Church Resources
Entrustment (Adoption) Ceremony
Reading: Jeremiah 29:11-14
Leader: May the love of God be with us always!
Leader: Let us pray. Gracious God, Your Word, spoken in love, created the human family and Your Son, conceived in love, restored it to Your friendship. Bless [name of birthmother], watch over and support her. Fill her with Your holy joy. Bless her baby, that s/he may grow in love and joy with the blessing of his/her mother.
Loving God, Your Son has taught us that whoever welcomes a child in His name, welcomes Him. We give You thanks for [child’s name] whom [names of adoptive parents] have welcomed into their family. Bless this family. Confirm a lively sense of Your presence with them and grant to these parents patience and wisdom that their lives may show forth the love of Christ as they bring [child’s name] up to love You and all that is good.
Reading: Mark 10:13-16
Prayer: Psalm 8
Leader: [name of birthmother], you have given life to [child’s name] and have chosen to place him/her in the family of [names of adoptive parents].
Will you, [names of adoptive parents], receive this child in love, care for him/her, provide direction and guidance for his/her life, and lead this child by your teaching and example to follow Jesus?
Response: Yes, we will.
Leader: As God has made us all His children by grace and adoption, may [name of birthmother] and this family always abide in God’s love.
Intercessions
Leader: God is the author of all life and calls us into His loving family through Christ. Therefore, with thankful hearts we pray…
All: Loving Father, hear us!
Leader: For [name of birthmother], that she may be sustained and nurtured by God’s love at all times, we pray…
All: Loving Father, hear us!
Leader: For [names of adoptive parents] and their child [child’s name], that God may bind them together in love as a family, we pray…
All: Loving Father, hear us!
Leader: For [names of birthgrandparents], that they experience God’s special love through their grandchild, we pray…
All: Loving Father, hear us!
Leader: For [anyone else you would like to mention, such as social worker, friends, relatives, foster parents, etc.], that they remember this child with love and prayer, we pray…
All: Loving Father, hear us!
Leader: As God’s adopted children in Christ Jesus, we pray:
All: [Recite the “Our Father.”]
Leader: Let us pray:
God, our Creator, cherish this child. Jesus, our Savior, protect him/her. Holy Spirit, Comforter, strengthen him/her.
Source of all blessings, Protector of infants, look with favor on this child. Hold him/her gently in Your hands. Grant him/her Your richest blessings. Guide this little one throughout his/her life, so s/he may love You always, and with us, praise Your name forever.
This service was written by Sr. Joan Brown.