The Greatest News

The greatest news ever is when a new child of God is added to the Kingdom.  This past week two ladies prayed to receive Christ at the Center.  We have two new names written on the “Wall of Life”. My pastor

used to say when someone would say “amen” while he was preaching it was like saying “sick’em to a dog.”  Well this is what seeing two women accepts Christ does to all of us who work in this ministry.  It gives us energy, determination and power to keep on keeping on for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the pro-life movement.

Last week Jan Wright visited us from Mission Preborn to do an evaluation on our center before recommending us for a grant to go toward a new ultrasound machine.  On Tuesday she spent time with the volunteers going over some things we can do better or differently.  She shared with us another very effective way to share Christ with our clients, and a way to talk to abortion minded callers that may be more effective at getting them to come into the center.  She stated that we have some very good volunteers and she really was impressed with our board of directors.  Well I guess I will have to disagree with her there, because I think we have the best volunteers and best board in the whole world.

She recommended we increase our testing hours.  So in addition to our Monday, Tuesday and Thursday testing hours, we will be offering testing on Wednesday mornings.  When we can begin offering testing during these hours will depend on having volunteers to staff the Center during this time.  So if you are interested in helping on Wednesday morning with receptionist work, or counseling, please let us know.  We will get you scheduled and begin extending our hours asap.

One of the new procedures we have just started is giving each client a little Bible Study to take home and then return to us for a second visit.  It is very difficult sometimes to really get to know a client in the time she has for her first visit.  We want to begin encouraging her to return for a follow-up visit and bring back the little Bible Study for a small gift.  These small gifts will be inexpensive items put in a little gift bag.  They may be purchased at the Dollar Tree or other places.  Items like candles, dish towels, lotion, journals, note pads, etc.  If you or your group would like to help with some of these items it would be great.  Just bring them to the Center.  We will get them bagged and ready for the clients.

TOMORROW:

Don’t miss the Run Baby Run sponsored by Living Word Fellowship Church.  It will be at Sharon Sheffield

park in Lynn Haven.  Registration begins at 7:45 and the run/walk will begin at 9AM.  The PRC will have a table set up and ready to answer questions.  So come hang out, come run or walk and enjoy the great fall weather.

At 5PM the PRC will host a table at the Gulf Beach Baptist Church Fall Festival.  They are located on Hutchison Blvd, across from Applebees.  We will have a guessing jar and lots of M&Ms to give out.  This is a great way to increase awareness and invite support and volunteers to this ministry.  If you would like to help man our table, just come to the Festival and find our table.

BANQUET PLANNING

The first 2016 Banquet Planning Committee meeting is set for next Friday at 8:30AM.  Please come help us plan the event.  We have several positions available, like decorations, prayer, telephoning, table hosting etc.

SATURDAY TRAINING

A Saturday training is scheduled for Oct. 31 at 8:30.  This has been set aside to focus on our Student

Outreach ministry.  This past week we received the news that we will no longer be granted access to the High School lunch rooms to hand out information.  We need some really good input and ideas as to how we can reach our youth with the message about abstinence.  If you are interested in brainstorming and  getting involved in this ministry, please call and let us know if you will be at the meeting.

NEEDS:

Baby Wipes are always needed, this past week we were completely out, then thanks to a sweet board member who brought a big box on Wednesday we had enough for this week.

Small personal items for our gift bags to returning clients.

Volunteers – receptionists, counselors, clerical, computer work, financial entries etc. 

In the Fall of 2011 I worked with Florida State in their Reading Assessment program.  We went to area elementary schools and tested first, second, and third graders on their reading skills.  During this time I met some very nice women, because each time we went out it was with a different person.  On one of these occasions I began talking with my associate about my love for the Pregnancy Center ministry.  As we talked, she shared with me that she too had worked at a Pregnancy Center and soon I could see her love for Jesus Christ and for the pro-life ministry.  We even discussed visiting churches to find ways we could fight for life in this area.

