Church Resources
Celebrating the Adoption of a Sibling Group:
A Candle Lighting Ceremony
Candle 1: The first candle we light is for the Christ child, which represents the light of the world. This light is the light that God gives to everyone who trusts in Him as Savior and Lord. We all need to make this light first in our lives, because from this light, all other candles in our lives are able to be lit.
Candle 2: The second candle is for the birthparents. Though these parents were not able to parent these children, they did give them life in a time when they coud have chosen to end their lives. They also gave these children their genes, their heritage, and experiences that make these children who they are today.
Candle 3: The third candle is for the extended family and significant others who love us and have helped us through this adoption process. This includes friends, social workers, therapists, foster parents, and other caring people in the lives of our children who have helped make our family united and one.
Candle 4: The fourth candle is for the adoptive family who now enfold these children into their family, making them their own by loving and supporting the children.
Candle 5: The sixth candle is for these adopted children who have had no power of their own to change their family history. We pray that these children will someday, by God’s grace, have loving families of their own with children whom they will nurture and raise with faith in the Lord.
Adoptive Parent Vows
We praise God for bringing you into our lives, and we are happy to make these promises to you:
With the gracious help of God, we promise to love you, cherish you, and claim you as our precious children as long as we live.
We promise to teach you about the love of Jesus, and take you to church, and Sunday School. We want you to know this wonderful Savior as Your own.
We also promise to provide for you, as we are able. We will care for you, and give you everything we can for your success and happiness.
To the best of our ability, and with the guidance of God, we will be a positive role model for you. We will do our best to be an example from which you can learn right and wrong.
We will also discipline you in love. When you disobey us, hurt others, or display a bad attitude, there will be consequences. We will never beat you or harm you, but we will insist on good behavior.
In the presence of God and these witnesses, these are the loving promises we make to you this day. We are so glad that you are part of our family!