Monday, December 19, 2011

Children's hospital in the Philippines

Everyone has been following Tim Tebow because of his public faith and because the Denver Broncos are winning their division over the Raiders and Chargers with Tebow as their QB. In his post game interview after a win over the Jets, he mentioned that even though he loves football, what is most important is his platform as an NFL player that allows him to help children and to build a hospital in the Philippines. He is only 24 years old and already has a desire to be generous and to live out James 1:27. It is great to see a young man who could be using his platform to build himself up, but instead lives out the Gospel for the world to see. Here is a short video about his partnership with CURE on the children's hospital in the Philippines.

Tim Tebow Announces the Tebow CURE Hospital from CURE Video on Vimeo.


video h/t: The Gathering Newsletter

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Help ABBA Fund win a $50,000 grant!

Giving of Life is a new organization that is giving $50,000 to one of the top 20 organizations based on your votes. We really need your help! Details here and please help get the word out! Voting ends tomorrow.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Hope For Orphans Institute

Join Paul and Robin Pennington along with other great speakers, including Dr. Karyn Purvis, at the Hope For Orphans Institute! Coming up September 16-17 in Plano, Texas. This conference will prepare families for adoption and encourage them with the resources that are available. Thankful for the work that Hope For Orphans is doing!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Adoption and Orphan Conference in North Carolina

The Pure Religion Conference hosted by Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC on August 12-13, 2011. Great lineup of speakers including Geoff Moore and Dan Cruver. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Adoption interview with Craig Juntunen

House Conference I (Part 3) from Together for Adoption on Vimeo.


Both Ends Burning is a movement to reform the adoption process. Watch the interview and sign the petition on their website. Craig is a former professional quarterback whose life took an unexpected turn as a result of a trip to Haiti. Since that trip to Haiti, Craig has become an adoptive father, founder of Chances for children (which has placed over 100 Haitian children in adoptive families), and now the founder and president of the Both Ends Burning Campaign. Although adoption, whether domestic or international, is not the answer to the global orphan crisis, the adoption process certainly needs to be reformed for the sake of children who are waiting for families. Through the Both Ends Burning Campaign, Craig Juntunen and his team are working tirelessly to make this a reality.

HT: Together For Adoption

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Hague credit hours at Summit VII


You have the opportunity to earn 4+ Hague credit hours at the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ national conference, Summit VII, in Louisville, KY on May 12-13.

These courses will be taught by national experts on key issues of significance to adoptive families, including Dr. Karyn Purvis and they will be provided at no cost beyond conference registration.

Alongside these sessions and more than 70 other workshop options, Summit VII offers an opportunity to interact with families committed to adoption and orphan care from across America and beyond. Keynotes will range from Dennis Rainey and Dr. Russell Moore to former NFL Pro Bowl football player Luther Elliss and Carolyn Tweitmeyer. Music will include Sara Groves, the Desperation Band, the Robbie Seay Band, and Nicol Sponberg.

Learn more about Summit here!

Topics will include:

Attachment and Trauma I (Karyn Purvis, TCU Institute of Child Development) Understand the significant emotional, social and other issues faced by orphans and what it takes to build lasting, loving connection with them. (Adoptive families receive 1 Hague Hour)

Attachment and Trauma II (Karyn Purvis, TCU Institute of Child Development) Understand the significant emotional, social and other issues faced by orphans and what it takes to build lasting, loving connection with them. (Adoptive families receive 1 Hague Hour)

Becoming a Multicultural/Multiracial Family I How does race, culture and ethnicity affect a child that becomes part of your family through adoption? How does it effect the other members of a family once you become a multicultural/multiracial family. This interactive workshop will challenge how you think about the impact of race, culture and ethnicity on everyone in your family. (Adoptive families receive 1 Hague Hour)

Becoming a Multicultural/Multiracial Family II Attendees will be able to ask questions of transracially adopted adults in a forum setting. Through this vulnerable and intimate experience, attendees will gain a sensitivity to the adoptee perspective while gaining awareness of lifespan issues in adoption. (Adoptive families receive 1 Hague Hour)

Depression after Adoption "How can I feel so down when I've waited so long to bring this child home?" What is depression after adoption, how do I recognize it and what can be done about it? This workshop will explore this surprisingly frequent experience of new adoptive parents. (Note: Is not approved for Hague credit, but many adoption agencies will approve for training credit)

