Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202111S
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00:42 >> Welcome and thank you for
00:44 joining us on It Is Written 00:45 Canada. 00:46 ProGrace is a training and 00:48 equipping organization whose 00:50 vision is for Christians to 00:52 embrace a grace-centred 00:53 response to dealing with 00:55 unplanned pregnancies, thus 00:57 creating communities where 00:58 both the woman and the child 01:00 can thrive. 01:02 >> It's not either or. 01:04 ProGrace creates a third 01:06 option in the pro-life/ 01:07 pro-choice divide and by doing 01:10 so they more fully express 01:12 God's heart. 01:14 We are here in Red Deer, 01:15 Alberta with Anne Waddell from 01:18 ProGrace and she will share 01:19 with us about this vital 01:21 ministry that expresses God's 01:24 heart in such a practical and 01:26 beautiful way. 01:28 Anne, thank you so much for 01:30 joining us on It Is Written 01:31 Canada today. 01:33 >> Honoured to be here. 01:35 >> So, Anne, before we speak 01:37 about ProGrace, can you take 01:39 us back to how you found Christ? 01:42 >> Oh, God is so good, He's 01:44 really a gracious God, I'm 01:46 just so honoured that He had a 01:48 plan and agenda for my life, 01:49 far beyond than what I knew. 01:51 At a young age I was stirred 01:52 up to have to-- to want to 01:55 move away from my home and 01:57 having the need to get away 01:59 from all of the culture and 02:01 the things that I was exposed, 02:02 grew up in the Catholic faith 02:04 just by tradition, but just 02:06 had this longing that there 02:08 had to be something more and 02:11 things to pursue. 02:12 I had always grew up with a 02:15 sense of wanting to fight for 02:17 the under-privileged and the 02:18 victims and all and that 02:20 reflected even in the school 02:21 yard where I was always quick 02:24 to react to situations where 02:25 people were being bullied and 02:27 take care of the situations. 02:29 And then I thought that-- the 02:31 longing grew to become a 02:32 police officer. 02:34 Can believe that, as a 02:35 French Canadian, against all 02:36 odds, barely made it through 02:38 high school as I went through 02:39 that, but the longing was big 02:41 and I recognize that as being 02:43 a calling from God that He had 02:45 an agenda, I was obedient, He 02:47 gave me the courage to get on 02:49 the plane at the age of 20, I 02:51 couldn't speak English, and to 02:53 go away out of province when 02:54 I've never travelled 02:55 that way before. 02:57 I ended up in Regina, from 02:58 there then the RCMP 03:00 transferred me to northern 03:01 Saskatchewan where I end up in 03:03 a small Mennonite community 03:04 where I befriended a beautiful 03:06 young woman, Christian woman, 03:07 that introduced me to 03:09 Christianity through attending 03:11 Bible study at a time where I 03:13 was a bit disillusioned about 03:15 life, when I had accomplished 03:16 a dream, a career, and having 03:19 the new car, the money, the 03:20 means, and feeling empty, 03:22 there was a void. 03:23 So definitely, God's calling 03:25 brought me to northern 03:27 Saskatchewan to experience Him 03:28 in a personal way and it's 03:30 been a journey ever since. 03:31 And from there I had the 03:33 privilege to travel here to 03:34 visit here in Red Deer, 03:35 Alberta and be introduced to 03:36 my husband, a beautiful 03:38 Christian man that now we 03:40 celebrate over 33 years of 03:42 marriage and four children and 03:44 five grandkids, so God is 03:46 good, far more than I ever 03:47 asked or imagined. 03:49 His agenda for my life has 03:51 been overwhelming and I can 03:53 only but trust Him 03:54 moving forward. 03:56 It's been a journey. 03:57 >> So advocating for the 03:59 under-dog, part of your 04:01 journey was to go and become 04:04 the executive director for the 04:06 Central Alberta Pregnancy 04:07 Care Centre. 