Mike Rusch

Seed Adoption is a pastoral training workshop that brings together influential pastors of evangelical churches from across a country to discuss (1) the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children, (2) a Biblical perspective centered on the gospel, adoption, and the local church, and (3) appropriate strategies to bring holistic and lasting change to the lives of orphaned children, all for the glory of God.

We believe that the gospel, when understood and applied, must work through the local church and in the lives of Christians to effect such change. Therefore, in order to help address the orphan crisis, the Seed Adoption training aims to create, maintain, and encourage a national conversation with the indigenous church.

Seed Adoption 2011: Ethiopia

Three two-day workshops will be held in June 2011 in 3 strategic cities: Addis Ababa (Ethiopiaʼs capital city), Nazareth (capital of the Oromiya Region), and Awassa (Capital of Southern Nations Nationalities and Regional State). A total of 500 people will attend the workshops: 250 influential senior pastors and their wives. All 9 of Ethiopiaʼs regional states will be represented.

YOU can help bring local adoption to Ethiopian churches. Just $70 covers ALL expenses for a local pastor and his wife to attend the Seed Adoption training. Click here for more.

Goals

We are praying that these workshops are a first step toward accomplishing a number of goals:

• Create common understanding on the extent of the orphan crisis in Ethiopia and jointly identify the major root causes and consequences
• Through biblical and theological training, deepen our understanding of Godʼs heart for the orphan as well as our biblical responsibility to holistically care for and adopt orphaned children
• Design a joint strategy to address the orphan crisis at the national level through the cooperation of evangelical churches
• Develop effective strategies that facilitate holistic care and local adoption of orphans into Christ-loving families at a local, grassroots level
• Build a common forum of evangelical churches to share information, experiences, and best practices for sustainable orphan care and support
• Raise financial and non-financial resources locally for orphan care and adoption

…the heart of an orphan.  The heart of me.

Why Ethiopia?

Really excited that Stephen Miller will be coming to be one of the artist voices at Idea Camp in February.  If you haven’t heard his music, please take a little time to listen.

I had an opportunity to spend some time in Oklahoma City this month talking about the orphan care and church. 

“Mike Rusch talks about adoption and the church’s role in the continuum.”

Special thanks to Ben Nockels of Skyline Church for inviting me to be a part of the work they are doing.  These conversations will continue in February at Idea Camp Orphan Care - hope you can make it.

Enoch’s Story

…this story brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it.

Gladney Center for Adoption