August 19, 2024
Heartbeat International
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — In what can only be described as a desperate publicity stunt, Planned Parenthood is giving away free abortions and vasectomies this week in honor of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). This appalling move highlights how far Big Abortion is willing to go to prioritize its extreme agenda over the health and well-being of women, men, and the next generation. 

"How little must Planned Parenthood think of the DNC-goers to assume they do or will need free abortions," said Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International. "Not to mention the future of the party that so easily dispenses with what would be its next generation. Extremists like this at the DNC can only expect the same kind of extreme abortion policies from its political candidates."

The irony of Planned Parenthood’s actions during a political convention where the future of the country is discussed cannot be overstated. Their “abortion on wheels” approach not only cheapens the very notion of healthcare but also underscores the tragedy of treating human life as disposable. Women deserve better than this kind of reckless and unsafe spectacle, which places headlines and attention over genuine care.

Unlike Planned Parenthood’s publicity-driven antics, pregnancy help organizations quietly and consistently offer free care and practical support for women facing unexpected pregnancies. We do this, not for attention or media coverage, but because it’s the right thing to do. While Big Abortion uses stunts to push its agenda, we remain focused on offering real help and hope to those who need it most.

As the DNC continues to align itself with such extreme positions, it's clear that the well-being of women and children takes a backseat to political gains. The fact that the DNC has enabled and embraced this kind of display only highlights how entrenched abortion extremism is within their platform.

Here we come, Chicago! ? Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with @ChiAbortionFund & @TheWienerCircle Aug 19-20, providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion. EC will also be available for free without an appointment.

Reserve your spot: https://t.co/AVCDTg2FAj pic.twitter.com/6C5oFuXacU

— Planned Parenthood Great Rivers (@ppgreatrivers) August 14, 2024

As part of our pregnancy help network, Heartbeat International proudly supports maternity homes which provide safe and nurturing environments for expectant mothers. These homes offer not just shelter, but compassionate care, including life skills training, to ensure that mothers and their babies thrive. At the heart of this initiative is our management of the Maternity Housing Coalition, a dedicated arm of Heartbeat International that brings together and strengthens these vital resources. Through this coalition, we enhance collaboration, share proven practices, and provide crucial support to maternity homes, making them a cornerstone of our life-affirming pregnancy help network. Your generous donations empower us to continue this essential work, offering hope and tangible support to mothers in need.

Click here to learn more.

by Valerie Harkins, Director of the Maternity Housing Coalition of Heartbeat International

In the sacred work of nurturing life and fostering growth, maternity homes stand as sanctuaries of hope and transformation. These homes, often serving women who have faced significant challenges and adverse childhood experiences (ACES), must embody the essence of consistency. As Christian leaders and caregivers, we understand that consistency is not merely a practice but a profound expression of God’s love and faithfulness. This article explores the critical importance of consistency in maternity homes, highlighting its benefits for brain development, stress reduction, and team cohesion.

The Role of Consistency in Brain Development

God has designed the human brain to be incredibly adaptive, capable of healing and growing even after significant trauma. For residents of maternity homes, many of whom have endured ACES, a consistent environment can be a catalyst for this healing. Consistency helps in the development of new neuropathways, essential for improving executive functioning, regulating anxiety, and reducing negative reactionary behavior. Executive functioning encompasses crucial skills such as planning, decision-making, and self-control. A stable, predictable environment allows the brain to practice and strengthen these skills regularly. Over time, this repetition fosters the creation of new neuropathways, essentially rewiring the brain to operate more effectively and efficiently. Anxiety regulation is another critical benefit. Unpredictable environments can trigger the brain’s fear response, leading to heightened anxiety. Consistent routines provide a sense of safety and predictability, calming the brain’s fear center and reducing overall anxiety levels. This stability is especially vital for individuals with ACES, whose baseline anxiety levels may already be elevated due to past traumas. Moreover, consistency helps mitigate negative reactionary behaviors. When residents know what to expect, their need to react defensively diminishes. Predictable routines reduce stress, allowing residents to respond more thoughtfully rather than impulsively. This shift from reaction to response is a crucial step in emotional and psychological healing.

