Orphan Sunday T-shirt Challenge

I was reminded today, as I was reading my friend Sarah's adoption blog, that Orphan Sunday is November 6th! She mentioned that Natalie & JT, a couple who have adopted with her agency, have challenged everyone to skip the fancy outfit and wear an adoption t-shirt instead to church on Nov. 6th.

I love this, so I am passing on the challenge to you!! Help me spread the word! If you don't have an Adoption t-shirt to wear, we'd love to give you one of ours for a $20 donation to our adoption. (But we only have 12 shirts left, so email me quickly @ mrsmeach1@gmail.com if you want one. First come, first serve. We have 3 navy left- 2 L, 1 XL and 9 gray shirts left- 2 Med, 4 L, 2 XL, and 1 XXL.) Or if you don't love our shirt, email me & I can point you to several of our friends who also have awesome adoption shirts.

If you go to a church where there is no Orphan Care ministry or maybe you are the only family that has ever adopted, what a great way to get into conversations about God's heart for orphans and all Christians call to care for orphans in one way or another! Start studying up on your favorite verses about orphans and PRAY for opportunities to share. Maybe even memorize James 1:27, John 14:18, Psalm 68:6, Psalm 146, or one of your other favorite verses about God's love for believers (who were all once orphaned) and the fatherless. Encourage your friends, family and pastors to read great biblical books on the subject if they haven't already, like "Adopted for Life" and "Orphanology."

Maybe you go to a church where God has been at work for years and you've seen an Adoption Culture transform your church and many families lives. Praise God! {Jon and I are soo blessed to go to a church where we can look around the room on any Sunday and see many, many families who have been knit together through adoption.} How cool will it be to look around the room and see so many families wearing adoption shirts, families who are answering God's call to care for orphans in some way. By adopting, supporting other families' adoptions, fostering children who are temporarily orphaned, fighting to stop human trafficking, sponsoring children in countries where they can't be adopted, and on and on. As you look around the room, you can give ALL the GLORY and PRAISE to God because it is only by His grace that you yourself, if you are a believer in the gospel, are now a child of God and no longer a spiritual orphan. And it is only by His grace that you have a new, regenerated heart that LOVES the things that God loves, like the orphan and the fatherless. And it is only because God first loved us, that we are able to love any children that God places in our families.

What an amazing gift that He gives in letting us reflect His glory to a lost and unbelieving world. I praise God for the wisdom and passion He has given to Dr. Russell Moore, reading his book "Adopted for Life" was absolutely instrumental in my understanding of every Christian's command to care for orphans.

So, wear an Adoption Shirt to your church on Sunday, November 6th and PRAY that God would move in the hearts of His people to care for the 147 million fatherless children all over the world. We designed our shirts specifically so that every time you wear yours you will be helping raise awareness of the 147 million orphans worldwide and God's heart for them. So wear it proudly wherever you go, and be praying for conversation opportunities!

 I read somewhere that 36% of Christian families consider adopting, but only 1% actually adopt. Let's pray that God would change that for the good of orphaned children and for HIS GLORY!