Comments on: Orphan Care and the Great Commission Resurgence http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/ By Russell D. Moore. Russell D. Moore serves as the teaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. In addition, Dr. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Find sermons and other resources to help Christians engage the culture from a biblical worldview at www.russellmoore.com. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:00:55 +0000 By: Julia Duin http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-3471 Julia Duin Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:04:03 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-3471 Mr. Moore - I got your book and only found one sentence - on page 101 - that dealt with singles. You said they should pray to be married first. With ratios of single women to men as high as 5:1 in many churches, you must know how impossible that is for many Christian women who vastly outnumber the men. What is your response to these women; that they should just wither up in a corner somewhere and resign themselves to never having a family? Are you saying that merely being single disqualifies one from being a parent? That would have disqualified Jesus' mother, Mary, as Joseph is believed to have died some time in Jesus' teens or early 20s. If this is what you believe, you need to come out and say it. Mr. Moore - I got your book and only found one sentence - on page 101 - that dealt with singles. You said they should pray to be married first. With ratios of single women to men as high as 5:1 in many churches, you must know how impossible that is for many Christian women who vastly outnumber the men. What is your response to these women; that they should just wither up in a corner somewhere and resign themselves to never having a family? Are you saying that merely being single disqualifies one from being a parent? That would have disqualified Jesus’ mother, Mary, as Joseph is believed to have died some time in Jesus’ teens or early 20s.
If this is what you believe, you need to come out and say it.

]]> By: Clinton White http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-2120 Clinton White Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:56:11 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-2120 Great Resolution Russ. One of the finest I've seen coming from the SBC ever. Are you familiar with Children's Hopechest (and author/speaker C Thomas Davis)? Their vision is for a Million Orphan Army of Evangelist someday in Africa. I withdrew from IMB consideration when I was told there were essentially no jobs in Eastern Europe (or anywhere else) working with Orphans. Great Resolution Russ. One of the finest I’ve seen coming from the SBC ever. Are you familiar with Children’s Hopechest (and author/speaker C Thomas Davis)? Their vision is for a Million Orphan Army of Evangelist someday in Africa. I withdrew from IMB consideration when I was told there were essentially no jobs in Eastern Europe (or anywhere else) working with Orphans.

]]> By: Kelly Stripling http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1953 Kelly Stripling Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:12:58 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1953 I wanted to applaud the SBC for realizing the church's obligation to care for those who have no parents. The other side of this is that there are many Christian families, like ours, who have been approved to adopt, are willing to take older, minority, behavior/development challenged children, and are still waiting after many months. Sadly, some have even given up due to the long waiting period, even though there are many children in the "system". Adopting from foster care is a ministry that requires patience and faith and dependence upon the Lord's timing, as well as a certain level of tolerance for working with the overburdened, overwhelmed caseworkers and adoption coordinators. Yes, there is a need for more families, but we also need some type of system that says once a family is approved and can provide a good, stable, Christian home, those children who are waiting for forever families need to be able to go HOME as soon as possible. Often, there are more requirements for an adoptive placement than would ever be imposed upon a birth family. We are praying for these issues as we continue to wait for the child/children the Lord would add to our family. Blessings to you. I wanted to applaud the SBC for realizing the church’s obligation to care for those who have no parents. The other side of this is that there are many Christian families, like ours, who have been approved to adopt, are willing to take older, minority, behavior/development challenged children, and are still waiting after many months. Sadly, some have even given up due to the long waiting period, even though there are many children in the “system”. Adopting from foster care is a ministry that requires patience and faith and dependence upon the Lord’s timing, as well as a certain level of tolerance for working with the overburdened, overwhelmed caseworkers and adoption coordinators. Yes, there is a need for more families, but we also need some type of system that says once a family is approved and can provide a good, stable, Christian home, those children who are waiting for forever families need to be able to go HOME as soon as possible. Often, there are more requirements for an adoptive placement than would ever be imposed upon a birth family. We are praying for these issues as we continue to wait for the child/children the Lord would add to our family.
Blessings to you.

]]> By: Russell D. Moore http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1936 Russell D. Moore Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:41:38 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1936 @Lorilyn Roberts, Amen! @Lorilyn Roberts, Amen!

]]> By: Russell D. Moore http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1935 Russell D. Moore Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:41:21 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1935 @Julia Duin, Please forgive me for taking so long to respond. I've been out of town without computer access. I talk about single adoption in the book and would be glad to send you a copy, if you'll email me your address to rmoore at sbts dot edu @Julia Duin, Please forgive me for taking so long to respond. I’ve been out of town without computer access. I talk about single adoption in the book and would be glad to send you a copy, if you’ll email me your address to rmoore at sbts dot edu

]]> By: Russell D. Moore http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1934 Russell D. Moore Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:40:09 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1934 @Nick Hunn, Praise the Lord! I'm praying your child/ren will be with you before the year's out. @Nick Hunn, Praise the Lord! I’m praying your child/ren will be with you before the year’s out.

