How can a network of pregnancy centers thrive in a state where legitimate centers are accused of “deceptive advertising,” and where a “constitutional right” to abortion was voted into law?
Colorado’s political climate has become increasingly hostile to unborn babies and those who protect them. But Colorado Springs Pregnancy Centers still succeed at carrying out their stated mission to “save babies, strengthen families, and transform lives through the love of Christ.”
Rich Bennett, president and CEO of Life Network Colorado Springs, which manages Colorado Springs Pregnancy Centers, shared in a recent phone interview about the elements that help develop, strengthen, and expand pregnancy care for babies, women, and men. He emphasized Life Network’s leadership as being intentional, proactive, and dependent on God to give guidance and provide for ministry needs.
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Depend on God for needs and direction
Life Network began as one small pregnancy center started by compassionate ladies out of their local church in 1983. They realized the ministry should grow beyond their church’s resources.
“Their foresight is one of many things God used to grow the pregnancy centers,” Bennett said.
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International commented, “Life Network embodies the call in Isaiah 54:2 to ‘Enlarge the place of your tent…’ The current and past leadership have taken this charge to heart and continued to expand their ministry in meaningful ways. From a single building that could hardly be called a network, they now have multiple points of impact [for] those facing an unplanned pregnancy.”
How did that growth come about? They followed in faith wherever the Lord guided. Life Network’s progress came from a combination of having funds “to start a project and inviting people to generously be a part of completing it,” Bennett explained.
“As we saw the city grow, more people and donors said, ‘We want to be part of what God is doing through Life Network,’” Bennett added. “In a state that allows abortion up to birth, one way we can push back is proactively investing in women facing the biggest decision of their young lives. It felt disobedient as God was blessing the ministry, to not step out and open the third and fourth centers.”
Intentional with growth
Opening two thrift stores was a strategy to increase growth and serve the community. The stores raise awareness, help new parents afford baby and household items, and present volunteer opportunities. Bennett said workers at the thrift stores “are as every bit committed to life-affirming care as the people in the pregnancy centers.”
Bennett’s marketing background continues to aid planning.
“We want to be wise and use the information God makes available for choosing pregnancy center sites as well as recruiting the right people for the right roles,” Bennett said.
Sites are carefully selected using population growth maps and zip code data from online abortion searches.
“We have to be proactively wise,” in gathering information, Bennett said, and “be disciplined about asking clients to review the center when they leave.”
They intend to keep growing where men and women need help, he said, which increasingly includes “being intentional about reaching abortion vulnerable, abortion minded, and abortion determined women.”
Intentional in prayer and staff support
Appointments with abortion-minded clients are “harder to navigate since the life of a baby weighs in the balance. It’s more challenging emotionally,” Bennett said. “We appreciate how Jor-El and the Heartbeat leadership innovate on how to best reach and serve women who are vulnerable to abortion.”
“Our nurses really appreciate how medically innovative and supportive Heartbeat and its conferences and pre-conferences are,” Bennett noted. “Heartbeat’s annual CEO/Executive Director roundtable is always a meaningful time with other leaders.”
Staff members turn concerns over to God with one-on-one prayer partners. A pastor comes monthly to give encouragement from the Bible. A chaplain is in each pregnancy center once a week. Staff members “can meet and go deeper with the chaplain, if needed. It’s part of our DNA to take care of and invest in our staff,” Bennett said.
Intentional in serving and involving men
Bennett stressed that being intentional is a key trait of the men’s ministry. From the first call a woman makes “we make sure she knows that he [the father of the baby] is welcomed and encouraged to come too. We want to help fathers be intentional about their relationship with the child and the mother.”
About half the time a woman comes for an appointment the baby’s father comes with her. Bennett explained why that statistic so high.
“We’ve recruited a robust crew of 40 men,” he said. “We’re making an investment to have one male staff to meet [the baby’s father] when he comes to our centers.”
Proactive in prevention and transformation
Life Network’s Education for a Lifetime for middle and high school students is proactive in helping youth have healthy relationships, avoid taking sexual risks, and realize how greatly they are loved and valued.
Staff members plan to have opportunities to share the gospel during client meetings and appointments, using “gospel-permission based sharing,” according to Bennett. Life Network’s annual report noted, “On average, at least six clients dedicate their lives to Christ every month.”
This year’s gala theme came from John 1:5 and was a fitting verse considering Colorado’s current anti-life laws: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
“Rich [Bennett], and the team, are exemplary in rising to the challenges around them,” Godsey commented. “As the political environment has turned darker, they have continued to shine even more brightly.”
Tweet This: As the political environment has turned darker, Colorado Springs Pregnancy Centers have continued to shine even more brightly.
Bennett acknowledged the source of their success, saying, “When you step out in faith, God rewards.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
