Participants:
Series Code: LAC
Program Code: LAC180007A
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00:01 Our local church ministry
00:03 has really restored relationships. 00:06 It's pulled up roots of ignorance about abortion 00:09 and planted seeds of love, hope and healing. 00:12 Come learn how on Life After Choice. 00:31 Hi, I'm Michael. 00:32 And this is Abby, welcome to Life After Choice. 00:36 My girlfriend had an abortion in which I had no choice. 00:40 And my life spiraled out of control. 00:42 There was lots of bitterness, pain, addictions, depression, 00:46 anxiety, 00:48 but God in His mercy reached down in my heart 00:52 and gave me healing and restoration. 00:55 I want to share with you how we started the ministry. 00:58 But first, I want Abby to share her story 01:01 and her journey also, and how this all took place. 01:04 Absolutely, 01:05 I was completely blinded by pride. 01:08 I wanted to make my own decisions 01:10 and have control of my own life. 01:12 In that, I distanced from God, 01:14 I chose to take a morning after Plan B pill, 01:16 trying to prevent the pregnancy of my now 01:19 wonderfully healthy, beautiful daughter. 01:22 God had a really awesome plan for my life, 01:23 just like He has for all of His children, 01:26 and our local church ministry that we have now started 01:29 has really glorified the name of the Lord 01:31 and proven that He can make 1000 goods out of our 10 bads. 01:38 So I remember us receiving, tell me walk me through this, 01:41 Abby, how did we receive the connection card? 01:44 What went on in your mind? 01:46 Was this something that you had thought 01:48 about for a long time, 01:49 I really want to know more about this, 01:51 maybe our audience that I know, but they don't know about this. 01:55 Absolutely. 01:56 So I had really been praying to the Lord 01:58 that He would show me some way to serve in our church. 02:03 And I really just wanted a way to hone in 02:06 and focus on something that I could connect with. 02:09 And I connected with people who'd had an abortion 02:11 because I understood the fear that they feel 02:14 when they're faced with this decision. 02:16 So as I was praying about this, and the Holy Spirit, 02:19 you know, is really prompting me 02:21 and leading me towards this type of ministry. 02:24 My husband, he recommended 02:25 that I fill out a little connection card, 02:27 just a little note to our pastor 02:29 to try to kind of get that ball rolling. 02:31 And so I sent it in at just the end of the sermon 02:35 to see what God would do with it. 02:37 I remember reading that card. 02:39 And I thought, well, this is really not for me, 02:43 and I wanted to defer on it. 02:45 But God kept prompting me, you need to follow up on this. 02:48 And so I began making some calls 02:50 in our local church conference, 02:52 we had nothing in our conference on abortion 02:54 or ministry related to that. 02:57 But we kept going further and further 03:00 in the Southwestern Union 03:01 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church gave me 03:03 some contact information for Mafgia Ministry, 03:07 which is the self supporting ministry that helps those 03:11 who have had abortions and also counsels with those 03:14 who are pondering or thinking about this. 03:17 It talks about reconciliation, and healing, 03:19 and how we can be restored to the God 03:21 who loves us so much. 03:23 We began this ministry by seeking God 03:26 earnestly in prayer. 03:28 I remember us really just praying, 03:30 and talking, and asking God, 03:32 you know, what should we do because we had no idea 03:35 how and what to do in these unchartered waters. 03:39 And it was really an amazing thing 03:41 to see how God really opened up doors. 03:44 Right. And he really did, He just... 03:46 He opened the floodgates. 03:47 It felt like, you know, we started asking the questions 03:50 and we started looking for avenues 03:52 for people to talk to. 03:54 And with the Mafgia Ministry, like you mentioned, 03:56 they gave us some leadership 03:58 and told us that we really needed 03:59 to reach out to the resources in our community 04:02 to see what was there. 04:03 So we started talking to the crisis 04:05 pregnancy centers, 04:06 we started talking to a couple of other churches who had 04:08 similar ministries that focused on post abortive healing 04:12 and alternatives to abortion. 04:14 And when we started looking at those, 04:16 you know, we really wanted to kind of hone in, 04:19 gather all these ideas and glean from these people 04:22 so that we can bring it to our church, 04:24 who really had nothing to offer. 04:26 You know, if this conversation had not been started, 04:28 abortion wasn't something that was talked about, 04:31 that was counseled on, that was, 04:32 you know, recommended or discouraged, 04:34 you know, in marriage counseling 04:35 or anything like that. 04:37 So, when we kind of got that ball rolling, 04:39 and started asking questions, 04:40 it was just really cool to see where God led us. 04:43 I remember that one conversation we had, 04:46 you remember when we were talking 04:47 on the conference call 04:49 and we had Mafgia Ministry and they were saying, 04:52 "We just need to get the conversation started." 