]]> By: Russell D. Moore http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1933 Russell D. Moore Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:39:19 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1933 @Hollie Colwick, Naomi's Fund is a phenomenal project. I am behind it wholeheartedly! I pray churches all over the country would "plagiarize" the idea! RDM @Hollie Colwick, Naomi’s Fund is a phenomenal project. I am behind it wholeheartedly! I pray churches all over the country would “plagiarize” the idea! RDM

]]> By: Lorilyn Roberts http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1919 Lorilyn Roberts Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:37:11 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1919 Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. I posted this response on my website. I applaud Russell Moore's 33 Responses to “On Adoption and Orphan Care: A Proposed Resolution.” Jesus said in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." According to the U.N., there are approximately 145 million orphans in the world today. Can we be like Jesus, opening our beating hearts and stretching our empty arms across the oceans to help destitute orphans who need our love? Can we risk a little to sacrificially give these little ones the knowledge of the Real Hope Giver? Can we love until it hurts? Can we remove ourselves from our comfort zone of blackberries, iPhones, plasma TV screens, and Starbucks Lattes to feel an orphan's pain and hear her stifled cries for love? If only for a moment, can we enter into the presence of God and allow Him to stir our hearts and move us in ways not our own? But for the grace of God, go I. Without Jesus, we are all orphans. Let's show the world that Christians are indeed known by their love—enough to change the world one life at a time. Pray how God would lead you. Pray that He would prompt you to open your wallet. Pray that He would show you how to get involved. Let Him touch your heart as He whispers to your soul. Someday, when you stand before the Heavenly Father's throne, when all else has been left behind but the souls for which Jesus died, you will be able to say, "I surrendered my heart and mind to the endless possibilities You gave me, Lord Jesus. I saved one child out of hopelessness, just as You saved me." Don let it be, if only. Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. I posted this response on my website.

I applaud Russell Moore’s 33 Responses to “On Adoption and Orphan Care: A Proposed
Resolution.”

Jesus said in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” According to the U.N., there are approximately 145 million orphans in the world today.
Can we be like Jesus, opening our beating hearts and stretching our empty arms across the oceans to help destitute orphans who need our love? Can we risk a little to sacrificially give these little ones the knowledge of the Real Hope Giver? Can we love until it hurts? Can we remove ourselves from our comfort zone of blackberries, iPhones, plasma TV screens, and Starbucks Lattes to feel an orphan’s pain and hear her stifled cries for love? If only for a moment, can we enter into the presence of God and allow Him to stir our hearts and move us in ways not our own?
But for the grace of God, go I. Without Jesus, we are all orphans. Let’s show the world that Christians are indeed known by their love—enough to change the world one life at a time.
Pray how God would lead you. Pray that He would prompt you to open your wallet. Pray that He would show you how to get involved. Let Him touch your heart as He whispers to your soul. Someday, when you stand before the Heavenly Father’s throne, when all else has been left behind but the souls for which Jesus died, you will be able to say, “I surrendered my heart and mind to the endless possibilities You gave me, Lord Jesus. I saved one child out of hopelessness, just as You saved me.”
Don let it be, if only.

]]> By: Julia Duin http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1904 Julia Duin Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:10:41 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1904 Mr. Moore - I've not been able to read your book unfortunately although have glanced at it - what is your position on singles adopting children? This is the big elephant in the middle of the room in terms of the whole Christian adoption movement and I am amazed at how many folks refuse to take a position or comment on it. Many others quietly oppose singles adopting children and refuse to support those who do so I'm wondering what your slant is Mr. Moore - I’ve not been able to read your book unfortunately although have glanced at it - what is your position on singles adopting children? This is the big elephant in the middle of the room in terms of the whole Christian adoption movement and I am amazed at how many folks refuse to take a position or comment on it. Many others quietly oppose singles adopting children and refuse to support those who do so I’m wondering what your slant is

]]> By: Nick Hunn http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/#comment-1887 Nick Hunn Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:46:04 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=3865#comment-1887 My wife and I have been planning to adopt for some time now, but it has always been something we'd do "in the future." The Lord has used your book to give us an even greater burden for these children, and we have recently decided to pursue adoption from Ethiopia! Thank you for shining light on this issue. My wife and I have been planning to adopt for some time now, but it has always been something we’d do “in the future.” The Lord has used your book to give us an even greater burden for these children, and we have recently decided to pursue adoption from Ethiopia! Thank you for shining light on this issue.

]]>