On April 30 and May 1, 2005 the Adoption Ministry of the Blessed Family Department had it's kick-off seminars, first in the DC area, at the home of Rev. Hong, the regional director, and then in New Jersey, at the home of Mrs. Masako Feddema the director of BFD in New jersey. Guests included couples hoping to adopt, couples who had already offered children, couples who had adopted children, and brothers and sisters who simply feel compassion for childless couples and want to help in any way they can, including prayer.

At both meetings we discussed the many issues that are important to think and pray about if you are considering being an offering parent and also the issues facing a couple hopeful of receiving a child. Many of those present had the opportunity to share their experiences from both sides of the process and quite a few tears were shed.

Central to both meetings was the guidance True Father originally gave on the tradition of Blessed Families offering to conceive for childless couples. True Father did not give detailed guidance about this tradition but what he gave was loud and clear and his words were the anchor onto which we all focused during the early foundation of our work to support offering and receiving couples.

His first words were to take the adoption providence out the hands of the church proper. He said that the church shouldn't be directly in charge of adoptions and that adoption is a private act between two couples.

He then said that central figures, no matter how well meaning, should not "match" a childless couple to a couple with children, nor in any way make couples feel pressured to either adopt or give a child.

He then suggested areas where adoptions might best take place: first between couples in a trinity, secondly within the spiritual family (spiritual parents, brothers and sister or spiritual children) and finally between couples who feel a bond of heart or calling from God.

In 1989 when the Blessed Family Department received these instructions from True Father, they took them to heart. They gave the adoption ministry to the New Family Foundation, a newly formed support group for offering and receiving couples comprised of offering and receiving mothers who had experience as counselors and who had a passion for work in this area.

Now in 2005 the Blessed Family Department has re-established the Adoption Ministry in order to support couples hopeful of receiving a child as well as those parents in a position of offering.

The Adoption Ministry will be preparing a list of these issues for further discussion and thought. We encourage all regional and local churches to become aware of this area of ministering to families and thus hold similar meetings based on the material that will come out.

Please visit the webpage for this ministry at www.familyfed.org/bfd. Look there for the materials when they become available. For those interested in this ministry, you can find a form for submitting your contact information.

Claire Bowles will be working as National Coordinator for the Adoption Ministry under the National BFD. She can be contacted directly for information concerning either offering or adoption of a blessed child.

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