Adoption is one of the most radically inclusive aspects of God’s kingdom. All of us belong to God’s family—Jesus as God’s son and the rest of us as his adopted children. 

In  this talk, author and practical theologian Kelley Nikondeha will explore how the Christian concept of adoption into God’s family can deepen our sense of belonging. Drawing on her own story as both an adopted child and an adoptive mother, Kelley will elaborate a rich, biblically grounded understanding of adoption that reframes the way we perceive family, friends, and God’s expansive love. 

Beyond unpacking the meaning and implications of adoption, including its potential to cross socioeconomic and ethnic boundaries, Kelley will share ways we might have more healthy conversations about our ideas of family, our longing for connection, and the mystery of what it means to truly belong. 

About Kelley Nikondeha

Kelley is the co-director and chief storyteller for Communities of Hope, a community development enterprise in Burundi. The author of  Adopted: The Sacrament of Belonging in a Fractured World (Eerdmans, 2017), a Christianity Today  2018 Award of Merit Christian Living/Discipleship,  and  Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us about Freedom (Eerdmans, 2020), Kelley also serves as the theologian-in-residence for  SheLoves Magazine, a global community of women committed to God’s imperatives to advance love and justice in the world. Learn more about Kelley at https://kelleynikondeha.com.