unSeminary Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: Chosen: How Adoption & Foster Care Fuel a Fast-Growing Church’s Mission
Host: Rich Birch
Guest: Andrew Hopper, Lead Pastor, Mercy Hill Church
Date: January 8, 2026

Overview:

This episode explores how Mercy Hill Church, one of the fastest-growing churches in the U.S., grounds its mission in adoption, foster care, and gospel-centered community outreach. Lead Pastor Andrew Hopper shares practical strategies, their unique ministry model, and lessons learned about keeping missional clarity, developing sustainable compassion initiatives, and fueling discipleship through “chosen” ministry. The conversation focuses on rooting action in gospel motivation rather than guilt, making big vision accessible through practical steps, and integrating evangelism into community impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights:

Mercy Hill’s Growth and Missional Clarity

• Growth Snapshot: Church planted in 2012 with 30 people; now five campuses, 4,500 weekly attendance, significant annual growth (~30%). Recently launched a new building and their first new church in their own city.
  • “We were in a rented location... it was a three or four year journey to raise the money and build this new facility. But we're in and the Lord has really blessed that...” (03:03)
• Budget-Resource Tension: The church’s financial giving lags behind attendance growth, creating a challenge for sustainable ministry.
  • “It's like we're trying to do ministry on a budget of a church that's 3,000 but a church that's running 4,500.” (04:21)
• Missional Foundation: Disciple-making and multiplication are central. Mercy Hill uses a simplified “flywheel” approach: Gather, Group, Give, Go.
  • “If someone is in the gathering, in relationship, being pushed on generosity, and living for a mission bigger than themselves, that's a current of maturity that will move them.” (07:27)

Moving from Curiosity to Committed Discipleship

• Clarity Over Compromise: The biggest shift post-2020 is the increasing demand for clear, prophetic answers to existential questions from newcomers.
  • “The biggest thing that moves people from like, interest into a decision point is just being very clear on this is what the gospel is. Are you going to be in or out?” (09:00)
  • “There’s no benefit in a muddied spring... People aren’t looking for anything that sounds like, ‘Well, what do you think?’ They want clarity.” (10:34)
• High Invitation, High Challenge: Mercy Hill consistently pushes attendees toward commitment, not comfort.
  • “If you're just intrigued, you know, if you're interested, you're not going to stay at Mercy Hill because we're never going to let you.” (09:20)

Tearing Down the "Outreach vs. Discipleship" Wall

• False Dichotomy: Andrew sympathizes with churches nervous about “community good” diluting the gospel but believes good works should be “signposts of the kingdom,” not the kingdom itself.
  • “We want to do good in our community as signs of the kingdom coming... It’s not the gospel, but it sure points to the gospel.” (13:09)
• Mercy Hill’s Niche: Their central community impact is adoption, foster care, and “Families Count” (a ministry for parents working to reunite with their children).

Birth and Evolution of the Chosen Ministry

• Organic Discovery: The church’s “No More Spectators” campaign (broad community service menu) failed to catalyze sustained momentum. Focusing on adoption, foster care, and related ministries ("Chosen") connected more deeply with their members’ giftings and passions.
  • “It didn't start with the need in the community. It starts with the gift matrix of the church...” (19:08)
• Gospel-Rooted Motivation: Andrew’s personal adoption story and church culture led this focus.
  • “There's always going to be need... It’s more about what are the Ephesians 2:10 works that your church... is called to?” (19:23)

Making a Big Vision Achievable: “Rope Holding” and Pathways

• Onramps for Involvement: Mercy Hill encourages both “big vision” (adoption/foster care) and small steps for beginners: giving, parents’ night out, supporting adoptive families ("rope holding").
  • “We're never going to tell somebody... I know you could never do this… There are baby steps.” (21:20)
• “Rope Holding:” Adapting William Carey’s metaphor—the church equips supporters (‘rope holders’) for families on the front lines of adoption/foster care. Early models placed responsibility on community groups; now shifting toward more personal, relational support.
  • “If we got people that are mobilizing for adoption and foster care, we better have people in their corner, because the enemy is going to bring his war machine.” (24:27)

