Recently in General Category

Here's the audio from my keynote address at the Adoption & Orphan Weekend sponsored by Colonial Baptist Church, Cary, NC. It's only 31 minutes.

God's Story of Adoption (right click / choose "save target as" to download)

You were born 11 years ago today. We can still remember the sense of awe we felt when we held you in our arms for the first time. We were parents! God had given us a beautiful little daughter! We could see in you the glory of a loving heavenly Father who gives unspeakably good gifts to His children. You were and continue to be glory in our lives, the glory of God.

Our prayer for you, Hannah, is that there would be an overabundance of glory in your life. Not the glory of fame or popularity or accomplishment or prestige, but the glory of God. May you daily know the glory of His goodness, the glory of His saving name, and the glory of His sovereign graciousness. May you be a woman who seeks for glory and honor—not the glory and honor of your name, but the glory and honor of God in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer is that you be satisfied with the glory of God, that it be your great delight, your single passion, your rock of contentment, and your joy in the face of an unknown future. May your life be filled with the glory of God.

Happy Birthday, Hannah! We love you!!

Program Update: With a population of approximately 80 million people, it is estimated that Ethiopia has between 4 and 5 million orphan. The situation is quickly becoming worse. It is believed that nearly half of Ethiopia's children will become orphans over the next four years. As a result of Ethiopia's orphan population, many, many children are available for adoption, both boys and girls, infants and older children, siblings, and children with special needs. Compared to the process of adopting children from China or Guatemala the process in Ethiopia is much simpler.

Not only does Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency believe that adoption provides couples with the opportunity to build their families, we also believe that it is one beautiful way that Christians can care for Ethiopia's orphans in their affliction (James 1:27).

Our Ethiopia Adoption program will open officially in December. Families wishing to adopt from Ethiopia can submit an application now to begin the process. Call (864-268-0570) or email us (office@CarolinaHopeAdoption.org) for details about our Ethiopia adoption program .

(Carolina Hope is currently developing pages for our Ethiopia program at our main website.)

See Orphans, Adoption, and Fuling, China where I connect "caring for orphans in their affliction" with adoption.

I just posted this article at my adoption blog. It should generate some significant discussion about the use of adoption language.

Israel, God's son through adoption

Here are the opening two paragraphs:

An important biblical theme often overlooked by Christians is the sonship of Israel. When we hear the expression, son of God, we think of Jesus (as we should), but we forget that the first son of God mentioned in Scripture is the nation of Israel.

Through the correspondence of two of Israel’s privileges listed in Romans 9:4 (”They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, and the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.”), we learn that God adopted Israel as His son at Mt. Sinai when He gave Israel the law. Israel officially became God’s son through adoption when He constituted Israel a nation at Mt. Sinai.

Here's the final paragraph:

Something to think about: Should this theological truth have any bearing on our adoption language? There are many who are opposed to calling a child who has been adopted an “adopted child.” They believe that the expression implies that the child is a second-class member of the family - whether or not the child is actually considered to be one. The line of reasoning goes like this: “adopted child” speaks of identity, whereas “child who was adopted” simply relates a historical fact about how the child entered the family. Opponents of the phrase “adopted child” say that a child’s entrance into a family through adoption is no more relevant to that child’s personal identity than the fact of a child’s coming into a family through C-section. Given this context, what bearing, if any, should the theology of this article, “Israel, God’s son through adoption,” have on our adoption language? We hope to address this issue in future posts.

Read the rest of the article here to find out what's in the middle.

If you are interested in learning about Desiring God's annual National Conference, Paul Edwards, of radio program God and Culture, recently interviewed Scott Anderson, Desiring God's Director of Events, about the conference. I wasn't able to attend this year's conference but have attended in the past and been richly blessed. You can download the interview here.

On November 2 & 3, I will be speaking at the Adoption and Orphan Weekend sponsored by Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC. The weekend conference will cover a variety of topics, including:

domestic adoption international adoption adoption agencies orphan ministries foster care adoption support financial strategies

Many of these topics will be explored in workshops during break-out sessions.

I was given the honor of being the keynote speaker for the main general session on Friday night (and a workshop presenter for a Saturday session). The title of my message is "God's Story of Adoption." In it I will look at the story of redemption through the lens of adoption and draw out some implications for earthly adoption. It has been a very fruitful study.

Colonial Baptist Church has 4,000 weekend attenders and has sent conference invitations to 300 churches. So the conference should be well attended. Several other adoption agencies will be there as well. It promises to be a great event. I've been very impressed with Colonial's passion for adoption to the glory of God. I'd love to see you there.