04:08 Can you tell us about that? 04:10 >> Yeah, well, that journey 04:11 started a while ago and it's 04:12 just-- I'm not quite sure yet 04:13 why I was called to this 04:15 specific cause, but I got 04:17 involved as a volunteer when 04:19 my children were young and I 04:21 really appreciated the 04:23 privilege and how I was grown 04:25 as a person, as a Christian, 04:27 to meet these women in the 04:28 counselling room and hear 04:30 their stories and be given the 04:31 privilege for them to open up 04:33 and be vulnerable and to trust 04:35 me with their story. 04:37 It was such and honour and it 04:39 opened up my world and one of 04:41 the tensions that I 04:43 experienced through them and 04:44 later on into my role in 04:46 leadership as an executive 04:47 director, was that I know that 04:49 I had been on both sides of 04:51 the spectrum, that at some 04:53 point before I left Quebec, 04:54 I thought to be in an 04:56 unplanned pregnancy. 04:57 It turned out was a false 04:58 alarm, but at that time, based 05:00 on my culture, my values and 05:02 what I knew to do, was to go 05:03 across the border and have an 05:04 abortion and come back as if 05:06 nothing happened, then I can 05:07 pursue my dreams and ambition. 05:09 Fast forward when I became 05:11 a Christian, I thought the way 05:12 to honour God through the 05:14 issue was to join the pro-life 05:15 movement and do the picketing 05:17 and advocacy and all that. 05:19 But when I came to meet the 05:21 women in the counselling room, 05:22 and of all walks of life, 05:24 under very difficult 05:25 circumstances and different 05:27 circumstances, I wrestled at 05:30 that time and then later on 05:31 when I was part of a 05:33 leadership team we wondered 05:36 how can we have a posture that 05:38 we can really serve the woman 05:40 in a way that not only her or 05:43 not only the child, but to 05:45 look at them as a whole, as 05:47 God's creation, and design for 05:49 both of them to thrive and how 05:51 to do that where our words, 05:53 our attitude and our action 05:55 would just reflect His true 05:56 heart in the issue. 05:58 The tension was there and also 06:00 the tension was in our 06:01 community on how to 06:03 communicate our work in a way 06:05 that we would make anyone or 06:07 everyone, depending on where 06:09 they're at on the issue, feel 06:11 open to the conversations. 06:14 >> And that's where ProGrace 06:15 came in. 06:16 So, friends, you might be 06:17 wondering about what ProGrace 06:19 is, what are the foundational 06:20 principles of ProGrace, so we 06:22 want to show you this right 06:23 now, so take a look at this. 06:24 ♪♪ 06:32 >> My name is Angie Wesley and 06:34 I'm the CEO of ProGrace. 06:36 ProGrace goes beyond the 06:38 political debate, equipping 06:40 believers with an approach 06:42 that frees us to think, talk, 06:44 and act more like Jesus would 06:46 if He were here today. 06:49 We're motivated by the fact 06:50 that of the churches we have 06:51 surveyed, about 90% of 06:53 Christians say that abortion 06:55 is one of the major social 06:57 issues their church should be 06:59 addressing, but then 90% of 07:01 these same respondents say 07:03 they are not involved 07:04 in any way. 07:06 What's the disconnect? 07:08 Maybe it's that many of us 07:09 feel the options we've 07:11 presented with just aren't 07:12 that appealing. 07:13 Because the way the current 07:15 political debate is framed 07:16 makes it seem like we need to 07:18 be either for the woman or 07:21 for the child. 07:22 But something about that feels 07:24 off to us and we find 07:26 ourselves asking the question: 07:28 If Jesus were here today, 07:30 where would He be in this issue? 07:32 ♪♪ 07:37 >> Why did God 07:38 create pregnancy? 07:39 He could have chosen to bring 07:41 life into the world any way He 07:42 wanted, but His design is 07:44 pregnancy. 07:46 There's really nothing else 07:47 like it where the welfare of 07:48 two people are so intertwined 07:50 that it's impossible to help 07:52 one while bypassing the other. 