Making a Difference
May 16, 2021 | by The Fellowship
Several years ago, a friend of mine retired early and wanted to get involved in the Pregnancy Help Center. A strong Christian man, devout in his faith in the Lord, had a desire to devote his time to a mission that honors God. I admired him for choosing to give his all by providing help to women and men who have found themselves in the very delicate situation of an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. I did not know much about the Pregnancy Help Center, but have often thought about following his example of volunteering there.
Well, several years later -- here I am! God has called me and I am in my sixth week of in-depth training to become a volunteer/mentor. What I find very exciting about the mission is that honoring God is first and foremost in our mentoring of these vulnerable women and some men. Most of our clients are women; however, PHC has just started a program for male partners or relatives who desire to give support to a pregnant woman in their lives.
Pregnancy Help Centers were founded in 1989. They provide non-judgmental support and quality services that are confidential and completely free of charge. This includes pregnancy testing and, if positive, a limited ultrasound to assess the viability of the pregnancy. Unbiased options are presented so the client can make a well-informed decision about the pregnancy.
In our training we have learned that approximately half of our women clients want to keep their child and half choose abortion. I was so surprised that only two per cent choose adoption. There is one Planned Parenthood Center in Houston and sadly, it is the largest in the nation! However, Pregnancy Help Centers overall are winning the war with expansion of facilities as God is moving us forward with HIS agenda.
Clients considering abortion are informed about the types of abortions and how they are performed so they have all the facts to make the safest choice. Those who have had an abortion in the past are offered post-abortion support to help work through feelings of anxiety or regret.
The most rewarding aspect of PHC is that it is completely faith-based. Our first priority is prayer! Volunteers go to the Throne of Grace to seek the guidance of our Heavenly Father before we even meet our clients.
Our mission is to love our clients with the love of Christ as we provide education on every aspect of their pregnancy. By loving them unconditionally, we trust that God will touch their hearts to make decisions that honor Him. We are made very conscious of the power of our loving approach and our words because they have great influence to guide them one way or another. Our goal is to demonstrate how much they are loved – that God loves them wherever they are.
I have two more weeks of training and then will shadow mentors to learn firsthand some of the “love approach” techniques. I am so ready to “make a difference” in helping save babies’ lives and seeing God at work in this beautiful endeavor. We cannot tell our clients “not to have an abortion,” but when they see our divinely-inspired love and care for them, we are trusting that their hearts will respond.
Located in Katy, the Pregnancy Help Center of West Houston is where I am volunteering. The Fellowship gives great ongoing support to this PHC. I have witnessed this firsthand since the early days of this church when I became a member.
Through our prayers and total surrender to our Lord and Savior, the PHC can save more lives. God is in control and He will win the victory! Please help us in praying for the vulnerable hearts of women with unplanned pregnancies to embrace life!
M.B.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13-14
Support the Pregnancy Help Center! For years, PHC has distributed thousands of baby bottles to local churches to be filled with loose change and bills from Mother’s Day – Father’s Day. This year ... they are hosting a VIRTUAL Baby Bottle Blessing: www.phckaty.org