The Impact of Consistency on Staff and Team Dynamics

A consistent schedule and daily structure do not only benefit the residents but also significantly impact the staff and overall team dynamics. For staff members, a predictable routine reduces stress and burnout. When caregivers know what to expect each day, they can prepare adequately, manage their time better, and focus more on providing quality care rather than constantly adapting to unexpected changes. This predictability extends to the entire team, fostering a culture of reliability and trust. Consistent routines ensure that everyone is on the same page, reducing miscommunications and misunderstandings. This unified approach enhances teamwork and collaboration, creating a more harmonious and efficient working environment. Moreover, consistency in operations allows staff to model stability for the residents. By demonstrating reliable and steady behavior, staff members become role models for the residents, teaching them the value of consistency through their actions. This modeling is a powerful tool in the residents’ learning and healing process, reinforcing the principles of stability and reliability.

The Science of Creating New Neuropathways

Creating new neuropathways in the brain, a process known as neuroplasticity, is central to the healing journey of residents in maternity homes. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This capability is especially pertinent for individuals with ACES, as it allows for the reprogramming of brain functions that may have been disrupted by trauma. Consistency plays a vital role in this process. Repeated behaviors and experiences strengthen specific neural pathways, making them more efficient and robust. In a consistent environment, positive behaviors and routines are reinforced, facilitating the development of new, healthier neural connections. This neurological transformation is akin to a spiritual renewal, where old, harmful patterns are replaced with new, life-giving habits.

A Christian Perspective on Consistency

In our Christian faith, we are called to reflect the steadfast love of God in all that we do. Psalm 136:1 reminds us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” This enduring love is a model for the consistency we strive to embody in our maternity homes. By providing a stable and predictable environment, we are mirroring God’s unwavering faithfulness, offering a safe haven where healing and growth can flourish.

In conclusion, consistency in maternity homes is not merely a practical strategy; it is a divine invitation. It supports brain development, reduces anxiety, and fosters positive behaviors in residents. For staff, it creates a stress-free, cohesive, and communicative environment. As we embrace consistency, we are participating in God’s transformative work, helping to create new neuropathways of hope and healing in the lives of those we serve. Let us be steadfast in our commitment to this holy calling, knowing that through our efforts, we are reflecting the unchanging love of our Creator.

by Jor-El Godsey

O - Ownership: For board members, ownership translates to stewardship, meaning board members are entrusted with managing God's resources – people, programs, and purse – to fulfill the organization's mission. This stewardship responsibility requires careful evaluation and use of all resources to ensure they are directed towards achieving the mission efficiently and effectively.¹

Someone once said, “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge.”

Some otherwise earnest board members mistakenly believe they are called to serve on the board just to provide their opinions. This perspective leads to a somewhat detached role of being only an advisor to those leading the ministry toward fulfilling its mission.

Yet, being only an advisor misses the biblical call and the public expectations of all board members of non-profit organizations. Board members aren’t there merely to offer opinions. They are there to govern actively.

A part of governing is ownership of the call, the mission, the effort, and the outcome. The mantle of governance is much like the owner of a business. The owner shoulders the leadership of the company personally and intimately. This usually includes the Executive Director or CEO as an ex oficio board member.

“Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have” - Pat Summitt, legendary basketball coach

No one board member is ever “the owner” of a non-profit organization. But the board as a whole, in effect, is the ownership.

The Three P's

The board, as owners, fulfill their call primarily through the three P’s of the organization:

• People – the staff, whether paid or volunteer
• Programs – the efforts chosen that fulfill the mission
• Purse – the finances that support and sustain the team and the efforts

“The greatest ownership of all is to glance around and understand.” - William Stafford, Poet Laureate of Oregon

Board members don’t just glance at the client stats and financials. Their attention is broader and more inquisitive in looking to understand the health of the three Ps and how well the missional call is being addressed.

