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A few years ago the founder of our training program said, “We have a lot of people who come to us with a desire to serve God internationally, but not all end up overseas. How can we help people get to the mission field? What things are helpful? What things hinder? How can we help address these issues?” These simple questions led to a search for how to appropriately steward the gifts and resources of people God has called and support them all the way into long-term missions. Out of these simple questions, the LAUNCH Survey was born.

All theology is based on autobiography. All theology has its unique color and context, and so does my missiology. My missional focus for this article is transnational adoption in the larger context of the ministry of compassion.

A 2015 published Pew study on America’s changing religious landscape spanning from 2007 to 2013 indicates that the Christian population in the U.S. is shrinking from 78.4% to 70.6%, a 7.8% decline. This is in contrast with the world religions category, which saw an increase from 4.7% to 5.9%, a growth of 1.2%.

The polls are in and the news is bad for the Church in America. Christianity is on the decline, Americans have given up on God, and the “Nones”—those who have no religious ties—are on the rise. It is indeed true that parts of the Christian Church in America are struggling, while a growing number of Americans are far from God.

Why don’t you share some Christian songs in your language with me?” I asked some musicians on our way home from a worship event. As an ethnodoxologist, I thought the lack of enthusiasm during the event was due to the use of foreign songs. I naively assumed my friends would be thrilled to sing in their heart language.