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Life Care Newsletter July-Sept 2018
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Life Care Newsletter Jan-Mar
PREGNANCY CARE CENTER IS HOSTING OUR 2ND ANNUAL LIGHT OF LIFE SPRING BANQUET!
WHY: First, to celebrate the value of every human life in each of its stages and the beautiful work which God is doing through His mighty power! Also, we desire to raise the financial support needed to assist Pregnancy Care Center in radiating the light of Christ into the lives of women and men who are considering abortion in the five county Grand Traverse region.
WHERE: Hagerty Center, 715 E. Front St. Traverse City, MI 49686 WHEN: Monday, May 7th, 2018 @ 6pm
FEATURED SPEAKER: Jim Sprague, Chief Executive Officer of Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) of Grand Rapids, MI. This PRC is a Christ-centered, life-affirming pregnancy care ministry whose mission is to live the truth that people matter to God. Jim and his wife, Jody, have both served the PRC ministry since its inception. They have three children, each of whom were adopted from a crisis pregnancy situation, making Jim's heart and passion for the ministry of the PRC personal and sincere.
ATTENDANCE GOAL: Our desire is that life-passionate individuals will fill 33 tables of 10 people per table.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12
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Could you be profiting from abortion? An introduction to biblically responsible investing
The big question we don’t think to ask when choosing our investments:
As a follower of Christ you probably have an understanding that God is the owner of everything (Psalms 24:1) and we are the stewards, or managers, of the money and possessions He has entrusted us with (Psalms 8:6). But when it comes to choosing investments for your retirement accounts, college savings accounts, variable annuities, and other investment accounts, have you ever considered what you are profiting from or promoting with the investment dollars God has given you to manage?
How would you feel if you discovered that you were unknowingly participating in activities that contradict your faith convictions because of the investments that you own?
Many companies profit from or financially support activities that are in direct opposition to the values and convictions of Christian investors. Many Christian investors are unknowingly invested in these companies. I help people make investment choices to meet their long term financial objectives while aligning their investments with their faith convictions. This is called Biblically Responsible Investing, sometimes referred to as Faith Based Investing.
What is Biblically Responsible Investing, and how does it work?
Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) is first and foremost about stewardship. In my opinion, one of the best definitions of stewardship is, “the use of God-given resources for the accomplishment of God-given desires, goals, and objectives”. I believe that one of the foundational scriptures on stewardship is Matthew 22:36-40 (the Greatest Commandment) where Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…”, and, “… Love your neighbor as yourself”. That’s the purpose and objective of BRI, to love God and to love others through the investment choices we make.
The Nuts and Bolts
While striving for the best returns based on your individual risk tolerance, BRI is an approach to investing that seeks to eliminate investing in companies that participate in activities that followers of Jesus Christ would conscientiously object to as being in opposition to God’s will. This is done by screening out companies that profit from or promote activities that violate the values and convictions of Christian investors, such as abortion.
Will BRI affect my returns?
This is a common question asked when people first learn about BRI. When comparing any investments against each other, one investment may do better than the other from one year to the next, and vice versa. You’ll also find that many ‘household name’ companies satisfy Biblical screening criteria. They may not necessarily be companies that promote Christian values, but are companies that choose to remain neutral on these issues. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, the bottom line is that over the long term, Biblically Responsible investments can offer competitive returns when compared with unscreened investments.
For more information about Biblically Responsible Investing, please visit our website at www.ChristianFamilyFinancial.com, or ‘Like’ us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChristianFamilyFinancial. You can also call (231) 642-8001, or email me at Jeff@ChristianFamilyFinancial.com
Jeff Beebe is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a Certified Kingdom Advisor® who has worked in the financial planning industry since 2003. He founded Christian Family Financial in 2014 with a mission of helping Christians ‘Make Money Meaningful’. He has been married to his wife Nicole for 14 years. They have two daughters and three sons and live just outside of Traverse City.
Securities & investment advice through G.A. Repple & Co. a registered Broker/Dealer & Investment Advisor; member FINRA & SIPC Supervisory Office: 97 Chase Dr. Hurricane, West Virginia 25526 Phone: 304-760-8715
The Power of Ultrasound
Recently, a woman came into our office who was strongly considering abortion. She had been sexually active with several men and felt that if the father of the baby was a particular partner, she would carry to term. But, if the other man had fathered the child, she would choose abortion. I am unsure if the patient had completely processed the reality that, in her way of thinking, the timing of conception determined whether the child lived or died.
When we performed the ultrasound, the mom was faced with the reality that she was carrying a small person inside of her womb.