Just like for-profit business owners always keep an eye on being profitable, non-profit owners stay focused on accomplishing the mission outcomes. For PHOs, the mission is not to operate a pregnancy center or maternity home. Those are but methods intended to achieve the mission of rescuing lives and lifetimes. PHO board members should be analyzing the impact on lives turned from hurtling towards abortion towards life.

How to "own" your role

Owners strategize and plan. That’s because they know the old axiom, “To fail to plan is to plan to fail.”

Planning must be intentional. And periodic. Every board, as a part of their fiduciary responsibility, approves an annual plan for spending. We call it a budget, but it’s still an annual plan of expectations relative to the “purse.” We should have similar plans for the other two P’s – people and programs.

Strategic planning is a must for boards to fulfill their ownership role. In this Post-Roe era, PHOs face highly dynamic situations. Our clients have always been subject to changes in culture and economics. The shifting culture and difficult economics we’re all facing are hitting our clients even harder. Such are also impacting our donors and vendors.

Even more challenging is the dynamic nature of Big Abortion. Not only are they actively shifting their distribution paradigm to capitalize on relaxed restraints on chemical abortion, they are aggressively using political power and legislative actions to increase their footprint and maximize profits.

Board members, as owners of this era of ministry governance, should be able to readily lean into a current strategic plan—one that was updated since the Dobbs ruling in June 2022. If not, a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis should be on the agenda for the very next board meeting or the subject of a special strategic session.

The weight of governance is of intense importance during such dynamic times.

Now, more than ever, we should be like the Sons of Issachar “men who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32, ESV)

Check your inbox next month as we dive into the next major responsibility, Values!

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1. Taken from Heartbeat's Governing Essentials Manual. This series is just one piece of the manual, which can be purchased at any time here.

by Aimee Huber, Executive Director at First Choice Women's Resource Centers

I’m not a big fan of change. I like to plan, stay ahead of the curve, and know what’s next. As a pregnancy center director for 33 years, however, change has come in all forms. We have changed our organization’s name, staff structure, services, counseling methods, locations and staff. Many times, it hasn’t been an option because of our need to remain relevant!

I have found that my ability to lead change focuses directly on how I lead our team. If they know that I care for them and they trust my character, they’ll give me the benefit of the doubt even if they aren’t completely sure they like what I’m proposing. If those relationships aren’t built, change will be viewed with skepticism and reluctance, at best.

One of the most helpful tools our staff has used is the Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI). Unlike DISC or Myers-Briggs that show people’s personalities, SDI shows a person's motivation. This inventory groups people using colors – red, green and blue. The motivation for a red is to win or achieve. They love the mission. A green’s motivation is to be right. They love information and data. A blue’s motivation is to connect. It’s always about the relationship. Some folks are a combination of these colors or “hubs.” For example, I am a red-blue, so I like to accomplish things and develop relationships.

When I communicate with a red, I need to be direct and straightforward. With a green, I need to bring my data and my research. And, with a blue, I need to make a date for coffee! These methods of communication have been extraordinarily helpful with our team of godly women. We have avoided many conflicts because we try to tailor our communication to everyone’s motivation. For more information about this inventory, go to consentiagroup.com.

John Kotter, a professor at Harvard Business School and world-renowned change expert, introduced his eight-step change process in his book, "Leading Change."

1. Create Urgency – Why is the change needed? Years ago, we had a marketing agency provide feedback that our logo was hard to read. That created urgency for us to update our logo.

2. Get Buy-In – People are more likely to buy into a decision they have influenced than a decision imposed on them by others. Find your stakeholders. You need those who have positional power (their title or position causes folks to pay attention to them) AND informal leaders (folks who have influence with others).

3. Create a Vision – What will this vision look like? Use a few folks to be your test group and envision them. Be sure to ask for their feedback because they may notice something you haven’t thought of!

4. Communicate the Vision – Share what you believe will happen if the change takes place AND remain connected to the change you’re implementing. Don’t consider it done and move on!

