Adopt a Family 2023 - Antioch Waco

Each year as a church, we adopt local families with incarcerated parents to provide Christmas gifts to their kids. It's a practical way to show the love of Jesus, and we get the opportunity to minister to both kids and parents during the Christmas season.

If you'd like to "adopt a family," stop by the Christmas tree in the Lobby at church on a Sunday (while supplies last!). If you'd like to donate to our Adopt a Family fund, which will be used to provide gifts for local kids with incarcerated parents as well as other children and families in need, click the button below!

Donate Now!

Check below for some of our most frequently asked questions:

What if all my gift suggestions are unreasonably expensive?

Please do not feel any pressure. We do not intend for anyone in our church to feel obligated to purchase big ticket items for the families available for adoption. We don't communicate limits to the families who apply for this program, but we definitely do not expect our church members to be obligated to accommodate requests like phones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, expensive bicycles, etc.

If, however, you would like to splurge on the family you have adopted, please feel free to follow God's guidance and generosity.

If the only interests listed are unreasonably expensive and you're not sure what gifts to purchase for your family instead, see the question, "What if my family's ages or interests are unclear?"

What if my family's ages or interests are unclear?

If the age, gender or interests of a child in your adopted family are blank or unclear, it is most likely because the person who submitted that family for adoption did not provide the missing details.

Unfortunately, we are unable to access any additional details about families in this situation. Children are often signed up for our Adopt a Family initiative by their incarcerated parents or by extended family who may not live with the children and may not have enough interaction with the kids to know details like clothing or shoe sizes, specific interests, hobbies, exact age, etc.

If you are unsure how to bless your adopted family, gift cards are always safe options. Walmart, Target, Academy, Visa or Mastercard are good choices.

What monetary amount should I spend for each child?

We like to leave this choice up to our adopters. Lifegroups who adopt a family may be able to band together to provide more for each child than a single college student who adopts the same family, so we don't want to put obligations that may feel burdensome on our adopters. You’re welcome to spend as much as you feel led on gifts for each child. If it’s helpful to have a “rule of thumb,” we’ve suggested in past years an amount of about $25 per child. Again, this is by no means an expectation, so feel free to bless the family however you feel led.

How many gifts should I give to each child?

We also like to leave this choice up to our adopters. While a 2-year-old might be delighted with a dozen toys from the dollar section, a 16-year-old might better appreciate a single gift more than a bunch of smaller ones. You’re welcome to get each child as many or as few gifts as you feel led.

One thing to consider is whether the kids in the family are of ages that might understand receiving different quantities of gifts, or if everyone receiving the same number of gifts might better contribute to a feeling of sibling harmony and "fairness."

What if it's been 48 hours and I haven't received more details?

We aim to send emails within 48 hours of your signup to provide additional details about the ages, genders and interests of the children in your family, as well as specifics for how and when to package and deliver your gifts to the church. If you do not see this email within 48 hours, please check the confirmation email you received after submitting your registration to ensure that the family number and contact email you submitted are correct. Please also check your spam or junk folder to see if the detail email landed there. If you are still unable to locate the detail email, please reach out to [email protected].

I have another question not listed here.

Subscribe to weekly Antioch Waco emails

New Here

Connect

Ministries