by Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist

There are so many reasons people attend the European Pregnancy Help Leaders (EPHL) Summit. There are, of course, inspiring keynotes and relevant workshops. This year, attendees heard keynotes from Jor-El Godsey and Guillermo Morales Sancho, from Alliance Defending Freedom International, and nine workshops covering issues such as mega tech’s shadow banning, metrics, and how to track them simply, efficiently, and effectively, as well as updates on European Union laws and cases, fundraising and mission drift. That wasn’t all, but hopefully, that whets your appetite to attend the next Summit which will be in 2026.

Aside from that, the EPHL Summit is always held in a beautiful world-class city. From Bratislava (2014) to Venice (2016), Belgrade (2018) to Bucharest (2022), and this year to Budapest (2024) participants have the opportunity to see something in the city. This year, we also had the honor of being received in the Hungarian Parliament by the Vice President of Hungary. Hungary declares itself to be pro-family and pro-life, and this is evident—even at the airport!

One can’t forget to mention the food. A fun part of attending these Summits is the opportunity to taste local cuisine, served at the hotel and in neighboring restaurants.

Networking & Fellowship

Have you ever wondered how other centers do "x" or "y" [insert frustration of the day]? Are we the only ones that do things this way? Are we the only center that struggles with this? One of the reasons people love the Summit is that they have a chance to talk to other center leaders and volunteers. They talk about mutual challenges and difficulties to figure out solutions that might work. Further, we often have a chance to visit a local pregnancy help center. It is fun to see how other centers are set up.

Speaking of fun…you should hear the volume level in the lobby as people greet one another and excitedly hug when they see each other after two years of not seeing one another.

But, what's the best reason to attend the EPHL Summit? Well, there are actually 60 reasons: the people who come. There is nothing quite like seeing people who already connect on a professional level, also connect on a personal and friend level. The fellowship of people who see one another only once every two years—but every two years—is sweet. Repeat attendees enjoy seeing one another and make sure newcomers are warmly welcomed.

The pregnancy help community is a family. We need one another and we help one another. We spur one another to greater love and good works (Hebrews 10:24-25), we encourage and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11), we carry each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2), we are kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), we sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), and we accept one another and encourage one another with the same mind in Christ (Romans 15:5). We remind one another of the “why” behind the work we do.

Family reunions—there's nothing quite like them. We are grateful for the privilege of hosting this family reunion every two years in Europe. Thank you to all who attended and we hope to see you in 2026! We value your input, so please fill out the short evaluation linked here. Also, make sure you're subscribed to our eNewsletter, Heartbeat Around the World*, for an announcement about our next Summit. You don't want to miss it!

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