Displaying items by tag: Advent 2025

by Jor-El Godsey, President

The heart of the Christmas season can be summed up in one term – love. The brightness of the season highlights how we love others, especially those closest to us. That closeness is often through family, marriage, friendship, and more. Love is in every gift given, every smile worn, and every happy tear we shed.

We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) This is to say that the love we have for others is a reflection of God’s love for us that existed long before we did. We love because God is love. When we love we are exhibiting, even in limited earthly ways, the very nature of the God of the universe.

And that love is exactly what powers the work of every pregnancy help organization. In fact, that is what powers the heart of every outreach we have. It is the most amazing thing to willingly step into the life of a complete stranger and all of the drama they are experiencing surrounding their unintended pregnancy. And we do it with a love for God’s handiwork. That handiwork is evident in the woman, regardless of her circumstances and situation. That handiwork is also in the form of the yet-to-be-born child, regardless of the circumstances that surrounded the creation of that life.

“A baby is God's opinion that life should go on.”
- Carl Sandburg, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Life is God’s idea, and shows His creative power in action.

The LOVE Approach, Heartbeat’s signature training for pregnancy help outreach, is constructed on the framework found in “the Love Chapter” we know as 1 Corinthians 13. In effect, it is the love of God that infuses the ability to champion the Gift of Life.

Wherever we are in the pregnancy help organization, it is love that is, and must always be, our bedrock for the work we do.

This is most evident in the one-on-one engagement with the women and men we serve. But it is also present in the leadership, governance, and administration of the organization. Everyone in the organization is, or should be, leaning into the power of God’s love to accomplish His great work of reaching and rescuing lives at risk.

It is no accident that the story of the Christchild centers around what looks to us as an “unplanned pregnancy.” Of course, the pregnancy was very much planned by the God of the Universe. We see the evidence of that in the pronouncements of the prophets of the Old Testament centuries before. God’s plan always involved coming as a baby, born to a virgin. Mary’s willingness and Joseph’s acceptance cemented their part in the story.

We celebrate those precious moments from two millennia ago that involved an unborn child, an unmarried pregnant woman, a temporary housing need, and the God who was making all of it into a story for the ages. In doing so, we are also reminding ourselves that the God who made our salvation possible through those unusual set of circumstances is more than able to do something similar in the lives of those He puts in our paths today.

It is you, and your love, expressed in your “yes” to do this work, that serves as a conduit of His love. And the miracle of them saying yes to the life within is, in its way, every bit as miraculous as what happened in that nativity so long ago.

It is well said that God’s love comes to us through people. As we gather together this Christmas, we can see and feel that love in those He has blessed us with.

In the same way, His love flows through you as you faithfully champion the precious Gift of Life in your pregnancy help organization. Glory to God in the Highest!

by Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications and Marketing

Week 3 – Dec. 14-20: Joy (Gaudete Sunday)

This week, the third Sunday of Advent—Gaudete Sunday—invites us to rejoice. The word Gaudete itself means “Rejoice,” and it reminds us of the joy of our faith, the hope we carry during this season, and the joy that comes with the coming of Christ. The pink Shepherd’s Candle we light this Sunday reflects that joy, a light that shines even in the darkest nights. (Matthew 2:10-11)

From a biblical perspective, joy is more than a fleeting feeling or reaction to circumstances. It is a deep, abiding gladness rooted in God’s presence and promises. Scripture calls us to be instruments of God’s joy, bringing comfort, hope, and life to others. As we help mothers, fathers, and families experience the profound joy of life, that joy is reflected back into our own hearts. In serving others, we participate in God’s work, and the joy of giving and supporting life becomes a testimony of His love at work through us.

Working in the pregnancy help movement, you live out this joy every day. Through your compassion, service, and dedication, you create a place where women and families find hope when they face uncertainty. You stand as beacons of light in valleys of fear, offering more than guidance—you offer life, dignity, and a future.

