Adopt-A-People
Adopt-A-People means to so imerse yourself in the life and fate of an
unreached people group, that you become one with them. Paul said, "I
become all things to all men, that I might by some means save some."
Adopt-A-People means to fall in love with a people of another language and
culture who desperately need the Lord. That love constrains you to do
everything within your power and means to get them the Gospel.
Adopt-A-People committing yourself personally to the task of evangelising
that unreached people group. That commitment means a total dedication of
yourself to that end; your energy, your time, your talents, your intellect,
and your resources.
Adopt-A-People active involvement in the task of reaching the lost. Adoption
is not being a passive by-stander, bench-warmer or an spectator. It means
participation.
Has God touched your heart for the lostness of a people who have yet to hear
the Gospel? If your answer is yes, then know that it is God who calls you,
not men. Adopt-A-People is the first step in responding to God's call of
missions on your life. It is a way to get involved up to your eyeballs with
an unreached people and God's work among them. Adopt-A-People is a means
for you to funnel your burden into active participation in the Great
Commission.
1. Send for the list of Unreached Peoples (its free)
2. Send for the Within Our Reach Resource Kit:
"They Too Must Hear" and outline of each of the unreached peoples.
3. Read the materials on the Within Our Reach Program.
4. Pray specifically that God will burden you for one group.
5. Select the people God lays on your heart. (Take a month or more to
decide. Discuss your choices with a friend. Pray about it.
6. Read and sign the "Individual Covenant of Adoption." with two
and witnesses and your pastor.
7. Send in your covenant and your 1st month covenant pledge.
You will receive the..."Within Our Reach Adoption Packet"
a. A Certificate of Adoption
b. A picture of your adopted people
c. A detailed map of the region.
d. A complete profile of the people you chose
e. A list of missionaries working with them (if any)
f. Hints for getting started as a UPG advocate.
8. Other Resources Available
a. A guide to studying/researching UPGs
b. A subscription to "Parousia News" a quarterly
newsletter dedicated to Unreached People Groups.
c. A Prayer Journey Guide - "Why and How?"
d. A Guide to Networking through the Internet and e-mail
e. Information on other resources, books, magazines, maps,
software, etc.
f. An Intercessors Guide.
g. "A Jesus Trek" - Travel Overseas Study & Prayer Tours
of Unreached People Groups.
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Congregational Covenant of Adoption
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Adoption of an Unreached People Group is serious business. It is part of
spiritual warfare that involves personal sacrifice and intercessory prayer.
No one should enter into it lightly or without an intent of fulfilling his
covenant. God holds us accountable to our promises. Do not let Satan get
an advantage over you through broken vows.
Any congregation wishing to enter into a covenant of adoption must have
carefully bathed the issue in prayer. They should have carefully studied
the needs of at least 12 groups before focusing on one. Prior to making this
covenant they must have at least ten individuals and families who have
already entered into personal covenants with God for these people. (A
church of less than 100 in average attendance may have just 5 families
involved.)
This covenant is a sacred vow before the Lord of the Harvest and should not
be entered into lightly or irreverently. It must be the determined purpose
of at least 10 families of the church to pursue the evangelization of this
people with all haste, by every available means. This covenant is for the
next three consecutive years.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
We hereby covenant before God, and the below signed witnesses, to adopt into
our hearts and lives the ______________ people of ___________ ___________.
We promise to love them, to pour out our lives, energies, and soul's
passions to reach them by any and all means with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
during the next ____ years.
We therefore covenant before God today ____________, 199__, that by the
grace of God, and the strength of the Holy Spirit, We, the congregation at
the _____________________________________________ church will endeavor to do
the following tasks:
We do here this ____ day of _____________, 199__, solemnly covenant with God
and before men, that the _____________ people, of ___________ are our
adopted Unreached people group. We hold ourselves responsible to see to it
that they ____________ are penetrated with the witness of Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and that a strong witnessing church is raised up among them during
the next five years.
We covenant before God to love these people as if they were our own
families; to regularly pour out our hearts before God for them in public and
in private; to study and learn all that we can of their language, customs,
dress, religions, etc. so as to pray for them more fervently, and
effectively.
[] To give a minimum of $200 per month to fund the direct evangelistic
endeavors to the __________ people. I understand that this is above and
beyond our regular Great Commission giving which is to support the
missionaries. (This is a church pledge not to be confused with the
individual adoption pledge. It is above an beyond the individual's personal
adoption pledge.)
[] To send support and prayer teams to visit them as we are able that we
might pray for them personally, and encourage the missionaries that labor
among them, and assist in whatever physical and spiritual way possible.
[] To support Bible translation, Radio broadcasts, the Jesus Film, short
term missions projects, relief efforts, construction projects and any other
effective evangelistic tools that might win some of them to Jesus Christ.
This covenant is to be signed in the presence of the congregation in a
public service
Pledged by (signatures):
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
____________________________ __________________________________
Pastor: ___________________________________________________
Keep a copy for yourself. (Put it in a visible place.)
Send a copy to a missionary working among your adopted people.
Send a copy to the UPG Office with your 1st monthly offering.
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Individual Covenant of Adoption
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I hereby covenant before God, and the below signed witnesses, to adopt into
my heart and life the ______________ people of ___________ ___________. I
promise to love them, to pour out my life energies, and my soul's passion to
reach them by any and all means with the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the
next ____ years. I therefore covenant before God today ____________, 199__,
that by the grace of God, and the strength of the Holy Spirit, I will
endeavor to do the following tasks:
I pledge in earnest...
[] To give $20.00 per month to fund the direct evangelistic endeavors to
the __________ people. I understand that this is above and beyond my Great
Commission giving which is to support the missionaries.
[] To pray every day at the noon hour (or any specifically designated hour)
on my knees before God for not less than three minutes, and up to one hour
for the salvation of the ____________ people.
[] To study the ____________ people by reading and researching their
lifestyle, customs, dress, food, recreations, religion, festivals,
traditions, folklore, and language, until I know them as my own people.
[] To share with others my love and burden for the ____________ people, to
the end that they too may adopt them and join in the quest for their eternal
salvation.
[] To learn to speak words and phrases of their language, and by God's
grace to learn John 3:16 in their native tongue, so that I may claim it to
God for them.
[] To give myself to prayer and fasting, and prolonged seasons prayer for
the salvation of the _____________ people at least three times year.
[] To join with other prayer warriors to intercede for the nations that God
has placed on their heart.
[] To be an advocate for my people before others in my church sharing with
Sunday School classes, small groups, prayer meetings, and in Worship
services my burden for the ____________ people, as God grants me the
opportunities.
[] To inform myself of the progress of missions among my people by
subscribing to Alliance Life, missions journals, digests, periodicals,
newsletters, missionary newsletters, and to keep a written account of the
same in my prayer journal.
[] To travel (as God should lead and provide) to meet and pray for my
people in their land whether by a prayer journey, a study and research tour,
or a work project. If I should not be able to go I will sponsor and assist
someone to go in my place.
[] To study intercessory prayer and warfare praying so to learn to pray
with authority and powerful effect for my people.
[] To attend a Missions Course, such as "Perspectives" to gain needed
insights to God's heart and plan for the nations.
(Check only those commitments you can honestly make and will do.)
Sign in the presence of two godly committed Christian friends, and hold one
another accountable. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is
alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if
two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And
if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is
not quickly broken."
Witnessed ___________________________________________________
Witnessed ___________________________________________________
Elder: ___________________________________________________
Pastor: ___________________________________________________
Keep a copy for yourself. (Put it in a visible place.)
Send a copy to a missionary working among your adopted people.
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