An Introduction
The Church has a message of hope and of help
Quietly putting adoption on the "crisis radar
screen"
The adoption packet represents your church's offer of help
Order
Adoption is rarely chosen
by teens, but there is no shortage of waiting couples. Approximately 11 percent
of the teen population becomes pregnant annually. About 40 percent of those
pregnancies end in abortion. Of the remaining live births, 97 percent of unwed
teens choose single parenthood and only three percent choose adoption.
Conversely, there is no
shortage of waiting couples. The National Council for Adoption reports well
over two million childless couples in the
The church has a message
of hope and of help
We believe the Church's
message of fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness is an important
strategy for blessing in the lives of teenagers. That is why
However, once a pregnancy
has occurred in a sexually active unmarried teen the Church has an important
role to play in the restorative process, and in helping teens make decision
that consider their responsibilities for the long term well being of the child.
Marriage is a godly option that ought to be discussed and considered carefully,
particularly if the teen decides to raise the child herself.
Adoption is an option that
has received little attention in the unwed teen pregnancy decision-making
process. Churches can make a difference in the spiritual and physical lives of
young people by highlighting the blessing of adoption.
Quietly putting adoption
on the "crisis radar screen"
Adoption has been such a
silent alternative that often teens and their families do not even think about
it in the crisis of a pregnancy. But research has shown that if adoption is
simply mentioned as an alternative, the number of times it is chosen increases
dramatically. Research has also shown that the earlier in pregnancy that
adoption is mentioned, the more likely it is to be the option chosen.
God gives us
The adoption packet
represents your church's offer of help
The components of this
packet are the first part of a program intended to increase a church's
involvement in adoption. The packet contains three parts:
A
poster which
can be set up for display in a prominent place in your church
A pamphlet listing
national resources for adoption. The pamphlet is designed so that you can add
local resources on adoption in your own community.
A booklet designed for teenage girls - You can use it in your church, in your youth program, in a local high
school or other places where teens gather in your community. It is a simple
pledge, addressed very personally to young women, of your church's willingness
to help in this crisis. The help you offer may range from help available from the
church itself to referrals to agencies in your community or even nationally. A
local crisis pregnancy center may be an excellent contact for help that extends
the church's ministry in this area.
Each of
these components is available in whatever quantity you desire.
Please let us know if there is any way we can support your efforts to
provide the life-giving option of adoption to those in your church and
community.
To order,
click here, and see "church resources"
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© Presbyterians Pro-Life
Allison
www.ppl.org
This page updated August 2008