Click here to download the Adoption Grant Application

After being invited by Shaohannah's Hope to attend Steven Curtis Chapman’s "All Things New" concert early to meet some of the staff involved and then being encouraged to put our Expo brochures out on the tables, an announcement was made direct from the concert stage on our behalf that the "Precious Stones" Adoption Expo was happening only a few days later. After finally getting to meet with Mr. Scott Hasenbalg (Executive Director of Shaohannah’s Hope) and Mr. Chapman, I left "knowing" in my heart that I was there for a reason. I knew that I was there for a purpose, yet, I was still left pondering as to what that reason was? Three days later, the "Precious Stones" Expo 2005 was blessed once again with attendance surpassing that of last year’s event.

Several more days passed before the pieces (comprising random thoughts and powerful memories, of things said and things discussed at the concert) started coming together in a simple, more focused way. Upon reflection, it became clear to me that the "Precious Stones" Adoption Ministry could/should address three priorities.

1. The first priority is to be the continuation of the annual Adoption Expos.

2. The second priority is to be the continuation of the Adoption S.O.S. / Forever Families board, as this board has brought such a new and strong "awareness" of the need for adoptive families and "encouragement" to the entire congregation, as well as, participants at the Expo.

3. The third priority (a missing piece that God has laid heavily on my heart) is that of somehow adding financial assistance to qualified and needful families that are wanting and waiting to adopt.

Three weeks later, an anonymous donor committed what he referred to as "seed money" for appropriate families in the adoption process.

Given that adoption is typically an expensive process, it is recognized that the grants offered by "Precious Stones" will also need to be financially significant so that the assistance will, at a practical level, be meaningful to the recipients. Because of the significant amount of money that may be involved, it will be critically important to maintain clarity, transparency and accountability through out the grant process. The guidelines, procedures and evaluation criteria detailed below are designed accordingly to uphold the integrity of the "Precious Stones" Financial Assistance Program. With the intent of streamlining a partnership between "Precious Stones" and Shaohannah’s Hope, many of the specifics that follow exactly mirror the Shaohannah's Hope grant application, evaluation and delivery processes.

Governance and Accountability. "Precious Stones" will continue to operate as a ministry of Mission Hills Church, and thus will not maintain a separate tax status, articles of incorporation, board of directors, et cetera. However, as a part of the church, "Precious Stones" and the individuals involved will ultimately be accountable to the Mission Hills Board of Elders.

Routine operations of the "Precious Stones" Adoption Ministry, including activities of the various ministry volunteers, will be coordinated through Lori Duryea, Adoption Liaison for Mission Hills Church. Rick Derbyshire, Pastor of Discipleship, will serve as the primary contact for "Precious Stones" with the pastoral staff at Mission Hills.

Oversight of the Financial Assistance Program, including evaluation of grant applications, will be provided by a five-person committee.  Committee members will be Mission Hills Partners who are appointed by the Board of Elders on the recommendation of the individuals already responsible for “Precious Stones.”  Immediate family members will not be permitted to serve on the committee concurrently.  At present, the committee comprises Rick and Lori as well as Pastor Keith Carson, whose professional background in financial planning will help the committee to assess grant applicant financial need;  the remaining two committee members will be Rich Lackey and Scott Stafford whose personal experiences with both financial and international adoption give them appropriate perspective for service on the committee.

Operational Guidelines. To facilitate communication among the various individuals involved, Rick and Lori will continue to hold a status meeting on the first Friday of each month. Committee meetings to evaluate grant applications will be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

As mentioned earlier, "Precious Stones" will not have its own legal identity. Hence, donations will be made to (and a tax-deductible receipt issued by) Mission Hills Church with an indication that the funds are designated for the "Precious Stones" Financial Assistance Program as distinct from general fund giving or other designated giving to include funds donated to cover "Precious Stones" Adoption Expo expenses. It is understood that the funds donated to the "Precious Stones" Financial Assistance Program will be held under a distinct account within the Mission Hills financial structure until such time as the grants are made. A check will be issued from the Church to the appropriate adoption agency in the name of the grant recipients once a grant application is unanimously approved by the committee. Hard copy statements from the "Precious Stones" accounts should be reviewed at each monthly status meeting, but in no case, will the accounts be reviewed any less frequently than quarterly.

To date, funding for the Financial Assistance Program has come from unsolicited donations. This will likely be true for the immediate future, but there may be an a appropriate time when more active fund raising alternatives are considered to further expand and strengthen this aspect of the "Precious Stones" Adoption Ministry.

Grant Criteria. Adoptive families who are interested in financial assistance from "Precious Stones" will be required to submit a written application that has been adapted for use from one originated by Shaohannah's Hope. Based on an informal partnership with Shaohannah’s Hope wherein our application will mirror their process, "Precious Stones" grant recipients may be eligible for matching grants from Shaohannah’s Hope. The decision to award a grant and the magnitude of the award will be based upon the following criteria and the discretion of the committee.

• Grant applicants must be Christians who should be actively involved in a local church. It is the intent of the "Precious Stones" Adoption Ministry to not only see orphans placed in homes where their physical needs are met, but to see them placed with forever families that will surround them with the message of the Gospel. Preference will be given to families from Mission Hills Church and other congregations who have individually or corporately contributed to funding the Financial Assistance Program.

• Grant applicants must be married couples. Recognizing that God’s design for the family is founded on the institution of marriage, "Precious Stones" will not financially support adoptions by single individuals or unmarried couples. Although God in His grace can and often does sustain and indeed bless many families where circumstances have left children with only a single parent, it is another matter to enter deliberately into a circumstance that is at odds with Biblical precedent.

• Grant applicants must provide documentation that they have completed their homestudy, which demonstrates their commitment to the adoption process and confirms their qualification as adoptive parents in the eyes of the appropriate government jurisdiction.

• Grant applicants must be working through an approved adoption agency known to "Precious Stones" and/or Shaohannah’s Hope. These will generally include Christian 501(c)(3) organizations that have been referred to and have a previous working relationship with "Precious Stones" and/or Shaohannah’s Hope.

• Grant applications will be evaluated based in part on financial need with preference given to families for whom a grant might make the difference between a successful adoption or not. Grants will not exceed 50 percent of the anticipated cost of the adoption with "Precious Stones" providing up to 25 percent of the cost and Shaohannah’s Hope potentially providing matching funds.