RESOURCES FOR PASTORS
Pastors, consider taking a few weeks in your pulpit ministry to preach a sermon series on the Biblical view of foster care and adoption. Below are resources through the EVERY CHILD Foster & Adoption ministry to help you plan and prepare. Bookmark this page as new content will be added regularly.
Why it's important to consider a foster/adoption sermon series:
Sermon Series Kits
Below are a variety of resources to help you learn, plan and prepare your sermon series including messages and content shared by Pastors Andrew Hopper and Tony Merida. Additional resources include articles, success stories and videos which are all categorized.
"Chosen" Sermon Series
By Andrew Hopper, Lead Pastor of Mercy Hill Church
Week One
Awe Over Adoption
1 John 3:1-3
Big Idea: Christians are reborn into the family of God. We are children of God because He called us His children.
Week Four
Christianity and Abortion
Jeremiah 1:5
Big Idea: The church stands for life because God forms life.
Week Two
Fully in the Family
Galatians 4:1-7
Big Idea: As the children of God, we are given every right and blessing that comes with being family (inheritance).
Week Five
Plan and Purpose
Esther 4:14
Big Idea: God has a plan for every vulnerable child.
Week Three
What Childlike Faith Really Means
Matthew 18:1-6
Big Idea: Childlike faith begins with the awareness of great need.
Week Six
True Religion
James 1:22-27
Big Idea: Caring for the vulnerable is a demonstration of faith.
Standalone Sermons
By Tony Merida, Pastor for Preaching and Vision of Imago Dei Church
Orphan Care and the Local Church
Psalm 146
Question: Why should we care about Orphan Care and what should we do about it?
Hearing and Doing the Word
James 1:16-27
Big Idea: The purpose of the Scripture is to change you!
By Dennis Thurman, Associational Mission Strategist at Haywood Baptist Association
By Joel Stephens, Associate Pastor of Discipleship at Hopewell Baptist Church
Ordinary Book Chapters
By Tony Merida
Pastor Tony Merida wrote the book Ordinary to help show Christians that we can shake the foundations of culture, not through extraordinary acts, but through every day, ordinary acts - like showing hospitality and caring for the vulnerable. In order to see things happen that have never happened before, Christians must do what Christians have always done. Christians need to become more ordinary.
Chapters two and three are available below for your personal use. Chapters taken from Ordinary by Tony Merida, copyright © 2015, published by B&H Publishing Group. Used by permission. If you would like to purchase the whole book, you can do so here through Lifeway or anywhere books are sold.
Video Resources
To view our video resources, use the arrows to scroll right and left to see all videos. If you would like to download these videos to show your congregation, please visit our Resources page.
To view on Vimeo and download these videos, please visit our Resources page.
Shareable Resources
Social Media Images
These social media graphics can be downloaded by clicking on the image. It will open a new tab (in Google Photos); navigate to the upper right corner and click on the three dots, then click "Download All".
We created these with the intent that you can personalize them with your own text related to an upcoming sermon series or informational meeting using your favorite photo editing program (such as Canva or Photoshop).
