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Jen Lilley Opens up about Her 'Passion for Jesus' and Her Heart for Adoption

Michael Foust

Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
Published Dec 14, 2023


A popular actress known for her roles in Great American Family and Hallmark Channel movies says in a new interview that adopting children has deepened her faith and helped her better understand God’s love, calling it “humbling and astounding in every way.”

Jen Lilley has a lead role in the new Great American Family movie A Paris Christmas Waltz and previously starred in Love on Repeat and B&B Merry, two other films on that network. Soap fans know her for her roles in Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, while movie buffs know her for her supporting role in the 2011 Oscar-winning movie The Artist

A Paris Christmas Waltz is part of the annual Great American Christmas event on the Great American Family. 

“[I like it] better than all the movies I've made, including The Artist, which won the Academy Award,” Lilley told Christian Headlines. 

Lilley has developed a fanbase for her many rom-coms, but she’s also developed a following within another segment of society -- the adoption and foster care community -- for her outspoken stance on that issue. Lilley supports an Oklahoma-based ministry, the Tulsa Girls’ Home, which exists to “shelter, empower, restore and support teen girls who have been placed in foster care,” according to its website. She often speaks out on her social media accounts about adoption and foster care. 

She and her husband, Jason, adopted two boys out of the foster system.  

Adoption, she said, has helped her understand the biblical, spiritual concept of adoption. She referenced Romans 11:17, where the Apostle Paul says the Gentiles were “grafted” into the people of God.

“Today is the first day of Hanukkah,” she told Christian Headlines Thursday, “and why that's relevant to this question is that as a Christian who is coming to faith in Messiah, I often read the Bible thinking these are God's chosen people and I'm just the adopted kid, and I know God loves me but, like, he loves me less. And that is not true.”

Adopting her boys, she said, opened her eyes to the truth of God’s love. 

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Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Paul Archuleta/Stringer/@CanvaPro


Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.

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