Then when the possibility of my position as Director here at PRC came she prayed with me for four months about it.  I think when I became Director of PRC she was as happy or more so than me.  After several months, she came to volunteer.  She is one of my dearest friends and I love her dearly. 

Annette Hennge is not shy at contacting people in our community for help with this ministry.  She has visited churches and given them information about us.  She has called businesses for contributions to our Festival of Life and Banquet items.  She has just recently procured help with our Board lunches from Po-Folks restaurant and pizzas for the FCA meetings.  She is faithful  every Wednesday to work on data entry and is eager to help whenever called upon. 

Tomorrow evening she will be helping man our table at the Gulf Beach Festival and she has helped man a table at many other events.  She has enlisted her husband to help with events, and just recently her son to help with our thank you notes.  When I think of Annette, I think of a shining gem that shines brightly in this place.

You know we could not continue this fight without people like Annette.  Counselors, receptionists, and nurses meet the clients and are invaluable, but the behind the lines people like Annette are needed to keep the wheels of this war wagon  rolling.

“Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.” 

Proverbs 24:6

First Week In October

Hello everyone,

Since we were out last Thursday to the conference, this is officially the first week of October 2015.

And what a week it has been.  Nine clients came for appointments and 17 Earn While You Learn class students.  Of the nine appointments there were 5 pregnancy tests, 2 ultrasounds and 1 discipleship training class.  Of the 17 EWYL students there were 3 fathers in our Father’s Class on Tuesday evening.  But here is the greatest part of this week – three clients prayed to receive Christ.

We are praising God for all His blessing, and asking Him for more and more.  No matter how many clients we see there are always more that need the gospel and changed minds about abortion.  We cannot stop praying and working toward reaching more.

On Monday evening this past week we met with the FCA of Bay County High Schools.  We shared with them about our ministry and discussed the possibility of partnering with them to promote an abstinence event that would involve many, many students.  Please be praying with us about this.

Coming up:
October looks to be a very busy month.  This coming Monday, October 12, the Center will be attending Rotary International  Expo at Florida State University.  It will be in the Holley Academic Center and begins at 5PM and goes to 8PM.  If you would like to help man the table, please call the center.  If you can attend the expo, please stop by and visit our table.

October 13-14 we will be hosting a guest from Mission Preborn.  She will be evaluating our center for their grant program.  She will be meeting with volunteers on Tuesday morning at 10:30.  All volunteers who can make this meeting are urged to attend.  It will help our chances at getting the grant that will go toward the purchase of a new ultrasound machine.

October 24 is Run Baby Run, Even if you do not run or walk the course, come hang out at our table.  It will be a fun filled morning.  That afternoon we will be hosting a table at the Gulf Beach Baptist Church Fall Festival.  They are located on Hutchison Blvd, right across from Applebees.  The time for this event is 5PM-8PM.  If you can help with this event, please call.  We can certainly use your help.

October 30th is set for our first Banquet Planning Committee meeting.  Brainstorming and discussions bring about so many answered questions.  Please try to attend if you are the least bit interested in helping with this event.  Breakfast will be provided and we will begin at 8:30AM.

The Saturday training for October 17th has been changed to October 31st.  This will be training dedicated to our Student Outreach ministry and we will be discussing ways to get into our high schools and future events surrounding teaching our youth about abstinence.

At the Pregnancy Center conference last week our jets were refueled as we learned valuable information about other centers and ways we can improve ours. Some of these ways we have discussed in length are as follows.