She also had to come to terms with the gravity of her decision and its effect on her life and that of her unborn child. By the time we finished her sonogram she was wanting to see more of her child. Since she was only 4 or 5 weeks along we could only see limited features on the monitor. So, we scheduled a follow-up appointment at which she was able to see her 7 week old baby in much more detail. When she saw her baby’s heart beating she said, “oh my gosh, that’s in me?” She became excited and said, “no matter who the father is, I’m going to keep this baby.” She went on to give the baby an endearing nick-name. The details of this patient’s life-style may seem foreign to some of our readers. I can only imagine what has transpired in the woman’s life to bring her to such a place for her to choose to be sexually active with multiple partners.
Pregnancy Care Center does not condone these choices, but neither do we condemn our patients! Our approach is one of “providing the truth with love, professional care and the Word of God” in order to offer hope to at risk people.
The entire Pregnancy Care Center team prays for every single person that comes through our front door. If we didn’t have God, His Son and Holy Spirit on our side it would seem hopeless. By standing with PCC you are participating with us right here on the front lines. Please continue to lift us and our patients up in prayer. Pray for the restoration of the family, a revival in our culture and for those caught in the incredible situations that put them in unplanned pregnancy situations.
We call ultrasound "the window to the womb" because of story's just like this. Ultrasound is the single most powerful way that we can help our patients see and connect with the life inside of them. Want to change the lives of generations? Click below!
Life Care Newsletter Oct-Dec
Very Abortion-Minded
By Sandy Moon RDMS, Clinic Director and Sonographer
Recently, a woman came into our office who was strongly considering abortion. She had been sexually active with several men and felt that if the father of the baby was a particular partner, she would carry to term. But, if the other man had fathered the child, she would choose abortion. I am unsure if the patient had completely processed the reality that, in her way of thinking, the timing of conception determined whether the child lived or died.
When we performed the ultrasound, the mom was faced with the reality that she was carrying a small person inside of her womb. She also had to come to terms with the gravity of her decision and its effect on her life and that of her unborn child. By the time we finished her sonogram she was wanting to see more of her child. Since she was only 4 or 5 weeks along we could only see limited features on the monitor. So, we scheduled a follow-up appointment at which she was able to see her 7 week old baby in much more detail. When she saw her baby’s heart beating she said, “oh my gosh, that’s in me?” She became excited and said, “no matter who the father is, I’m going to keep this baby.” She went on to give the baby an endearing nick-name. The details of this patient’s life style may seem foreign to some of our readers. I can only imagine what has transpired in the woman’s life to bring her to such a place for her to choose to be sexually active with multiple partners...CLICK BELOW TO READ THE REST OF THIS PATIENT'S STORY!
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Campaign Against Pregnancy Care Centers: A Call to Prayer Warriors
In an effort to discredit and shut down pregnancy centers, especially those of us that are medical clinics, National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL Pro-choice America) have joined with over 40 organizations across the US to "expose fake clinics". This is nothing new, in fact, these attacks have gone on since the first pregnancy center opened in the early 70s. However, with technology and social media, the modern day impact can be further reaching and happen on a larger scale. This particular campaign, or "plan of attack" is set to run from October 23rd through October 28th 2017. Their key strategies are to enlist as many people as possible to:
1) Call pregnancy centers and pose as a fake client or friend/family of a client in order to catch pregnancy center staff in giving inaccurate or incomplete information.
2) Visit pregnancy centers in person and do the same as mentioned above.
3) After calling or visiting a pregnancy center as a "fake" client, post a review on the clinic's website, Facebook page, Google Business or Yelp page. This review will more than likely be a negative and untruthful one.
4) Review pregnancy center websites and report any "issues" to the Federal Trade Commission
5) Picket/protest outside pregnancy centers during the campaign duration
The following is an excerpt from the "Expose Fake Clinics" website showing how this group of Pro-choicers are motivating people to take part in this campaign:
"...they [pregnancy centers] use phony ads to trick pregnant people into making an appointment, promising “free ultrasounds” or “pregnancy support.” Once inside, people are lied to, shamed, and pressured about their reproductive health decisions, often delaying their procedure or pushing them past the deadline for a legal abortion altogether. CPCs are often made to look like medical facilities, yet they don't practice medicine (outside of an occasional ultrasound or STI test), nor do they use medical facts or standardized ethics. More and more, these predatory places are funded by taxpayer dollars, impacting poor women and people of color the hardest."
For over 25 years, Pregnancy Care Center Traverse City has valued truth and honesty above all and will continue to do the following:
“So many people at different clinics look at you with those judging eyes. I didn’t feel that way here. It was a very professional setting and staff that made me feel comfortable. I am so glad I chose to come here.”
