Lakewood Baptist Church to host child adoption workshop and seminar Sunday

Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville will be the site of the "Adoption 101" workshop for community members curious about the adoption process.

 

“The two-hour workshop is for anyone who has ever considered the possibility of adopting,” said Adoption Ministry Coordinator, Teresa Grimes.

 

“We’ll introduce the very basics of the adoption process.”

 

The workshop runs from 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. on the Lakewood Baptist campus at 2235 Thompson
Bridge Road north of downtown Gainesville Sunday January 29. The event is free to the community with a light lunch provided.

 

Grimes said the workshop is great for any person interested in adoption that knows very little about their options and how the process works to adopt through newborn domestic adoptions, international adoptions and adopting through the foster care system.

 

"I have heard for the past several years from people, 'we'd love to adopt, but do not know where to start.' Well this is the right place to start with this workshop," said Grimes.

 

The church held their first Adoption 101 workshop last September when Senior Pastor, Dr. Tom Smiley, introduced Jochebed’s Hope as a new ministry with the purpose of encouraging adoption, orphan and foster care as well as to provide ministry support to members of the adoption community – birth parents, children, adoptive parents and  foster parents.

 

Grimes, who with her husband adopted nine children after becoming empty nesters with their biological children, said the first workshop has led to new family additions for many of the attendees.

 

"It has been great to watch how all of the people that attended that workshop have progressed through their adoption journey. We have had one couple adopt newborn twin boys. And another couple, who came to the class in September, that are matched with a five year old little boy in China that is now just waiting to make the trip to bring him home."  

 

She states they hope to offer more workshops for the community discussing the hurdles prospective adoptive parents face and what their options are.

 

Registration is preferred for the workshop by calling
770-532-6307.