Registration for the event is $5/person. You can register at Colonial's Adoption and Orphan Weekend page. Read more in the attached flyer.

(Other adoption events, included Carolina Hope's workshops in Greenville, SC, are regularly posted at our Adoption Education Workshops page.)

Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency currently has programs in Azerbaijan, China, Guatemala, and Cambodia (Cambodian adoptions are only available to non-U.S. residents). In December our Ethiopia Adoption program will open. Families wishing to adopt from Ethiopia can submit an application now to begin the process. Because laws in Ethiopia do not place unnecessary restrictions on intercountry adoption, young babies in need of homes are available (older children are available as well), and the process from matching to adoption of a child takes only a few months. Call us for details (864) 268-0570 or email office@CarolinaHopeAdoption.org.

(Carolina Hope is currently developing pages for our Azerbaijan and Ethiopia programs at our main website.)

Felicity Margaret Piper
September 23, 2007 | By: John Piper
Category: Written Posts by John Piper, Ministry Updates

In the hopes that you will pray for us, I’ll give you the news about Abraham’s daughter. Abraham is my son who serves as the Web Content Manager for Desiring God. He and Molly were expecting their second child on Sunday, September 23. Molly was big and healthy. Everyone was happy and excited about Orison’s little sister.

There had been no movement since Thursday. Nothing unusual, said the doctor, but you can come for a check-up if you wish. Saturday morning (September 22) they went to Hennepin County Medical Center. No heart beat. Ultrasound confirms: the baby is dead.

The phone call came to me first. It was Abraham through sobs, “We lost the baby.”

Noel and I arrived in a half hour. No explanation of the loss, not yet. After a couple hours they go home to get ready to induce later in the afternoon. At 1:30 PM they come to our home on the way to the hospital. Abraham’s brothers Karsten and Ben and their wives Shelly and Melissa are there. I read 2 Samuel 12:15-23, John 9:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 15:58 acknowledging that the word play on “labor” in verse 58 is not meant to be cute. We gathered around them and prayed. Ben drove them to the hospital. I went to church and dedicated 9 babies and preached from 1 Samuel 12:1-25, “The Sinful Origin of the Son of Man.” Then I went to the hospital to keep vigil.

At 11:54 PM, September 22, 2007, labor complete, Felicity Margaret Piper was born—lifeless. Abraham and Molly spent an hour or so with Felicity alone. Then the grandparents came in. Molly’s parents, Bob and Darlene Dillemuth had flown in immediately from Erie, Pennsylvania. Then Ben and Melissa and Karsten and Shelly and Millie and Talitha came in. All the adults held Felicity. I took lots of pictures and made a slide show to the music, “Be Thou My Vision.” It brings tears.

Abraham and Molly went home the next morning. The funeral is set for 11 AM Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at Bethlehem.

I have wept on Abraham’s shoulder with firm embraces. I have watched other men weep with him. I love the ready tears of strong men. I did not know Felicity. But I have known my son since he was Felicity’s age. When he is broken it affects me deeply. I cry when I see him and when I think about him. He loves being a father. He and Molly were both so excited about their girl. We are all numb with incomprehension. She was so ready and so healthy. The doctor who delivered her said the cord was tight around her neck and that was probably the cause.

Noel and I lay in bed at about 3 AM after coming home from the delivery thinking: strangling seems so preventable. By God and by man. Yes. So easy. But neither man nor God prevented this. Man, because he did not know it was happening. God, because he has his wise and loving reasons that we wait to learn with tears and trust.

Thank you for praying for us.

Many thanks to the following blogs for linking to my interview with Thabiti Anyabwile over at from hope to reality:

Desiring God Gospel-Centered Pious Musings Hantla.com Spirit of Adoption Like a Tree Planted Place of Grace Practicing Theology A Full House Between Two Worlds The Littleton Family Tim Challies Adoptive Dads Expanding the Albertsons Serve Holly Springs Provocations & Pantings In Light of the Gospel Spirit of Adoption The Wrestling Mat Thoughts from the Teahouse Pensees In All Things...God's Glory Adoption Resource Vapor in the Wind

If I missed anyone, please e-mail me about it and I'll gladly add them to the list (danc[at]CarolinaHopeAdoption[dot]org).

My boys enjoyed a little dunk session recently. Noah, the first one to dunk in video one, is 3. Isaiah is 5.