07:56 But instead of respecting 07:57 God's design, the political 07:59 debate divides us into two 08:00 camps: one focused on the 08:02 needs of the woman, the other 08:04 focused on the needs 08:05 of the child. 08:06 What we need is a third option 08:08 because somewhere in the 08:09 middle of this debate is a 08:10 woman and a child with real 08:12 emotions and real needs 08:15 and if those needs go unmet, 08:17 she often feels that her only 08:18 choice is between abortion 08:20 or overwhelming struggle 08:21 as a mom. 08:23 At current rates, more than 08:24 one in four women in America 08:26 will have an abortion by age 08:28 40 and the rates aren't that 08:30 different between those who 08:31 call themselves Christians 08:33 and those who do not. 08:35 That means there are thousands 08:37 of women in our churches who 08:38 have or will face an unplanned 08:40 pregnancy. 08:41 This may sound unbelievable 08:43 because you've rarely heard 08:44 this from women at your 08:45 church, but isn't that proof 08:47 there's a problem? 08:48 Because for many women, the 08:49 church is one of the last 08:51 places they would turn to 08:52 for help. 08:54 But there is a way we can 08:55 change this if we are willing 08:57 to look inside first. 08:59 What if there was a third way 09:00 for Christians to respond? 09:02 A new way to think about this 09:03 issue, aligning with God's 09:05 design of pregnancy so that we 09:07 value both the woman and the 09:08 child equally. 09:10 A new way for us to talk about 09:11 this issue using language that 09:13 communicates God's grace and 09:15 builds bridges, not walls. 09:17 And a new way to act, 09:19 responding with grace the way 09:20 Jesus would so that our 09:22 churches become safe places 09:23 where both women and children 09:25 can thrive, during and after 09:27 an unplanned pregnancy. 09:29 God has a pathway of hope for 09:31 the issue of abortion and it's 09:33 us, it's His church. 09:35 When we embrace a new way to 09:36 think, talk, and act, we 09:38 release His grace, bringing 09:40 His third option. 09:41 Join the ProGrace movement 09:43 today. 09:44 [click] 09:46 >> My name is Linda Herron, 09:48 I'm the client services 09:49 director at the Central 09:50 Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre. 09:52 I wanna tell you-- share a 09:53 story with you about a young 09:55 lady that I worked with for 09:58 quite a while in our-- through 10:00 our centre. 10:02 She came to us, actually, 10:04 after her abortion. 10:06 And we sat down together, she 10:09 shared her story and said that 10:11 she'd an abortion the week 10:12 before and she didn't even 10:14 know why she had done it. 10:15 So one of the things that I do 10:17 when someone comes in after an 10:19 abortion is I talk to them 10:22 about the whole experience. 10:24 So talk to me about the drive 10:26 there, about your time in the 10:27 parking lot, in the waiting 10:29 room, in the treatment room, 10:31 which is part of working 10:32 through the grief process and 10:34 avoiding denial. 10:36 When she shared about being in 10:38 the treatment room, she said, 10:40 "There was something very" 10:42 "strange that happened when I" 10:43 "was in there." 10:44 "I felt this overwhelming" 10:46 "love, it was like the room" 10:47 "was full of love and I" 10:48 "didn't know what that was." 10:50 And she carried on and told me 10:52 about the rest of her time 10:53 and the trip home and 10:54 the day after. 10:56 Before she left I said, "Can" 10:57 "I share something that I" 11:00 "believe happened" 11:01 "in that room?" 11:02 And she said, "Yes." 11:04 And I said, "I think when you" 11:05 "were feeling that" 11:06 "overwhelming love, that was" 11:08 "Jesus, and He wasn't waiting" 11:10 "outside the room, He was" 11:12 "with you and He was crying" 11:13 "with you and He's not" 11:15 "mad at you." 11:17 I later learned that because 11:19 of that conversation, she came 11:21 back and I worked with her for 11:23 a long time. 11:24 Eventually, through her 11:26 involvement there, she started 11:27 going to church. 