- Provide professional services and information in a truthful, accurate and caring manner throughout ALL areas of our ministry, including but not limited to: face to face, online, printed materials, ads and over the phone.
- Continue to provide services within the boundaries of all federal, state and local laws and standard practices.
- Understand and present the scope of Pregnancy Care Center's services. This includes what we do AND do not offer. Eg. Pregnancy Care Center does not perform abortions, nor do we offer abortion referrals. The ultrasound we provide is performed to confirm pregnancy, not to diagnose problems with the baby or the mother. We do not provide prenatal care.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: We are asking our prayer warriors to join us in praying for God's truth to be revealed through this attack. That God put up walls of protection around targeted pregnancy centers all over the US and that the blinds be lifted off of the eyes of the Pro-choice community organizing this campaign. We also want to pray for the safety of everyone involved in the pickets/protests that will be happening throughout this campaign. Thank you for supporting Pregnancy Care Center Traverse City and for joining us in praying throughout this campaign.
LifeChat: Jesus, Pregnancy Centers and the Woman Caught in Adultery
Watch the powerful video below by Care Net's President, Roland Warren. Roland brings up some strong points about how we respond to men's role in an unplanned pregnancy by using the story (found in John chapter 8) of the woman caught in adultery as an example.
"If we fail to ask where the guy is [in an unplanned pregnancy] then we run the risk of sounding land behaving like the pro-choice activists with the 'my body my choice' side who seeks to frame the abortion issue as ONLY for women..."
Kay Hall - My Journey to Restoration
Kay experienced two unplanned pregnancies - one ended in abortion, the other in adoption. Until 2017, she had remained silent about her abortion. She feared that if she told her friends and family, that she would be met with shame and judgment. "Instead, I ran into a life of freedom. A life where I could pick up and take the shame off." This is the story of how she overcame her fears, and gave her story over to God so that it could be used for good and help others face their past, and allow healing and restoration to begin.
If you have an abortion in your past, and have not yet found the courage to tell your family, or would just like to talk to someone who understands - please contact Kay! She would love to meet with you.
Email her at: micoachkayhall@gmail.com
Let Hope and Healing Begin!
To share your own story, go to: www.friendsofpcc.org and contact us. We will even film and produce it for you, just like Kay's story!
Music by: www.bensound.com
Life Care Newsletter July-September
Advancing Together
Can you imagine the power of God, faithful christians, ultrasound technology and professionals all working together to make a great thing happen? That’s exactly what happened when our heroes of PCC provided a beautiful new exam table for use in our medical clinic.
We made an appeal and some dedicated friends of PCC stepped up and purchased an exam table that, as soon as it arrived, we prayed over and dedicated it for our ultrasound exam room.
Our very first mom who used the exam table was abortion minded, scared and quite reserved. She shared with us that the father was not in favor of keeping the baby and the odds were stacking up against the choice for life.
After the ultrasound her countenance changed and she began sharing her plans and even appeared relieved that she was seeing her baby. I was happy that we were able to pray with her as well. At a later appointment she told us that the father was coming around to the idea of keeping their child. I know that it is hard to understand sometimes how people process these seemingly cut and dried issues regarding the life of their own unborn children. I can only say that I thank God every day that I am on the team with all of you by showing men and women the reality of their unborn children and offering them hope. It is an honor working with God to bring alternatives and truth to our most vulnerable expecting mothers and fathers.
Care Net: Learn the Truth About What Happens in America's Pregnancy Centers
This report reveals the guidelines governing pregnancy centers’ work and the specifics of how they operate.
LANSDOWNE, Va., October 4, 2016 -- Care Net, a nonprofit ministry that supports one of the nation's largest network of pregnancy centers, has released a new data- and story-driven report detailing the work of the thousands of community-based organizations around the country that are often referred to as “crisis pregnancy centers.”
Through data collected over the last 8 years from its network of over 1,100 affiliated pregnancy centers, the report illuminates the impact these centers have on women, men, families, and the communities they serve. Additionally, by putting a spotlight on Care Net’s standards of affiliation and the commitment of care and competence to which its affiliates agree, the report reveals the guidelines governing pregnancy centers’ work and the specifics of how they operate.
The report covers various aspects of pregnancy center operations, including location, advertising and signage, phone answering, and client feedback. This detailed look at their work illustrates why they have become some of the most trusted local organizations in the communities in which they operate. For example, the report shows that at least 97% of Care Net-affiliated pregnancy center clients have reported positive experiences after their visits.
