As we prepare for Christmas next week and wrap up the year in the days following, this year’s final column is as scattered as our lives can be with dozens of holiday activities. Here goes, in no coherent order...
1. As Abortion Centers Close, Pregnancy Help Ministries Will Continue to Grow
The city of Nashville has a population of 654,610. It is the twenty-fifth largest city in the United States, with more than 1.2 million people in its metropolitan area. I know these numbers are fact because the other night when my family went to “The Dancing Lights of Christmas” just outside of Nashville, most of Nashville’s residents were in the line of cars in front of us.
On December 10, Planned Parenthood of Nashville shut down its abortion operations, making Nashville the largest city in the country without an abortion clinic.
Friends, this is good news. When more than one million people are now some three hours away from an abortion center, lives will be saved. Next year, let’s be on the lookout for the next big closings.
As abortion centers close, pregnancy help ministries grow. I’ve said it before in this column, but it’s almost a weekly occurrence to hear of another pregnancy center or maternity home either moving, renovating, adding on or building.
This rapid expansion gives us greater opportunity to be the first choice for women and men facing unplanned pregnancies, other health-related challenges and relationship issues. Our impact is rising and 2019 promises to be an exciting year on the growth front.
2. Abortion Pill Rescue Will Become Mainstream News
Abortion Pill Rescue (APR) is a powerful wave of the future. APR joined Heartbeat International in April and since then, calls from those making a new choice for life have doubled. Heartbeat is adding staff and new centers and physicians are joining APR all the time. When APR marketing ramps up, look out.
In 2019, expect APR to become mainstream news. The abortion industry is beginning to see APR as a true threat and they will attack. Count on it. It’s going to be interesting to see their reaction when it is pointed out that APR is simply the opportunity for a new choice. Choice is the abortion industry’s favorite word and they will be on the defensive when it is used against them.
3. A Spotlight on Our Work
Speaking of mainstream news, it’s time to predict 2019 as the year when the pregnancy help community finds itself in the spotlight more often. The trend began with this website's stories being picked up by major online outlets over the last few years, but several factors tell us this trend will accelerate in 2019.
For one, major cable news outlets CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC are staking out audiences based on differing political perspectives. This means each outlet will compete for viewers and demand for stories like ours on conservative-leaning networks will grow. You’ll see more of us on TV, and will hear more of our stories on radio and online in 2019.
Second, with a split Congress, we may see the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives begin looking more closely at our work. That’s okay—we have nothing to hide. We need to be prepared, however, to provide a solid defense. This begins—in a positive way—with Babies Go to Congress in January.
4. Fundraising for Pregnancy Help Organizations Will Soar
A Final Prediction? Funding is likely to increase for pregnancy help organizations in 2019. Usually, when the political winds turn against life (as they did with the shift of power in the U.S. House), donations to pregnancy help organizations go up. For those in the ministry of development, 2019 is likely a year of great opportunity.
As we roll through the Christmas season, our family is almost finished watching all the new Hallmark Christmas movies (what did we do with our time prior to Hallmark?). More important, however, Jenn and I recently received our favorite Christmas gift, an ultrasound of our first grandchild, due mid-2019.
To our readers at Pregnancy Help News, Merry Christmas. Enjoy this special time to celebrate the birth of a little boy, the greatest “Planned Pregnancy” of all time, because Jesus was God’s plan all along.
Then, get ready. 2019 could be a great year for all of us.
