The recent stories out of Maryland regarding NARAL’s covert effort to shut down a pregnancy center there should remind us that the abortion industry is on the run.
Conversely, the Pregnancy Help Community is on the advance. Whether a Pregnancy Help Organization (PHO) is in Oregon or Florida, New York or Arizona, South Africa or China (yes, we are there); our work is gaining ground.
For every one of our organizations then—pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and adoption agencies—we must be prepared to take the next step. In a war, the advancing army gains ground with each step forward. While our war is one of love, the same principle applies.
We should be asking then, “What is our next step?” Each of us must continually ask this question and be prepared to advance.
Tweet This: We should be asking, "What's our next step?"
The answers to this question are unique to each PHO. A pregnancy resource center’s answer might be to implement a new initiative to break the cycle of dependency seen in clients, or perhaps consider a medical model.
A pregnancy help medical clinic may need to re-think its marketing to certain demographic groups, bringing in experts to revamp its advertising.
A maternity home may want to renovate its suite for house parents or add to their benefits to keep these vital servants from considering other options.
An adoption agency might consider ways to strengthen partnerships with pregnancy help centers or upgrade its advertising to better connect with clients.
“The next step” could be extremely simple. For instance, many pregnancy help centers are now creating a statistical line item: “Number of two-parent families created.”
It’s a small step, but by tracking this number, centers are more keenly aware of involving fathers and presenting marriage as a viable option. And, centers that consider this number are more likely to continue a course of more effectively presenting adoption to clients. Marriage and adoption both create two-parent families for the child involved.
PHOs struggling with the budget may not need to spend money on the “next step.” Sprucing up a lobby, brainstorming better ways to connect with those we see, initiating a stronger focus on prayer; these steps cost little, or no money at all.
Each however, is a step in the right direction.
Every step, even the seemingly small ones, allow us to advance as we seek to become the first choice for those facing unplanned pregnancies.
At a workshop I attended more than 20 years ago, the presenter made the case for “Getting 1% better, every day.” Some steps are giant. Some are 1%. But every step . . . is a step in the right direction.
We are on the advance. The only way to keep up the momentum is to keep asking ourselves and our organizations, “What is our next step?”
Tweet This: The only way to keep up the momentum is to keep asking, "What's our next step?"
Is your PHO taking a next step? Let us know by leaving a comment or leaving a tip.
