This the seventh in a
series about adoption and infertility ministries. Parts 1-3 (April 3, 5 &
7) explain how Heartbeat Ministry started, its mission and goals, and how we
created a library of resources. Parts 4 and 5 (April 11 & 18) detail why
infertility, in particular, is discussed so rarely in churches. On April 24, I
listed ideas for how to recruit volunteers. Today I’ll share the results of our
first event – an infertility seminar.
milled around the room, waiting anxiously for the participants to arrive. A
young couple poked their heads through the open door. Spotting them, one of our
volunteers sprinted over and vigorously shook their hands. “Hi, I’m Greg and I’m infertile,” he
announced.
The young couple’s mouths dropped open and stayed open.
Greg, ever the practical joker, burst into laughter. “I’ve
always wanted to say that!”
The couple recovered quickly, and a new friendship was born.
Later, the couple confided that they almost hadn’t attended
the seminar because they were fearful that it would resemble an AA meeting –
that someone would stride up to them and say, “Hi, I’m so and so and I’m
infertile.”
The infertility seminar wasn’t what you’d call a rousing
success, numbers-wise. I think there were more volunteers than participants.
But that’s okay. Because hosting that seminar represented our first effort at
talking openly about infertility issues in our church. We shared our stories –
many of us, for the first time – and we learned from a fertility specialist. We
prayed together, exchanged addresses and phone numbers, and most importantly,
we discovered that there are others in the church just like us. Others with the
same struggles and the same dreams for creating a family. That day, we became a
family.
It has been seven years since that seminar, but the people
who were brave enough to attend have remained a part of one another’s lives. Whenever
we see each other, we remember. We remember that someone cared.
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Hello from Jody Moreen, Editor Adoption Blessings Journal, a 20 page Christian free outreach adoption publication sharing testimonies, stories,poems and book reviews by adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents-(US mail only) The 10th issue will come out in late summer.
I have a ministry with the Adoption triad – all sides of adoption, lead an adoption triad support group at my church in Wheaton, IL. I am an adoptee, 50 years old and was fortunate to be adopted into a Christian home. Read my blog for my poem, An Adoptee’s Praise and also my testimony on my miracle birth and adoption! Hope to link with other Christian adoption sites! Great Blog!
Jody Moreen, Illinois
My Blog is on Blogspot.com and is called Adoption Triad Fellowship
adoption@wideopenwest.com