2024
Ciufo's Story
Through your church's Annual Offering, Liam and Tyler were adopted into the Ciufo family, and Tyler was adopted into God's family last year.
Chris and Lindsay Ciufo (pronouced Chee-fo) had a beautiful family with two young sons and daughters. Even with a household of six, the couple dreamed of more children.
As members of Cowee Baptist Church in Franklin, where Chris is Associate Pastor, they knew about Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH) and its many ministries including foster care and adoption. They also see the ministry first hand because boys and their cottage parents living at BCH’s Drake Cottage in Franklin attend services and activities at Cowee.
When Chris and Lindsay made the decision to add to their family, they turned to BCH and its EVERY CHILD Foster & Adopt partnership with NC Baptists. BCH staff trained and licensed the Ciufos, and other couples at their church, to be foster families.
At the end of 2021, Chris and Lindsay began fostering Liam, a three-month-old infant who, for his well-being, had been removed from his mother’s care by the NC social services. Just one month later, Liam’s teenage brother, Tyler, was also placed in the foster care system. Both brothers have the same biological mother but two different fathers. Tyler came to live with the Welch family, a couple from Cowee Baptist who had also been licensed by BCH. Through their mutual church community, Tyler and Liam, who barely knew one another, were able to begin to form a bond.
As time passed, Tyler moved from the Welches to the Ciufos. The two families worked together so the brothers could live with one another and see their relationship thrive.
During a church service in 2023, Chris and Cowee Senior Pastor Jason Smith were standing at the front of the room for the closing invitation. Suddenly, Tyler rose from his seat and came to Chris telling him he wanted to follow Jesus. They kneeled at the altar and, at that moment, Tyler accepted Christ. Immediately afterward, Tyler, Chris and Jason entered the baptismal where an emotional Chris baptized his foster son.
They kneeled at the altar and, at that moment, Tyler accepted Christ.
Today, Chris and Lindsay have completed their family by adopting Tyler and Liam. The brothers are permanently together and have found their forever family.