1. Keeping God in the center of this ministry is paramount.  This is why we will not be taking any government funding.  The reason I mention this is because there is a program offered by the state of Florida that reimburses pregnancy centers for their counseling time.  However,  during the counseling session the client signs a statement that God was not discussed during a specific time and that is the time the center would be reimbursed.  No thank you Florida, we do not want to be constricted in any way to share the gospel and lead mothers and women to know Jesus as their savior.
2. Again, keeping God in the center of this ministry is paramount.  This is why we will now be giving every client a small Bible study to take home with her.  This is in addition to the gospel tract that we share with them in the counseling room that they also are welcome to take. 
3. Follow-up appointments.  We will now be encouraging every client to return for a follow-up appointment to continue our counseling session and to get to know the client better.  We are praying for ways to give the client incentives to come back for this follow-up appointment.
4. Our Father’s Classes are going very well. This week we had three fathers and the teacher in the tiny room where they meet.  We will soon be offering a training session for our men’s class leaders.  This will be the year of the man in this ministry.  We are working on ways to reach the men and involve them in this fight for life.
5. Every time a client receives an ultrasound there will be a witness there to protect the integrity of the ultrasound tech.  Also after every ultrasound there will be a counseling session with the Client Assistant to follow-up on how she is doing and encourage her in life and her continued communication with the Pregnancy Resource Center.

While in the Director’s workshop I learned that so many centers are struggling for volunteers.  Yes we can always use more volunteers as we have mentioned many times, but when I hear of centers that have only one or two and the Director is meeting with almost every client and handling almost every responsibility, it makes me so thankful for the staff and volunteers here at PRC.  Sure we have some who leave after a few weeks, but we also have many who are faithful to their weekly responsibilities.  THANK YOU volunteers and staff for all you do at this Center.

This brings me to this week’s volunteer spotlight.  I want to tell you about another volunteer who has captured my heart and the hearts of many volunteers and clients here at PRC.  I cannot remember a Tuesday evenings she has been absent, except for the several weeks she was out because of heart surgery.  We were all shocked to hear of this beautiful young woman having heart surgery.  But as soon as she was up and about, she was back at her volunteering at the PRC.  Her physical heart needed repair, but her spiritual heart was and is still wanting to serve her Savior.

Karen Ramsey Rinck has been facilitating our Earn While You Learn classes since before I came here in 2012.  She is faithful and ready to share with the clients of her experiences and knowledge.  She has taken on the responsibility of planning the classes and is always here before class in time to plan the evening’s class and copy any needed materials.

Karen is also one of our Abortion Recovery facilitators and really has a desire to help those recovering from past abortion who are going through some really tough times.  She prays for her students and works diligently at finding new ways to serve.  From movie night with popcorn, to sweet soft music needed for healing hurts, she always seems to know how to give soothing and biblical help.

She is always active in any event planned and contributes in any way she is asked.  I applaud this godly wife, mother, and class facilitator for I know that maintaining a family and a full time job and being here sometimes two nights a week, is not very easy.  She listens intently as a client share her story during class and during the shopping times.  These girls are precious to Karen and she lifts them up to God regularly.

She is always willing and eager to try better ways of doing things, but more importantly I believe Karen wants to do things God’s way.  This past week I heard something that I believe rings true to Karen and all the volunteers here at PRC.  “If you want God’s blessings you must do things God’s way.”

Yes we are here for our clients, but we are also here for one another!

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.”  Eph. 3:14-15

REFRESHED AND RENEWED

Hello everyone,

Greetings from Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center.  Four of us ladies loaded up Thursday morning at 5:30AM and rode a little over 5 hours to arrive at this beautiful retreat center close to Leesburg Florida.  The facilities are beautiful with lakes, beautiful green meadows of grass, hanging Spanish moss and most importantly welcoming hosts for the Sound The Call Pregnancy Center conference. 

We have two worship sessions a day.  Each is filled with beautiful Christian music and wonderful preaching from pastors and organizational leaders in the pro-life movement.  What an honor and privilege it is to be with other directors and volunteers from all around Florida as we learn ways to improve our ministry and to continue with enthusiasm the services we are currently offering.  A great big THANK YOU goes out to our board who made it possible for us ladies to attend this  conference.

This past Monday and Tuesday we saw several clients with diverse stories and life situations.  Everyone here at PRC are constantly amazed and sometimes surprised with the stories of our clients.  One was a young 17 year old whose parents were pushing her toward an abortion.  When her mother called for appointment I marked that she was abortion minded, because her mother had asked about it specifically.  However, when the girl came in to the center and met with the nurse, it soon became evident that she was not in the least interested in an abortion, but was looking to parent and the father of her baby was very supportive and also wanted her to continue with the pregnancy.  Although this young woman was not thinking of an abortion, we must place her in the abortion vulnerable category, because she is experiencing strong influences around her to abort.