Every conversation, every life you touch, every family you support ripples across generations. A mother encouraged to carry her child, a father empowered to protect and provide, a young woman guided to make a life-affirming choice—these are the moments where joy takes root. This joy is not fleeting; it is eternal, carried forward by the children whose lives you help nurture and the families whose hearts you touch.

This Advent, let us pause to rejoice in the immeasurable joy your work brings. In the small victories, the difficult conversations, and the moments of quiet care, you reflect the light of Christ to those who need it most. The joy of Advent is a reminder that even in a world full of challenges, life and hope prevail through your witness.

May this Gaudete Sunday renew your spirit, encourage your hearts, and remind you that the joy you bring today will echo in the generations to come. Rejoice! Christ is near, and your work is a living testament to His love.

by Jennifer Ellis, Academy Manager

In the second week of Advent, we light candles and turn our hearts and thoughts toward peace. The peace our hearts long for during Advent is the deep, abiding peace only Christ can bring into a world so often filled with fear and chaos. For those serving in pregnancy help, this peace is particularly significant. You encounter women and families daily who are in the midst of unexpected news, overwhelming voices, and seemingly impossible circumstances. Many feel afraid and alone in this world. In many ways, there is a parallel between what they are experiencing and what Jesus was born into, a world in need of the peace only He can provide.

Peace When Things Are Uncertain

The peace we talk about during Advent is not the absence of chaos. It is Christ and His presence in the midst of it. When that client walks through your door with her emotions—whether it’s anger, sadness, hurt, confusion, or more—your very presence with her can begin to bring calm in the midst of her storm. You provide a supportive environment where she can say what she needs to say…and be heard. 

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in You."
- Isaiah 26:3 NIV

These words have so much power when you apply them to sitting with a client who may feel as though her world is coming to an end. The perfect peace that comes from Christ alone does not mean you have every answer and resource she needs at that specific moment. Rather, it comes from trusting that Christ will provide what she needs and bring peace in the midst of the chaos, with you as His vessel. We have the opportunity to model the peace she so desperately needs as we trust in Him for His perfect peace and provision.

Becoming a Path to Peace

During the Advent season, we remember how peace entered the world through a humble young woman who faced a pregnancy she did not plan. Can you imagine how Mary must have felt, or the confusion and fear she must have experienced as a result of the angel’s message to her? Yet her response was the simple statement, full of faith and trust in the Lord, “...let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 ESV)

You have the opportunity to bring the type of peace Mary exhibited into the lives of the women and families you meet with every day. You help them see the possibilities in their lives when they can’t see the big picture. You walk with them in prayer and with compassion, bringing a steady presence they otherwise may not have. You show them the way to peace through faith in the Lord.

Every counseling session, class, material assistance visit, or phone call is an opportunity to bring peace into her life. The calm in your voice, your patience as you listen, helping her know she is not alone, creates that path to peace she so desperately needs. 

The Multiplication of Peace

This week, it’s important to focus on not only offering peace but receiving it. Peace cannot multiply, spilling into the lives of those we serve, if we are not able to receive it ourselves. The work you do each day can take a toll on you emotionally and even physically. 

Let’s take some time to be refilled, resting in the presence of the Lord. Focus on this promise from the Lord as we meet with Him to be filled with His presence and peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
- John 14:27 (NIV) 

Emmanuel, God with us. He is with us on the days that are hard. He is with us in every moment, from praying before the clients walk through the door, to the time spent with each precious soul, and the moments afterward when we pray for her, the baby she is carrying, and what she is facing. When we are filled with the peace of Christ and pour that into the lives of our clients, then they can share that peace with their families and friends, multiplying the peace of Christ that leads to transformed lives. 

As you light the candle of peace this Advent, picture the women and families you served this year. Pray for His peace that surpasses all understanding to envelope them in the midst of their circumstances. 

Christ came into this chaotic world, bringing the promise of peace that will last through all eternity. You have the amazing privilege to bring that same message of peace to each soul you serve! May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and minds as you continue to carry out this great calling.