11:29 She popped in one time and 11:31 they were doing a baptism 11:33 Sunday and she ended up, 11:35 not planned, not with any 11:37 forethought at all, she went 11:38 and was baptized as well. 11:40 Following that, she did our 11:42 volunteer training, she's now 11:45 married to a wonderful young 11:46 man and they have the most 11:48 beautiful baby I've ever seen, 11:49 I think. 11:50 She's now serving in the 11:51 Central Alberta Pregnancy Care 11:53 Centre and she's working with 11:55 women who've had abortions and 11:57 is having a huge impact in 11:59 their lives. 12:01 >> Anne, I really like the way 12:03 ProGrace cuts through the 12:04 divide and really presents the 12:07 full picture of God's heart. 12:09 What is the beauty of this 12:11 program for you? 12:14 >> Oh, there's so much to be 12:15 said, but the main thing for 12:17 me, like you said, is God's 12:19 heart be revealed in the issue 12:20 and through us as Christian, 12:22 Christ's followers. 12:24 ProGrace has done some 12:26 research where the two primary 12:27 needs of a woman are for 12:29 emotional support and 12:30 practical resources. 12:32 And as a Christian community, 12:34 that is our role. 12:35 It is not to judge, condemn, 12:37 coerce her in her 12:38 decision-making, it is to be 12:40 the hands and feet and provide 12:42 that support, a safe place for 12:44 her to tell her story, to be 12:46 heard, and to be given the 12:48 practical resources of-- that 12:51 she needs to overcome her 12:52 difficult circumstances. 12:54 We were privileged in Central 12:55 Alberta here with the Central 12:57 Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre, 12:59 as we approach our community 13:00 with these two primary needs, 13:02 and we saw the need to say, 13:04 "OK, we're offering the" 13:05 "options-counselling, but" 13:07 "what are we doing to be" 13:08 "more practical?" 13:09 "What about the women in" 13:10 "other communities?" 13:11 "And what about housing?" 13:12 And the community stepped up 13:14 and beyond the need and we 13:16 grew, we were able to open 13:17 other centres in surrounding 13:19 communities and to provide a 13:20 beautiful maternity home, a 13:22 place where they can live 13:25 through their pregnancy, 13:26 be cared for, be nurtured, and 13:28 loved unconditionally and then 13:30 to be able to stay and be 13:31 equipped to parent 13:33 successfully after the child 13:34 is born or place-- or 13:36 supported to place for 13:37 adoption. 13:39 Practical resources, and then 13:41 the support, the emotional 13:43 support through all of that. 13:44 And so often we've heard 13:45 clients says, "Really? Me?" 13:47 "If you knew my-- after all" 13:50 "I've told you, you still" 13:51 "want me to be part of" 13:53 "your program?" 13:54 And that's what ProGrace 13:55 brings into this, it's just 13:57 this grace approach that, you 13:59 know, we've all experienced 14:01 God's grace, you've heard my 14:03 story, I've experienced it and 14:05 experience it every day so it 14:07 is renewed every day and it's 14:09 a beautiful way. 14:11 >> So the statistics are 14:12 telling us that this is not 14:14 only happening outside of the 14:15 church, it's happening within 14:17 the church. 14:17 So 40% of those women who are 14:20 experiencing a termination of 14:21 pregnancy are within the 14:25 church and yet only about 7% 14:27 of those women are actually 14:29 speaking to their church about 14:32 this decision. 14:33 >> Yes, I think it's their 14:34 conception, their history, 14:37 their exposure they've had to 14:39 different churches and to the 14:41 Christians, too, and the way 14:43 that we speak about it. 14:45 And I've experienced being in 14:47 churches speaking many, many 14:49 times and sharing, you know, 14:50 if so many are from the 14:52 church, but overall one in 14:54 four women is experiencing 14:57 terminating a-- that's a lot 14:58 of women. 