One of our relatively new volunteers met with her and it was her first time solo with a client.  During our counseling sessions there is a break where the counselor can come out and get information she feels the client would benefit from.  During this time this volunteer shared with me what was going on and I reminded her to make sure and give this client the information on her rights concerning abortion. In each of our counseling rooms is a notebook that clearly outlines the rights of a young woman whose family is wanting her to abort.

These rights explain that a young woman has the right to continue her pregnancy no matter what her age.  If the parents of a young girl take her to an abortion clinic and tries to force her to have the abortion against her will they are breaking the law.  We have that law printed out where we can show it to her along with a letter to her parents that explains her rights to continue the pregnancy.  We also have a letter to the abortion clinic that tells them they are breaking the law if they perform an abortion on the young girl who is there against her will, even if her parents or loved one has brought her to the clinic.

Hopefully this young girl will not need to exercise her rights in this matter, because she and the father are planning to get married.  With this girl was her friend who is also pregnant and made an appointment to come in and become one of our clients. 

Coming up:

Monday evening, October 5, the PRC will be partnering with the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athelites)  leaders in the schools in Bay county to  share with them about our services and to make plans for ways we can work with them to reach the teenagers in our area about the importance of abstinence.  Please be praying about this event.  Several have voiced they want to be involved in the Student Outreach and some have planned to attend this on Monday evening.  If you want be a part and find out how we will be working with the FCA, please plan to attend.  It will be at the First United Methodist Church of Panama City at 7PM.  Please call the office on Monday and we can give you directions.

Volunteer Saturday training set for October 17.  Please call the office if you plan to attend.  This training will be on our Student Outreach ministry.  We will be discussing the FCA partnership, the upcoming events, and ways we can get into the schools of our area.

We are now into October and the Run Baby Run is just around the corner.  Please get your registration in to Jason White 850-819-9225. All proceeds from this event will come to the PRC.

One of the volunteers who came to the conference this week is also my roommate.  I remember the day  (early 2013) she walked into the PRC and stated she wanted to get information about volunteering.  She was so sweet and soft spoken and starting telling me her testimony.

She had been praying since a young girl that God would send her the man He wanted for her.  She shared that she was now 50 years old and had met her husband over the Internet.  I was a very curious to hear her about this new way of meeting people.  Her husband of only two years was a widower with children and as she continued I heard a beautiful love story of how they met, fell in love and married.  She had given herself to the will of God and after many years He had brought her the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with.  Diana Rhodes is a strong Christian with morals and values we work to teach all the young women who come into the Center. 

At first she wanted to do Reception work, but soon felt confident enough to try counseling.  Then she became a proficient  Client Assistant and was glad to share the gospel with every client she served. 

If you visit the Center and see our Wall of Life you will see many of the names on our wall have the initials of DR under them.  For when a girl accepts Christ she signs our Wall of Life and the counselor places her initials under her name.  Diana Rhodes has come to love the Pregnancy Resource ministry and the PRC has come to love and value her.  She is more than Client Assistant.  When we have a client who speaks Spanish we always schedule her to come when Diana is scheduled.  She is not only fluent in Spanish, but teaches English as a second language to the Spanish speaking at First Baptist of Panama City.

She has a heart for discipleship and encourages the clients who accept Christ to attend a discipleship class.  She also has been instrumental in getting our church referral policy nailed down to where it is clear and easy to execute with each new believer.  She is always willing to work toward special events like our Banquet Planning, Student Outreach and other special events.

I believe Diana has a hunger for what is right and good, and if anyone will have the honor of seeing good things happen at the PRC  it is her.  I thank God for sending Diana to the PRC and look forward to continued service together in this ministry.

“Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.”  Matt 5:6