Practical Realities of Parenting Children from Hard Places (Michael and Amy Monroe, Tapestry Adoption and Foster Care Ministry) Additional practical insight for parents and church ministry leaders who want to better understand the "how and why" of connecting and correcting strategies for children with trauma backgrounds. This session will further illustrate the principles and strategies taught by Dr. Purvis using a variety of everyday situations for parents of children of all ages. (Note: Is not approved for Hague credit, but many adoption agencies will approve for training credit)

In addition to these sessions, more than 70 breakouts (not offering Hague credit) will include special sessions on pre- and post-adoption issues including:

* Creative Fundraising for Your Adoption
* Keeping Marriage and Family Strong on the Journey of Adoption (Taught by Dennis & Barbara Rainey)
* Adoption from the Inside Out
* Building Church Orphan Ministries 201: Adoption
* Help Wanted: Providing Real Support, Help and Answers for Families in the Adoption Process
* How to Launch a Church Adoption Fund & Funding Solutions
* International Adoption 2011: Challenges, Changes and Difficult Questions (Lunch Session)
* Supporting Families in the Post-Placement Adoption Journey
* Tools and Resources for Families and Church Ministries
* Caring for Siblings: Practical Steps for Easing Transitions
* Practical Realities of Parenting Children from Hard Places
* Straight Talk about Disruption
* Supporting Families in the Post-Placement Adoption Journey
* Tools and Resources for Families and Church Ministries
* Adopting and Advocating for Children with HIV
* Adopting the Deaf Child
* Wrapping Around Adoptive Families
* Full list of all breakout topics

Friday, April 1, 2011

Adoption tax credit helps foster family with $54,000 tax refund


Really nice story about the Ward family from Smithfield, NC who were caring for children through foster care and ending up adopting five! "We didn't get into foster care to adopt anyone, but when we started being foster parents we couldn't let a child leave us without a place to call home," said Thelma.

Read more of their story on CNN Money here.

Jason Kovacs recently posted a comprehensive article about the adoption tax credit on our ABBA Fund website. Everything You Want to Know and More about the Adoption Tax Credit

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Support adoption during March Madness!


ABBA Fund has teamed up with Good Brackets for March Madness. It is a great way to have some fun competition with family and friends and at the same time to raise funds for ABBA Fund and T4A. We will receive your donation when you fill out your bracket, but if we have the most brackets signed up to support ABBA Fund/T4A then we will also receive $500 or more! Visit www.goodbrackets.com for more details on how ABBA Fund and T4A will benefit and be sure to fill in your brackets before the Thursday games begin.

1. Visit www.goodbrackets.com
2. Click create new account and complete your profile
3. Click get a new bracket
4. Name your bracket, choose your donation amount, choose ABBA Fund as your non-profit and select direct donation.
5. Click complete your transaction
6. Choose group: ABBA Fund/T4A 2011 NCAA Challenge
7. Let your friends know about it and have fun while supporting ABBA Fund and Together For Adoption!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

HIV Adoption and the Twietmeyers Project Hopeful

My friends Carolyn and Kiel Twietmeyer from Chicago were recently featured in People Magazine. Their amazing testimony was also captured by Jena Bush Hager on the Today Show last week.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Another interview from last week on Canadian 100 Huntley Street



Thankful for the work that the Twietmeyers are doing to create awareness about HIV and adoption and the testimony they have about how God has provided!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Empowered to Connect Conferences and the Christian Alliance For Orphans Summit VII

I'm looking forward to seeing many friends in Louisville, KY for Summit VII! Dr. Karyn Purvis and many others will be there.



Here is the audio from Karyn's main session at Together For Adoption in Austin, TX last fall. She will be speaking at Summit VII as well as two Empowered to Connect Conferences in April (Denver) and September (Nashville).

Friday, February 11, 2011

Videos from Tom Davis and Steven Curtis Chapman

The Christian Alliance for Orphans is doing a great job getting the word out about adoption and orphan care. Here are a couple of videos they have put together from two of my favorite orphan advocates. Steven Curtis Chapman and Tom Davis!

Christian Alliance for Orphans from New Vision Productions on Vimeo.



Christian Alliance for Orphans from New Vision Productions on Vimeo.