14:59 And when I speak in a church, 15:01 I have the privilege to say, 15:02 when you do speak about the 15:04 issue, that that be in your 15:05 work environment or around 15:07 your dinner table at Christmas 15:10 time, within your church, 15:11 wherever it is, one out of 15:12 four women, so when you do 15:14 speak of it, will your words, 15:15 your attitude, your action 15:17 bring healing and restoration 15:19 or add to some of the guilt 15:21 and shame they can be 15:22 experiencing? 15:23 And a lot of it is 15:25 self-imposed, we don't need to 15:26 do it. [laughs] 15:28 People should know that, it 15:29 doesn't-- they carry a burden 15:31 through their past experience 15:33 in that way. 15:34 >> We have to be really 15:35 careful about the language 15:37 we use in talking about 15:38 this issue because we don't 15:39 know who's listening. 15:41 And when people are listening, 15:42 they're thinking, "Are you a" 15:43 "safe person to talk to?" 15:45 >> Definitely. 15:47 We want those walls and we 15:48 want to build bridges, we want 15:50 to be a safe, inviting place. 15:52 You know, Mike, I remember 15:53 speaking in a church and once 15:55 I had a pastor get up after I 15:57 spoke and he was all choked up 15:59 and he asked his congregation 16:00 for forgiveness. 16:02 He says, "I didn't realize" 16:03 "that so many of you in here" 16:05 "could have experienced an" 16:07 "abortion and I know that the" 16:09 "way I've spoken of it and" 16:11 "the words I would have used" 16:12 "and some of my messages would" 16:14 "not have brought healing." 16:15 And it's not all churches, 16:17 some churches are very 16:18 gracious and very welcoming 16:20 and have beautiful programs, 16:21 but based on those statistics 16:23 we know that it's probably not 16:24 the norm. 16:26 And, you know, grace is 16:27 extended to all of us because 16:29 I've had the privilege of 16:31 saying, my team and people that 16:32 work within the pregnancy care 16:34 movement, we had the privilege 16:36 to hear the stories and to be 16:39 transformed by that. 16:40 Before I heard the stories, I 16:42 was on both sides of the 16:44 spectrum, it's only the work 16:47 and meeting the women and be 16:49 able to experience and walk 16:51 along side them, their journey 16:52 that changed me. 16:54 And I truly believe that we 16:55 will revolutionize the issue 16:57 of abortion by bringing the 16:59 grace ingredient into the 17:01 whole debate. 17:03 >> Anne, what does the 17:04 progress approach look like in 17:06 a practical sense? 17:08 >> Yes, well, it's the way that 17:10 we meet the woman in the 17:12 counselling room, the really 17:13 practical, to make her feel 17:16 that she's safe, not coercing 17:18 her, just listening 17:19 to her story. 17:21 And again, I bring it back to 17:22 that emotional support where 17:24 she feels like she's at home. 17:26 We hear that often and they 17:28 feel that they're cared and 17:29 they're not being judged no 17:31 matter what they do and it 17:33 opens up in a beautiful way. 17:34 And then to be able to just 17:36 really bring those resources 17:37 and those practical resources. 17:39 And then what we do with the 17:40 clients is regardless where 17:42 they're at, it is not a 17:43 mandate to impose our faith 17:45 values, but when we bring the 17:47 grace into the equation, it 17:49 just grows them a little bit 17:50 closer to who God is and His 17:52 heart for them. 17:53 And then, you know, I've sat 17:55 across people and I've had 17:57 people from all walks again, 17:58 on both spectrum, you know, 18:00 Christian, non-Christian, 18:01 pro-life, pro-choice, wherever 18:02 they're at, and when I've 18:04 shared that with them and 18:05 said, you know, that women 18:06 face very difficult 18:08 circumstances when they face 18:09 an unplanned pregnancy, would 18:11 we not both agree that they 18:13 have the right to access the 18:14 information they need to make 18:16 a well-informed choice? 