The Why Behind the Book: Chosen

• The Book’s Purpose: To help churches ground foster/adopt ministry in gospel, not guilt, motivation.
  • “Cute kids and sad stories are good reasons, but you need a great reason because it’s hard. The great reason is, of course, adopted people adopt people.” (28:54)
• Gospel vs. Guilt Motivation: The difference is acting because you are chosen/adopted by God, not in order to become approved by God.
  • “You don’t produce fruit to get in the vine. You produce fruit because you’re in the vine... it will take us places that guilt never can.” (31:51)
  • Shares a story of an Ecuadoran boy adopted from a trash heap, paralleling spiritual adoption: “Eddie’s story is my story. I was pulled from the trash heap by a carpenter.” (34:48)
• A Tool for Catalysis: The book is intended as a practical small group or staff resource—fuel for catalyzing adoption-minded ministry.
  • “My prayer is that this book would catalyze tens of thousands of Christian adoptions.” (35:27)

Evangelism and Sending–How Chosen Fuels the Mission

• Evangelistic Opportunity: Community impact (like adoption and foster care advocacy) creates “open doors” for outsiders to ask deeper questions, starting the discipleship funnel.
  • “How does our adoption and foster care ministry... create open doors? We’ve seen it. [A man] got connected because his boss had signed up to be a rope holder and it just blew his mind.” (37:19)
• Letting Good Deeds Spark Intrigue: Projects serve as both blessing and curiosity-generators.
  • “If these parents are putting in, that needs to be the best backyard... That’s not for us. That’s for people that are interested to say, ‘Why would a church do that?’” (38:45)

Realism and Perseverance in Adoption Ministry

• It Is Hard—but Worth It: Andrew acknowledges a contemporary backlash—adoption/foster care is extremely challenging and traumatic stories abound, but commitment is worth it.
  • “The Christian adoption boom... there’s a bit of a backlash... No one told us how hard this was going to be... Instead, we just need to try to shoot as straight as we can... it is hard. You're on the front lines of spiritual war.” (41:09)
  • “If you got a home that's broken apart that Christians are trying to put back together, what did we think Satan was going to do?” (41:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On clarity and mission:
  • “It's very hard now to not get a word salad, book form thing, when you ask somebody, ‘How are you making disciples?’ For us, it's just been a very clear, simple process.” – Andrew Hopper (06:46)
• On gospel-motivated ministry:
  • “Adopted people adopt people... Chosen people choose people.” – Andrew Hopper (34:55)
• On practical engagement:
  • “We have not lined up a bunch of little kids in the lobby for you to take one home today. That’s next week.” [laughter] – Andrew Hopper (22:14)
• On ministry fit:
  • “It doesn't start with the need in the community. It starts with the gift matrix of the church or we will always have with us... more about, okay, what are the Ephesians 2, 10 works that your church... is made up of?” – Andrew Hopper (19:08)
• On inspiring sustainable ministry:
  • “Guilt will work for a while. You can put fire under somebody and it'll move them, but if you put it in them, they'll run through a wall.” – Andrew Hopper (31:56)

Timestamps for Important Segments:

• Growth update and multi-site approach: (03:03 – 05:12)
• Missional clarity and making disciples: (05:45 – 07:47)
• From cultural curiosity to committed discipleship: (08:37 – 10:24)
• Reconciling outreach and discipleship, community as signpost: (11:39 – 14:13)
• Chosen/Adoption ministry evolution: (16:58 – 20:03)
• Onramps and pathways for new attendees: (20:48 – 22:31)
• “Rope holding” explained: (24:27 – 27:55)
• Motivation for and content of the Chosen book: (28:48 – 35:27)
• Community impact as evangelism/from service to sending: (36:31 – 39:36)
• Adoption ministry realism, perseverance, and closing: (41:09 – 42:30)

Further Resources:

• Book: [Chosen by Andrew Hopper, New Growth Press]
• Website: andrewphopper.com/chosen (playbooks and ministry resources available)
• Mercy Hill Church: mercyhillchurch.com
• Andrew Hopper on Instagram: @entropyhopper

Closing Thoughts

Andrew’s approach—grounded in gospel identity, practical steps, and high challenge—presents a replicable and deeply scriptural model for churches looking to catalyze compassion ministries that fuel revival-strength discipleship and evangelism. Mercy Hill’s story is a vivid illustration of how big vision can be made accessible, sustainable, and central to a church’s mission.