Step 1 & 2: Agency Exclusivity

Step 1: Educate yourself- Been doing a lot of web searching. I plan on getting a couple books. I feel like going to a couple of info meetings with different agencies would help; our first one is Tues the 10th.

Step 2: Selecting an Agency-
The one we will be meeting with on Tues is Bethany Christian Services.The way we came to feel adoption was the door that was opening up is though Christ, so I've been trying to find the agencies that say they are Christian based.

I'll state now, that as a Christian, I believe in signing a Statement of Faith when it comes to certain things as this. Carrying for Orphans has a biblical background. I'm about to talk about exclusivity in a certain agency that is leaving my mouth hanging. Some could read back to this and say just having to state that you are a Christian with a Christian agency is also being exclusive. I'm not sure what they'd say if you were to tell them you weren't a Christian, but I'd hope they would want to talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ.

So this one other agency that I call asks me a few questions... check check check... we could qualify so far. Then they ask which church we belong to: First Baptist Church of Cumming. And then her words become foggy as she starts telling me that their agency is an affiliate of ______ (Christian church denomination) and that since their funded by them, they can only serve those from this church. <<mouth open>> "Okay" (we say our good byes)

Now, she was a nice lady and did support what she knew of Bethany Christian Services. But as I start talking to Kirk about what I just heard, I couldn't help but wonder the long lost phrase "What Would Jesus Do?"

There are children in this world needing homes, but we can only bless them with people of our church? We will limit the amount of perspective adoptive parents to show our biological parents without asking to your perspective of what being a Christian really means to someone? Wow, What is that saying about what you think about your view on the Bible and being a Christian?

We're learning from step one about adoption. And I'm not writing this is hate on this agency or church. But writing so that others see what the adoption process really looks like.

This agency makes me sad today. I can see how people could throw Christianity out the window from people trying to be so exclusive. I haven't found anywhere on their website where this policy is stated. And therefore makes me ask if they care which affiliation the biological parents are from? And if not, that opens up another can of worms I won't go into.

Aren't too many children without homes to be this way? I was hoping to have some different agencies to choose from, but now I'm afraid that choice is being narrowed down so much we won't have a choice. So I continue to pray that God keeps leading us the way He wants us to go.

Edited to add:
I found another agency tonight that I told in my comments that I was proud of them. It's the first one that I saw that had a link/tab for bringing people to Christ. A "How to become a Christian" link. If a person has a heart for adopting and hasn't become a Christian, therefore can't adopt through certain agencies... THIS one is actually sharing what Christ is about.