18:18 And on top of that to be 18:20 accessing God's unconditional 18:21 love and grace, just like you 18:23 and I, on a daily basis, no 18:26 matter what they choose to do? 18:28 And, you know, we know we've 18:29 done a really good job, we 18:31 talk about the practical 18:32 implication of it, is when they 18:33 come back after choosing to 18:34 terminate, they don't feel 18:36 judged and condemned, they 18:37 know it's a safe place and 18:38 they come back, say, 18:40 "I need some help, I'm not" 18:41 "doing so good." 18:42 It just warms our heart to 18:43 know that now they're getting 18:45 a little picture, a little 18:48 view of what God's heart and 18:50 then the work begins. 18:52 >> You know, Anne, I just 18:53 can't help thinking about the 18:55 story of Jesus with the woman 18:57 that was caught in adultery. 18:59 He just did that so quietly 19:02 and so beautifully. 19:05 >> Beautiful story in John 8, 19:06 we use that all the time 19:08 because one thing that we see 19:09 that's the beauty of it is 19:11 Jesus first addresses the 19:13 Pharisees and then when 19:15 they're gone, then He 19:16 addresses her and leaves her 19:19 in awe of His gentleness and 19:21 His grace that she's able to 19:23 go away and be transformed by 19:25 her experience and her having 19:27 experienced Jesus in that way. 19:29 Beautiful story. 19:31 >> So, Anne, you're dealing 19:33 with the emotions and the 19:34 practical side. 19:36 Do you have any personal 19:38 stories that you've 19:39 experienced that really speak 19:40 to you personally? 19:42 [ANNE] Oh, yes. 19:43 Do you know that a woman can 19:45 choose to terminate with as 19:46 much love in her heart than 19:48 the woman that choose to 19:50 carry to term. 19:51 Let me tell you of a young 19:53 woman that came to us and 19:55 since the-- her story that 19:57 since the age of four has been 19:59 sexually abused, ended up in 20:02 foster care program on and 20:05 off, onto the street into drug 20:07 addiction and sex trade, and 20:09 on and on. 20:10 Finds herself pregnant. 20:13 Out of love, she wants to 20:15 spare that child of the world 20:16 that she knows. 20:17 Out of love. 20:19 She says, "There's no way I" 20:20 "can bring a child into the" 20:21 "world that I've experienced," 20:22 "unless somebody comes" 20:24 "alongside with that emotional" 20:26 "support, saying, you know," 20:27 "I'm so sorry you had to go" 20:29 "through all this, but let me" 20:30 "paint a picture of hope" 20:32 "for you." 20:33 And that is what we're able 20:34 to do in the pregnancy 20:35 care movement. 20:37 And the other story is the 20:38 young woman that grew up in 20:39 the church, pastor's daughter, 20:41 and has kept pure through all 20:43 these years and goes to 20:44 university and 20:47 finds herself pregnant. 20:49 Her reflex is to terminate her 20:51 pregnancy because she wants to 20:53 spare her family, her 20:54 congregation the shame 20:56 and the guilt. 20:57 And that story's a true story 20:58 and by the grace of God was 20:59 she spared that choice through 21:01 someone that introduced her to 21:03 her local pregnancy centre and 21:05 help her search her own heart. 21:06 'Cause that's one thing that 21:08 we do in our practical 21:09 resources, we help her see 21:11 what their heart's 21:12 telling them. 21:13 Your heart is often what we 21:15 want you to honour so when you 21:16 look back, yeah, you will have 21:19 made the choice that you felt 21:21 was best for you at the time, 21:23 based on your heart. 21:25 >> I received a phone call one 21:27 day and it was a very frantic 21:30 young man, actually, on the 21:32 phone that said, 21:34 "My girlfriend's pregnant." 21:36 "We are not ready for this." 21:38 "We need to get an abortion" 21:40 "and I need to book it as" 21:41 "soon as possible." 