A Pregancy Care Center (PCC) is one the best ways for churches to respond to those affected by abortion decisions.
More information on starting or helping a PCC

The center is a place that provides encouragement and helps restore dignity, self-worth, and purpose in each person's life. While helping her through the crisis, the volunteer encourages her to take control of her life and be responsible for her own choices.

Spiritual warfare is real and constant, and God brings the world to those prepared to minister.

The Pregancy Care Center provides a ministry to women of all ages who believe they may be pregnant and/or pregnant women facing difficult decisions only they must make.

The center ministers to women who want to know their options and possible results of these options; people who are feeling fearful and/or guilty or are denying there are problems; those being disowned, deserted, or pressured by others to abort their babies; boyfriends, parents, husbands, or friends; and those who have experienced abortion and needed a listening ear.

Here are some practical helps that Pregancy Care Centers can provide:

• free pregnancy tests
• confidential counseling
• education about preborn child development, abortion procedures, and abortion alternatives
• meetings with a boyfriend, husband, or parents
• referrals for good maternity care
• maternity clothing
• newborn-baby clothing
• baby food
• baby furniture
• referrals for housing for those who have no place to go, regardless of whether the mother places her child for adoption
• referrals for community services, financial assistance, employment, medical assistance, educational opportunities, adoption, foster care for a minor mother-to-be and/or her baby, job training, ongoing counseling, and legal aid
• postabortion counseling
• training in parenting skills, people skills, and life skills
• Bible studies
• support groups for women who have had abortions, unwed parent(s), and parents of the unwed
• prenatal and postnatal classes
• a friend who cares enough to give the mother-to-be emotional support

A manual, How to Establish a Pregancy Care Center, is available for purchase from Customer Services, 1800 233-1123

Training volunteers to minister effectively is essential. They must be educated about abortion issues, available alternatives, and proper counseling techniques.

Call or write the Alternatives for Life Ministries office at the North American Mission Board if you have questions (1 800 962-0851).

At the proper time in the process of establishing a center, schedule a seminar providing 18 hours of training in crisis pregnancy counseling. For example, three hours each evening for four evenings and six hours one day works well.

Choose a facility for training activities and arrange meals if necessary.

Publicize the training seminar in churches, associations, and in the state Baptist paper well in advance of the seminar.

Request each interested pastor in the community to invite two or more women in his congregation to serve as volunteer counselors

Preregister volunteers (minimum of 25 people required).

Order materials for the training from Alternatives for Life Ministries at the North American Mission Board

Make final arrangements with the trainer

All North American Mission Board Pregancy Care Center trainers are certified by the North American Mission Board.

Resources Needed to Start a Pregancy Care Center

• Christian Women

Volunteers should be willing to donate a minimum of four hours a week. They must be mature, nonjudgmental Christians. They should have a love for and experience with young people. They must commit to at least 18 hours of training, have recommendations from their pastors, and be willing to work one-on-one with clients in the center.

• Facilities

A location in a neutral place other than the church building will be more appealing and accessible to the general public.

• Other Volunteers

These may include licensed counselors, educational and motivational speakers, Acteens, Women on Mission, general maintenance personnel, medical personnel, attorneys, clergy, and other professionals.

• Financial Foundation

Solid financial support is necessary for operating a Pregancy Care Center.

• Housing

Options available may be a shepherding home, group home, or maternity home. A shepherding home is a Christian home where a mother-to-be can stay during her pregnancy and for four to six weeks after the birth. She is ministered to by a trained, caring couple. A group home is a residence where several mothers-to-be can live with a houseparent(s) during their pregnancies. A maternity home provides housing for larger groups of pregnant women.

• Clothing

Quality maternity and infant clothing should be provided.

• Information

Have on file a list of services already available in the community; add to those the ministries to be provided by the center; and working together, with God's guidance, make every possible effort to meet the needs of the client.