The keynote speaker for the 20th Annual Covenant Care Fundraising Banquet will be Josh McDowell, a Christian apologist, evangelist, writer, and speaker. McDowell has written or cowritten 77 books on topics ranging from Christian apologetics to common problems facing youth, including Evidence that Demands A Verdict, More Than A Carpenter, Why Wait? , and Right From Wrong. Since McDowell is also an adoptive dad, Covenant Care is especially excited to welcome him as the keynote speaker.

The banquet will be held at the Macon City Auditorium on November 9, 2009. The purpose of the evening is to share what has been accomplished through the work of Covenant Care Services, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian adoption agency and to raise funds to continue that work. Because of generous donors in this community, Covenant Care's services to pregnant women are free, and adoption costs for couples are some of the lowest in Georgia.

The evening will begin when the doors open at 5:45 p.m. , and the evening meal will be served at 6:15 p.m. The banquet promises to be an engaging and fulfilling time of fellowship, music, ministry updates with a dynamic message from Josh McDowell.

The 2009 banquet theme is "That They May See the Light," and the key Bible verse is Luke 8:16: "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."

"Come celebrate with us the ways God has used His people to shatter darkness with the light of the Gospel and the hope of adoption! Adoption into two parent Christian families is actually a wonderful evangelistic tool.

For the last twenty years, Covenant Care Services has placed nearly 500 children in adoptive families who have had the privilege of growing up in a stable and secure environment in which they can hear the gospel message and see it lived out in their parents' lives. It is hard for me to imagine anything more important than this work. With each year, there are many more indicators that the two-parent family is in decline, with growing numbers of children who are considered at risk to becoming responsible members of our culture. As the body of Christ we cannot sit idly by and think that this trend will change on its own. We are here on this earth to do everything we can to share the gospel, to support God's first institution, the family, and ultimately to give Him the glory in what He has called us to do! Covenant Care is devoted to this cause," says Iris Archer, Executive Director of Covenant Care Services.

Covenant Care Services, Inc. has provided quality social services throughout the state of Georgia for 20 years. As a licensed adoption agency, CCS has served over 5, 500 women who faced an unplanned pregnancy, and with the support of CCS have permanently placed nearly 500 children in adoptive homes.

Call 478-475-4990 for reservations. There is no cost to attend, but seating is limited.

www.CovenantCareAdoptions.com