to be.
