Small World, Inc, requires all adoptive parents, volunteers, board members and employees to affirm their agreement with the following Statement of Faith. To further its Christian mission and maintain its integrity as a Christian organization, Small World, Inc. places a child or causes a child to be placed for adoption into only Christian families where that child will be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. In keeping with our Christian mission Small World chooses to work and partner with prospective adoptive parents, employees, volunteers, and board members that hold beliefs and engage in conduct that is in keeping with this Statement of Faith.
On the Bible . . .
I believe the Bible (all 66 canonical books) in its original autographs to have been written by Holy men of God, borne along by the Holy Spirit in such a way that every word of it is the inspired, infallible, Word of God revealing the love of God to the world. I believe that the Bible is authoritative and the complete and final Revelation of God to man for this age. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 3:16
On God . . .
I believe God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end. 1 Timothy 1:17; John 1:1-4, 4:24
I believe that He is absolute, personal, and eternal in His being and attributes. Deuteronomy 33:27; Malachi 3:6; Psalm 90:2
I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:4-6
I believe the Father has been revealed to man through the Son and that He eternally proceeds from the Father. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. John 1:1-2, 8:42; Psalm 139:1-13; Revelation 19:6
I believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His future physical return to earth in power and glory. Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4, 29; Acts 1:11, 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15
Concerning His deity, I believe the Son, Jesus Christ, is fully God and fully man, He is coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Luke 19:10, 21:27; Revelation 1:8; Mark 13:26; John 10:30; Galatians 4:4-5
I believe the Holy Spirit is a person, one with the Father and Son in the Godhead, John 14:26; Titus 3:5
On Mankind’s Fate . . .
I believe that all men everywhere are lost, and without a savior, face the judgment of God. I believe Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that for the salvation of sinful man, man must trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ calling upon Him putting their full faith and trust in His finished work at Calvary to cleanse them of all sin and make of them a new creature in Christ that lives eternally in His presence. Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7
I believe that salvation is received instantly and appropriated by simple faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and personal Savior and includes deliverance from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin in one’s life, and ultimately from the presence of sin in Heaven with Christ. 1 John 5:13; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10
I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a Godly life and who molds and shapes the believer into the image of Christ Jesus our LORD. John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18 and 22; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10
I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of the great white throne judgment. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15
On Christian Behavior . . .
I believe one’s salvation will be evidenced by a genuine love for Christ and His Word and by a life characterized by Christ-like motives and love. Matthew 13:23; John 14:15
I believe a Christian should live in good conscience before God, walking in love, mercy and forgiveness. The believer is not perfect but forgiven and should walk in love towards God and man. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 John 4:7-8; Ephesians 4:32
I believe that as we are obedient to His call and commands, we are privileged to be a partner with God in reconciling others to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Matthew 5:16
On Marriage, Gender and Sexuality . . .
I believe that we are wonderfully made in the image of God. He created us male and female separately. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s genetic gender is a rejection of the will of God in a fundamental and foundational portion of their existence. Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9
I believe God’s plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage and that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the family as the basic structure of human society. For this reason, I believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9
I believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman and that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest and other perversions) is sinful and offensive to God. Hebrews 13:4; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
On Human Life . . .
I believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that human life begins at the moment of conception and the resulting combination is a living human being. God oversees the development of every human being from its beginning at conception. Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10
I believe that the unborn child is a human being possessing a soul and personally known by God. Therefore, abortion on demand, or in any case where the life of the mother is not immediately threatened by the continuation of pregnancy, is the willful taking of an innocent human life and inherently wrong. Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41
I believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the policies of Small World. Ephesians 4:31-32; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and 13; John 8:7; Mark 10:13-14
I believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Small World as a Christian Ministry, all persons employed by Small World in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, or receive the placement of a child to adopt must agree to this statement of faith. 1 Corinthians 5:11
Without reservation or hesitation, I state clearly from my deepest beliefs that I am trusting in Jesus Christ alone as my Savior. His shed blood and finished work at Calvary paid for all my sin, and I am depending on no other institution, personal good works, person or philosophy for my eternal salvation. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I furthermore affirm that I am in agreement with the above statement of faith in its entirety.