Pregnancy Help News is many things: A source of information, a place of connection and a landing place for those in the pregnancy help community. Whether we serve a pregnancy resource center, a medical clinic, maternity home or non-profit adoption agency, we have many common goals and aspirations.
Therefore, we need our own meet-up location. It’s right here.
Yet, Pregnancy Help News has another purpose; to unify all of us committed to offering life options to those facing unplanned pregnancies.
When we are unified, we are powerful. Jesus, in one of his final prayers before his crucifixion (John 17), asked of the Father, “That they may be one, just as we are one.” Jesus went on to ask, “That they may be perfected in unity.”
Tweet This: When we are unified, we are powerful. @KirkWalden
Jesus knew the Gospel would not permeate the world unless the disciples—and those they taught—were united. The men and women who first followed Jesus had to communicate well, encourage each other (Paul had a lot to say about that in Hebrews 13) and have each other’s back.
Reading Jesus’ words, it becomes clear that unity is much more than a good trait that helps us. Instead, unity is an absolutely vital attribute we must have in order to win victories in the spiritual battles we face as we present life to those we see.
There will be disagreements among us regarding methods and practices. It’s okay; Paul and Barnabas had differing opinions over Mark in Acts 15:37-38. Barnabas saw Mark as an asset; Paul saw Mark as a hindrance. Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways, but reading through Acts, we see the two men were united in spirit.
In the end, Mark reunited with Paul. This tells me that while Mark was spending time serving with Barnabas, Barnabas likely said nothing negative about Paul. This is what happens when unity reigns.
What about us? At conferences (Heartbeat International’s Annual Conference is April 7-10 in St. Louis), I see connection, encouragement and unity.
Yet, when we head back to our own locales, unity is something we must proactively pursue. Ours is not often a question of whether we get along; our challenge is that as we focus in on our own challenges and initiatives, it is easy to lose that close connection.
If we lose connection, it’s easy for discouragement to creep up on us.
This week, our family moved all of our belongings from our home of eight years to a new place. As we did so, I was thumbing through file folders and found one entitled, “Encouragement.” Inside were cards, notes and printed emails of encouragement from across the pregnancy help community.
I trashed dozens of old file folders, but not that one. At times, the encouragement in that file folder is a lifeline.
Encouragement and connection brings unity. And unity is a “must-have” for the entire pregnancy help community.
Jesus prayed fervently for unity among his followers. Pregnancy Help News wants to be a part of building this united front, but the responsibility is upon all of us—corporately and individually—to seek ways to draw us together.
Each day, let’s ask ourselves two questions:
- “What can I do to build unity in my organization?”
- “What can I do to build this same unity among the entire pregnancy help community?”
If we are proactive in our answers to those two questions, we will be the answer to Jesus’ prayer. And there is no telling what we will accomplish in changing lives and saving lives.
What are you doing to promote unity? Let us know in the comments or share your story here.