5. Remove Obstacles - Uncover the predictable concerns people have, allowing the concerns to be addressed. This increases trust and buy-in.

6. Create Short-Term Wins – Share great feedback.

7. Build on the Change – When we changed our logo, every sign, brochure and publication had to be updated!

8. Anchor the Change in your Ministry’s Culture – Continue to talk about it, especially when hiring new staff so they understand the reasoning and are committed to it.

As I have led change in our ministry over the years, there are a few things I have learned. First, communicate, communicate, communicate! A lack of communication causes folks to fill in the blanks themselves. The more you can explain, the more they will trust you.

I have also learned to grieve and to allow others to grieve. It’s been said that people don’t fear change, they fear loss. It’s hard to leave what you know and embrace something new. Grieving is part of that process.

Finally, it’s okay if you don’t win everyone. Do your best to process the change with your staff as you follow God. He will honor your efforts as you serve Him!

by Amy Ford, Co-Founder and President of Embrace Grace

“Most of my clients would never walk into a church.” 

I’ve heard this phrase at times from staff at pregnancy help organizations (PHOs), and for some of their clients, it's true.

Unfortunately, the church has been a place that many unmarried, pregnant moms want to run away from instead of run towards. Whether it’s because of their own church hurt or because of the reputation of the church at large, they have formulated the opinion that the church isn’t a safe place for someone unexpectedly expecting.

The perspective of many of our moms is that the church is known to be a place focused on behavior modification instead of what many are actually focused on which is heart transformation. 

Yet, if we can find creative ways to help pregnant moms be brave and overcome their fear of walking into the doors of the church, the outcome could have a generational impact, lives changed because of Jesus, and them finding a place of belonging.

When Our Clients Visit Church

It’s amazing to see the heart change regarding their perspective of the church when moms find the courage to actually show up. When they are met with authentic and real church leaders who bravely share their own stories of how God met them where they were and turned their messes into miracles, their walls start coming down and they feel safe sharing their own stories. They realize that the church isn’t a place full of perfect people but a place where imperfect people come together to encourage and support one another while pursuing the heart of God.

I tell so many moms that I invite, “Just try it one time. What do you have to lose? If you don’t like it, there is an open door available to you to leave at any time.” And I love hearing the creative ways in which centers are inspiring new moms to show up to church.

Invitation Ideas to Help Her Feel More Comfortable

I spoke to a PHO director recently who is closely partnered with a large church a few miles from their center. She tried referring their clients to the church for the Embrace Grace group but the moms were not showing up. She looked into it, asking them why they didn’t attend, and many said, “It’s such a big building. I don’t know where to go.” Even though they had signage out with clear directions, the size of the building kept them away. The PHO director came up with the solution to have the first four group sessions at their center. The church leader was still the leader of the group but began their semester at the center, instead of a big, church building. Then, once trust was built, they moved it to the church. During one of their group sessions, they took a field trip together to the church where they could walk in the doors together and show them where the classroom would be; and the moms kept showing up each week and started going to weekend services!

I’ve heard another center director say that she personally invites them to the local Embrace Grace group at their church and tells them she will meet them there. She attends the first 1 or 2 sessions to help the moms feel more brave in coming. Because of the trust that has been built and developed at the center with their clients, they are more comfortable going to Embrace Grace because they love the center worker! 

Some directors even invite the Embrace Grace leaders or pastors to swing by one of their parenting classes to personally invite the moms to their church. Sometimes seeing a face makes a big difference in helping a mom feel more confident in showing up. 

Don’t give up on inviting moms to become a part of a church family! We were never created to live life alone. Getting young moms plugged into spiritual families will help them find new friends and fellowship. We need each other! Get creative in the ask and watch what God does!

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NEW! Join us on June 12th for our first quarterly webinar to hear new ideas and receive ongoing support to partner with the churches in your community! For those just getting started or those looking to bolster their existing groups, this is for you. Join the Embrace Grace and Heartbeat teams, along with experts from the field to be inspired and equipped. Click here to register for FREE.