Accordingly, the report details the confidential, compassionate, and free services these clients – women and men seeking assistance with unexpected, unplanned, or unexpectedly complicated pregnancies – receive. For example, between 2008 and 2015, Care Net-affiliated centers have provided 823,186 free ultrasound scans, 2.3 million free pregnancy tests, and over 940,000 people have received parenting support and education, and nearly 1.4 million people have received material resources.
The value of the services provided by Care Net-affiliated pregnancy centers was over $56 million in both 2014 and 2015; this amounts to over $112 million in free services for women, men, and families in the last two years. In 2015, for example, Care Net-affiliated centers provided $32,634,880 in free health services, such as ultrasounds, to the women and men they serve. Many of these services are provided in low-income and at-risk neighborhoods, offering families a way to get critical resources and support at no cost during a challenging time in their lives.
The report comes at a time when unfounded speculation about the work of pregnancy centers has become common from abortion supporters. In contrast to the conjecture provided by critics of pregnancy centers, the information in this report is based on widely collected data, client satisfaction surveys covering thousands of people, analysis of agreed-upon standards and practices, and stories from real clients. For example, critics of pregnancy centers often indicate that centers “appear” to be medical but are not. However, as this report outlines, whenever pregnancy centers offer medical services, such as ultrasounds, they function under the authority and direction of a licensed physician who is in good standing with the physician’s state licensing board; they only utilize trained and licensed medical professionals to perform medical procedures; and they carry sufficient medical liability coverage for the center and all medical personnel (unless they have their own coverage).
The report introduces fact-based analysis about the work and impact of pregnancy centers, and gives communities data-driven information on which to base their decisions about the services that are available to them through pregnancy centers. Most of the information in the report is already publicly available, but this report presents it in one place to give more context and a deeper understanding of the depth, breadth, and impact of pregnancy center work.
Life Care Newsletter Oct-Dec 2016
The Joy of blessing others
I am sure you have heard what Jesus said; “It is a greater blessing to give than receive”. At PCC, each time someone walks through our doors we experience that joy. Our faithful supporters and volunteers make this possible.
I’d like to share one such supporter’s story. About a year ago a gentleman came into the clinic. He wanted to donate a diamond wedding ring to our center to bless someone else in need. We accepted this unique gift and began to pray about what to do with it.
Many of our moms who come to us for help are unwed; we always encourage them to bring the father of the baby with them, if possible, to their appointments. Our goal is to encourage and advocate for abundant life for them as a family unit if that is possible.
As it happened, we had a young couple come in for an ultrasound who, when they saw the monitor and a picture of their baby, were overcome with emotion and excitement. It was a powerful moment for the couple to see their baby wiggling and hear the heartbeat of their child!
As our Patient Care Assistant talked with them, they shared that they wanted to get married. They had already picked out a wedding dress; the only thing holding them back was that they didn’t have a ring. We mentioned that we might be able to help, and they both lit up with curiosity. It was a Cinderella moment when the ring was brought in and it fit perfectly! We could hear the sound of wedding bells as we shared in the excitement!
PCC is more than a medical clinic or counseling center; we support the entire life of our visitors and everything they are facing. Thanks to all who support and pray for us so regularly.
Sandy Moon, RDMS
Clinic Director
Celebrating 25 Years!
Pregnancy Care Center has a rich history of God’s people coming together to defend the most innocent! This year truly is a celebration year of how He is working through many businesses, churches, and individuals to impact our community in life affirming ways. One of those individuals who is making a positive impact for the community is Rhonda Watson, who’s celebrating 25 years as Executive Director!
"What I appreciate so much about Rhonda is her heart for and total commitment to Pregnancy Care Center and how she allows God to work through her to minister to the needs of others. I know I speak for the entire Board of Directors when I say that we thank God for Rhonda"
- Stephanie Tietje, Board Chair
“I am the vine. You are the branches. If I remain in you, and you in me, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Pregnancy Care Center Quarterly Update
Our hearts are filled with gratitude & thanksgiving for the many fabulous ways God is championing moms and dads at PCC through YOU!
Very first WLJN Radio Dare to Share Event: We exceeded our fundraising goal of $22,800 thanks to WLJN and YOU!
First ever Eat Bread to Raise Dough Panera Bread Fundraiser: A fabulous opportunity for supporters in the community to come together, eat amazing food and support life! We raised almost $450 and had 170 flyers cashed in. Thanks Panera Bread Traverse City!
We had our most successful Baby Bottle Boomerang ever: $47,800 and counting raised for the Ultrasound Ministry. Thank you to all of the churches and individuals who took part in this amazing event!
Ongoing social media outreach to women & men who need our services as well as friends and supporters who make Pregnancy Care Center's goals a reality! Check us out!