21:42 And I said, "Well, let me" 21:43 "tell you what we do here." 21:45 "We help people like yourself" 21:46 "who are facing an unplanned" 21:48 "pregnancy and the way that" 21:49 "we do that is we would love" 21:51 "to meet with you, we'd love" 21:52 "to sit down and talk with" 21:54 "you and go over all of your" 21:55 "options and then offer you" 21:56 "some decision-making tools." 21:59 He finally agreed to come in, 22:00 quite nervously, and when we 22:03 met with them we went through 22:05 all of her options and then we 22:07 went through decision-making 22:09 tools. 22:10 Their concerns were financial, 22:13 embarrassment of what the 22:15 family would think, future 22:16 plans, goals, and dreams that 22:19 they felt were being 22:20 destroyed, that none of those 22:21 things would happen anymore. 22:23 She even said that she had 22:24 never really wanted to be a 22:26 mother, she hadn't given it 22:27 any thought at all. 22:29 So we talked a bit about what 22:32 it might look like if they did 22:35 decide to go forward. 22:37 She did admit that her family 22:39 were-- had always been very 22:40 supportive and when I asked, 22:42 "How do you think they would" 22:44 "respond," she said, "Uh," 22:46 "they'd probably be happy." 22:48 "So you've shared with me" 22:50 "that financially there's no" 22:51 "way you could have a baby," 22:53 "but there's a lot of help" 22:54 "out there and we can help" 22:55 "you to find that, we can" 22:57 "show you the resources that" 22:58 "are out there." 22:59 "You talked about all your" 23:00 "dreams being dead if you" 23:02 "have a baby and I think" 23:05 "there may be dreams that you" 23:06 "don't even know about yet." 23:08 "You talked about your family" 23:10 "and the embarrassment, but" 23:11 "you also just shared with me" 23:13 "that those are people that" 23:14 "support you and love you and" 23:15 "so my encouragement will be" 23:17 "that you actually talk to" 23:18 "them because my guess is" 23:19 "you've never made a major" 23:21 "decision in your life" 23:22 "without their guidance." 23:24 She totally agreed with me 23:26 on that one and was pondering, 23:28 you could tell she was 23:30 starting to ponder. 23:31 I could tell from this young 23:32 man that all he wanted to do 23:34 was to make her happy and I 23:37 spoke to them about the fact 23:39 that I could see that they 23:40 really, really cared about 23:42 each other and that I believed 23:44 that they would be able to 23:45 sort through this. 23:46 I reminded them that they have 23:48 time to make this decision and 23:49 regardless of what choice they 23:51 make we'd be there to support 23:52 them and walk alongside them. 23:55 I did see them a week later, 23:57 they still were uncertain, but 23:59 they had spoken to family and 24:01 as predicted, their family 24:03 were very supportive, but also 24:05 saying, "Whichever option you" 24:06 "choose, we'll be there to" 24:07 "support you." 24:09 And another week later they 24:10 made the decision that they 24:11 would carry to term. 24:13 It was so fun because during 24:15 the pregnancy that young man 24:17 visited a male mentor very 24:19 regularly, every single week 24:20 throughout the whole 24:21 pregnancy. 24:22 He went through so much 24:25 training on what it meant to 24:26 be a father. 24:27 They have a beautiful, 24:29 beautiful little girl and I 24:30 just recently spoke to them 24:31 again and they've married and 24:33 they're expecting their second 24:35 child and are loving, loving, 24:38 loving being parents. 24:40 >> That's what I think God is 24:42 calling ProGrace to do, is 24:44 just impact the issue in such 24:46 a way that God's true heart 24:48 will be revealed in a way that 24:51 people that know Him will grow 24:53 to know him a little 24:54 bit better. 