04:55 And really moving step by step in being very patient 04:59 and I remember talking to our elders 05:02 and it was kind of apprehensive in my heart, 05:06 you know, lots of apprehension and thinking, 05:08 how are they going to receive this? 05:10 Are they gonna be judgmental? 05:12 I remember having our first meeting 05:15 with some other core leaders, 05:16 and they were thinking and asking the question, 05:20 could we get into a lot of legal problems 05:22 if we even bring this ministry into our church? 05:25 Are we well equipped medically 05:26 to talk about some of the issues 05:29 and we kept going back 05:30 to the stories in the scriptures, 05:32 how Jesus brought healing, and how He did it, 05:35 and how He sent His disciples out 05:38 to heal the brokenhearted, 05:39 to set at liberty those who are bruised or crushed. 05:42 And we really felt compelled 05:45 that we must move forward with this ministry. 05:47 We went to a retreat, and at this retreat, 05:51 we learned a lot about how the very nuts and bolts 05:55 and how the structure of how we can help 05:57 with these various, 05:58 help people who were in need of help. 06:01 Maybe you could share how we started the small group. 06:06 What were your first impressions 06:08 when we started the small group 06:09 for this ministry? 06:11 Yeah, absolutely. 06:12 So you talked about this retreat that we went to, 06:15 and how it led into 06:16 the formation of our small group. 06:18 And it was just an incredible journey. 06:20 And I can't really emphasize enough 06:22 how much we saturated this ministry in prayer. 06:25 You know, we prayed, and we prayed, and we prayed, 06:27 we prayed and we fasted for 40 days. 06:29 And we got our board on board, and we got our elders with us. 06:33 And, you know, it was just this big team working together. 06:36 So I can't emphasize enough the prayer that went into it. 06:39 But after this retreat, 06:40 and we had gotten ideas from other resources around us, 06:45 our board recommended that we go ahead 06:47 and just reach out to the ladies 06:48 at the Mafgia Ministry and ask them 06:50 to come physically to our church 06:52 to get this conversation rolling. 06:54 You know, to put it out there to show them 06:56 that it's not just us. 06:57 It's not just on our heads that this is a real thing 06:59 that our Seventh-day Adventist Church 07:01 needs to address. 07:03 So when we did that, 07:04 the wonderful ladies at the Mafgia Ministry, 07:06 they came to our church and they gave a weekend seminar 07:09 called "The Silent Sorrow." 07:11 Now this seminar focuses on the grief and the pain 07:14 that people feel that is silent. 07:17 And it is a sorrowful heartache, 07:19 because they feel like they can't be forgiven, 07:21 you know, not only do they have to live, 07:23 you know, with the pain of the loss, 07:26 but also the pain of feeling like 07:27 they're forever disconnected from the Lord, 07:29 like feeling like they can't get that relationship restored, 07:33 feeling they can't get back to that place. 07:35 So as we focused on 07:37 this message of redemption and healing, 07:39 and what God truly has to offer, 07:40 and what His true character is. 07:42 Over this weekend seminar, 07:44 we handed out 07:45 some connection cards for people to, 07:48 you know, privately on their own, 07:50 give us some feedback and let us know, 07:51 what can we do, 07:52 you know, what can we offer you to help you. 07:55 Because we had people from our community there, 07:57 you know, we had people from our church, 07:58 we really broadcasted that. 08:00 We want to get this conversation started here. 08:03 So when we got all these cards back of people 08:05 who are interested in helping in the ministry, 08:07 and people who wanted to, you know, discuss it more, 08:09 people who felt like, you know, they needed us to help them, 08:13 guide them through the recovery process, 08:16 because it wasn't something 08:17 that they could do on their own. 08:19 They needed Christ to intervene in their life. 08:21 So that's how our Bible studies started is, 08:23 we got this awesome ministry 08:25 and all these people really, really excited about it, 08:28 and really just seeking after the Lord 08:29 in a new and amazing way. 08:32 So our Bible study started, you remember the first meeting? 08:34 I remember the first meeting, 08:36 you know, you could see and smell fear in that room, 08:40 you know, because, again, we were looking around 08:43 and I'm sure people were thinking, 08:45 maybe I'm going to be judged. 08:47 I have this position in church, 08:49 and how would they look at me afterwards 08:51 of me sharing the story. 08:53 And so there are different levels of quietness, 08:57 you know, we went through and we spent time in prayer. 09:00 But I recall, as I was thinking about this, 09:03 you know, as if you were walking into this garden, 09:07 and it's just dead, you know, there was no life, 09:10 the rose bushes are all burnt down, 09:13 and all the different daffodils and all the flowers, 09:15 the garden is just dead. 09:17 But as we went through this study, 09:19 week after week, 09:20 and as the Spirit of God was poured out, 09:22 I just saw a life, 09:23 people who were maybe quiet, they began sharing 09:27 and they shared from their heart, 09:29 they began to realize that we could trust each other. 09:33 And most of all that they were forgiven 09:36 because that was the key in that entire study. 09:39 And that really gave me an outlook 09:42 that I never had before. 