God’s plan leads Carlisles to become a family of seven

Preparing for a family vacation is as much of an adventure for Phillip and Sara Carlisle as the getaway itself. With five adopted children—ages ranging from one to seven—caring for everyone’s needs during their recent weekend trip to Williamsburg, VA required no less than two double seated strollers, a wagon, three cribs, and scores of luggage all tightly packed into their SUV. (They have since upgraded to a roomier transit conversion van.)

Extended family came along to help during the trip because, as Phillip laughs, “We weren’t brave enough to do it on our own.”

Phillip and Sara have never felt alone during their adoption journey through Christian Adoption Services (CAS), a ministry of Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina (BCH). From the very beginning—long before the two former pharmacy school students at Campbell University married—they saw God alongside them.

“We both had experiences regarding CAS that stuck with us,” Phillip explains. “When it came time for us to start planning and thinking about our family, we were able to refer back to those times.”

Sara was first introduced to Sheryl Naylor, CAS Senior Director of Domestic Adoptions, when Sheryl spoke at a chapel service about her work with birth mothers desiring to make an adoption plan for their children. Phillip knew about CAS because his youth pastor and wife had adopted through the agency. The established connections were early indicators of God already at work.

Takeaways from Phillip and Sara’s contact with CAS showed the couple CAS’s compassion for children’s mothers as well as the adoptive families.

“We heard how CAS connects with birth mothers and sticks with them even after the adoption,” Phillip says. “Sara and I felt it was the right fit for us because they don’t treat the experience like a transaction. It is about connecting with the adoptive family as well as the birth mother—keeping those connections and relationships going throughout the process, even after placement.”

In 2015, the couple made their home in Rocky Mount, Sara’s hometown, which is close to one of the CAS statewide offices. Two years later, they felt it was time to begin the process. They attended a CAS informational meeting and then began the paperwork. At the start of 2018, the Carlisles were officially a “waiting family” through CAS.

After six months of waiting, the couple received word that an expectant mother had chosen them after reviewing the Carlisles’ profile—a collection of information and photos that gives birth mothers an inside look at CAS’s waiting families. Mothers are able to have tremendous input regarding their child’s adoption plan.

“We met with one of CAS’s caseworkers and the mother for lunch,” Sara recalls. “It just seemed like a good fit. So then we waited to get the call that the baby was being born.”

The day the call came, the couple went to the hospital and waited. Sara remembers the balance of emotions she and Phillip felt as their first child, Camden, was born.

“You have to treat that day pretty reverently,” she shares. “It’s an exciting day for us, but it’s also a day of loss for the child’s birth mom. In our excitement, we were also grieving for what she was feeling.”

Over the next few years, the Carlisles continued adding to their family. Greyson was born about two-and-a-half years later. Their daughter, Jaida, arrived a year after Greyson, making them a family of five.

From their earliest conversations, Phillip and Sara imagined having as many as three children. In 2024, after prayer and continued reflection about the possibility of adopting again, the Carlisles reached a place of contentment.

“We embraced that we were done unless God made it clear otherwise,” Sara says. “We were like—okay, this is the family God has for us. And then in 2025, it became obvious this was not the case.”

One of their children’s birth mothers reached out to ask if the Carlisles would be interested in adopting again—she was expecting twins. Through much prayer and with the help of CAS once again, Phillip and Sara said “yes,” clearly seeing God lead the way for Hampton and Landen to join them and make them a family of seven.

“It has been humbling to go through each of the adoption processes and see how CAS has been there even in the gaps in between,” Phillip says. “They were never out of the picture—whether it was family picnics, CAS banquets, or even just checking in with us.”

The Carlisles maintain communication with the children’s birth mothers, sending photos and updates. The connection allows biological mothers to see their children’s milestones such as losing a tooth, saying a first word, or learning to read.

The close involvement of their extended family and the unwavering support of their church family at Redeemer Church in Rocky Mount have proven essential. Both have played meaningful roles in surrounding and equipping the Carlisles with much needed support and community.

“Even though a lot of our church families have not personally adopted, they value the heart of adoption and have stepped up in other ways,” Sara explains.

“When we brought the twins home, friends did our laundry for six months. They provided funding to help with the twins’ quick adoption. We had people bringing us meals and friends bringing our kids home from school—it was all kinds of things.”

Today, the Carlisle family does not look like what Phillip and Sara envisioned as a young couple. What matters most to them is that their family has come together based on God’s plan and design.

“I would tell others to be open to what God has for your family,” Sara says. “I think it is all determined by the Lord and trusting that He has a plan for your family—even when it may be difficult to trust and believe it.”

Written by Blake Ragsdale, Editor/Publisher of Charity & Children