24:56 >> So, Anne, we have come to 24:58 the end of our program and I 24:59 wonder if you could please 25:01 pray for us right now? 25:03 >> I'd love to. 25:05 Because, Father God, here You 25:07 are, a great and mighty and so 25:09 gracious of a God. 25:11 We're thankful for this 25:13 program and we're thankful for 25:15 all of the listeners, You know 25:17 each and every one of them, 25:19 You know their stories, You 25:22 know how You wanna reach out 25:24 to them and we trust that this 25:26 program will do just that, 25:28 will equip them to be a little 25:30 bit better when faced, not 25:32 just with abortion, but the 25:34 other difficult issues that 25:36 we're facing in such a time as 25:38 this, that You will grow them 25:40 in Your likeness, to extend 25:41 the grace for everyone. 25:45 And at the same time that 25:47 they'll accept that grace for 25:48 themselves, no matter what 25:49 their story. 25:51 For the ones that have had 25:52 difficult circumstances, 25:55 Father God, may they find a 25:56 safe place to turn to, someone 25:59 to talk to and to experience 26:01 Your healing and Your 26:03 transformation. 26:05 We pray that You will use 26:06 ProGrace, the churches and all 26:08 its partners, and all the 26:09 pregnancy care centres across 26:11 Canada, use that movement and 26:15 the great work that the men 26:16 and women involved and the 26:18 volunteers and all different 26:21 ways, just to transform their 26:23 communities and again that 26:25 many, many will come to know 26:27 You in a personal way and that 26:30 the impact will not just be 26:32 for today, but for eternity. 26:37 That is our prayer, in Jesus' 26:39 precious name we pray, amen. 26:40 [MIKE] Amen, amen. 26:42 Thank you so much, Anne, for 26:44 coming and sharing with us 26:45 about ProGrace today. 26:47 >> Thankful for the opportunity. 26:49 Thanks for having me. 26:52 >> Friends, you may have more 26:54 questions about ProGrace so we 26:57 want to offer you free access 26:59 to an eBook entitled, 27:01 The Third Option. 27:03 >> The Third Option is a new 27:05 way you can approach the 27:06 question of abortion. 27:08 An eBook by ProGrace for 27:10 Christians who want to rise 27:12 above the polarization and 27:14 view the issues to the gospel 27:16 of grace. 27:18 This eBook will give you 27:19 deeper insights into the work 27:21 of ProGrace. 27:23 Here is the information you 27:25 will need to receive today's 27:27 free offer. 27:28 >> To request today's offer, 27:29 just log onto 27:31 www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. 27:35 If you prefer, you may call 27:36 toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW. 27:40 Call any time! 27:42 Lines are open 24 hours daily. 27:44 And thank you for your prayer 27:46 requests and your generous 27:47 financial support. 27:49 >> Before you go, we would 27:51 also like to invite you to 27:52 follow us on Instagram and 27:53 Facebook and subscribe to our 27:56 YouTube channel and also 27:58 listen to our Podcasts. 28:00 And if you go to our website, 28:02 you can see our latest 28:04 programs, including our 28:05 cooking demonstrations, our 28:07 short spiritual messages 28:09 entitled, Daily Living, and our 28:11 exercise workouts called 28:13 Experiencing Life. 28:15 >> We want you to experience 28:16 the truth that is found in the 28:18 words of Jesus when He said, 28:20 "It is Written, man shall not" 28:22 "live by bread alone, but by" 28:24 "every word that proceeds out" 28:26 "of the mouth of God." 28:29 >> We need to paint a picture 28:31 of hope for women of what's 28:32 possible after an unplanned 28:34 pregnancy and the way we can 28:36 do that is if local churches 28:38 get involved in creating these 28:40 communities. 28:41 God's solution to the abortion 28:42 issue will come through His 28:44 church and as we extend the 28:45 same grace that we've 28:47 received, that's when God will 28:49 bring His solution and turn 28:50 the tide of abortion. 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Revised 2021-12-08