09:43 And just thinking, I wonder how many churches 09:47 have people who have this pain, 09:50 but they are never given an opportunity, 09:53 never given a gateway of hope. 09:55 I wonder, as I was there with the group, 09:58 I wonder how many mothers 10:01 are having the pain in raising their children 10:04 and thinking about the one child they lost, 10:06 but they could never forgive themselves. 10:08 That is what I was thinking about a lot with our group. 10:13 Absolutely. 10:14 And to see that pain, 10:16 to see what people were going through 10:18 and to just be there with them, 10:20 you know, not that we as human beings 10:22 had anything special to offer them, 10:24 but that we could really seek the Lord together 10:27 that was, you know, a very powerful, 10:30 powerful point in their lives. 10:31 You know, it really radically changed 10:33 how they viewed God, 10:34 it changed, you know, their view of who He was 10:37 and His love for all of His children 10:39 that, you know, when He says that He forgives us, 10:42 you know, when we seek after Him, 10:43 that He has been pleading for us, 10:45 you know that it's true 10:47 to truly believe in the reality of God's love. 10:50 So to see that how that changed people's life 10:52 was just incredible. 10:53 And it's incredible, you know, every day as we move forward. 10:56 Do you remember, you know, like few that seven people 11:00 that we started with in our group? 11:02 Do you remember the couple of ladies 11:03 that they had never been able to talk about it before. 11:06 I remember that one lady who mentioned and said that, 11:09 you know, when she had had the abortion, 11:13 her mother told her 11:15 never bring this subject up again, 11:17 can you imagine? 11:18 For years, never bringing up this subject again. 11:22 And I'm just amazed at how God works 11:25 because this same lady, 11:26 she was at our church for the first time 11:29 when we were advertising for the silent sorrow seminar 11:33 that was coming up. 11:34 And she said, she said to her husband, 11:37 this is where I need to be, because God had ordained, 11:40 God had just given her this gateway of hope 11:44 for her to be there. 11:45 And I can just remember how joyful she has been, 11:49 how she feels being forgiven, 11:51 because there were others in our group 11:53 that felt as if they could not even forgive themselves. 11:57 And so they had to come to that point 11:59 of forgiving themselves. 12:01 And I think it has brought healing to their marriages, 12:04 it's brought healing to their children, 12:06 it has brought healing to their family members, 12:09 it has brought healing to their co workers, 12:11 because now they're different people, 12:13 just because they've been given hope. 12:15 And I just praise God for that. Absolutely. 12:18 I mean, it's all encompassing, 12:20 you know, this idea that it's not just about abortion, 12:24 but it's about our view of the human life, 12:26 and how we value it, and how God values it, 12:29 and the value that He has placed on it. 12:32 So when we, you know, studied this together, 12:34 and we decided, you know, 12:36 it doesn't matter if it hasn't been done in the past. 12:38 We don't have to, you know, play by status quo, 12:41 we can start this new idea and this new conversation. 12:45 We really laid the ground for, 12:47 you know, people's lives completely changing. 12:49 And now we've got this group of people 12:50 who are so on fire for the Lord 12:52 and just want to serve the Lord in every aspect, 12:55 because they have been freed of that great, great sorrow. 12:57 And I know you're probably thinking as you're watching, 12:59 how can I get this started in my local church? 13:02 How can I be involved? 13:04 First of all, I would say, seek God earnestly in prayer. 13:08 There's so many who are hurting right now in your congregation. 13:13 And you're probably wondering, 13:14 well, maybe it's just one person 13:16 well, you may never know, 13:18 if you don't start a conversation. 13:20 We praise God because in our conference, 13:22 our conference president of the Seventh-day 13:24 Adventist Church is 100% behind us. 13:27 We've been having this conversation 13:29 with our pastors beginning to talk about this 13:33 and not just push it away, 13:35 and sharing and educating 13:37 others in how we could be of help 13:39 and minister to one another's needs. 13:42 I believe, as it says in the Book of Hosea 2:15, 13:47 "And I will give her vineyards from thence and the valley, 13:50 because it says it will open up a door, 13:52 a door of hope, a gateway of hope." 13:55 We can be gateways of hope, by partnering together, 13:59 learning how we can be Christ's hands and feet. 14:03 I believe He has given us a great opportunity. 14:06 And my take away from this is that 14:08 God reveals Himself as a God who reconciles, 14:12 God reveals as the God who loves and heals 14:15 and a God who forgives. 14:17 Amen. And I praise Him for it. 14:19 Absolutely. 14:20 And with that reconciliation, he's really shown us the need 14:24 that we have to be pulled to him and to reconcile that 14:28 that relationship. 14:29 So, that is my prayer 14:31 that we as a church can be reconciled to God 14:34 as we move forward with this discussion. 14:37 So we thank you so much for joining us 14:39 here on Life After Choice. |
Revised 2019-03-21