News from AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling Winter 2013 New Resolutions for 2013! Happy New Year! Have you ever written a list of resolutions? I prefer starting the New Year by taking inventory of processes I can improve. For me, it is a time to reevaluate my goals and set new ones. Most importantly, I want my plans to be in line with God’s plans. Mission Statement To erase the need for abortion through effectively serving pregnant and at-risk women by transforming their fear into confidence to the honor of Jesus Christ. C.A.R.E Commitment We believe in the inherent value of every person. We’re committed to serving with compassion and respect through assistance and education. As I take inventory of our day-to-day operations at the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, I am grateful for our strong programs and our ability to save babies at a significantly lower cost than the average of $1500 per baby. Of course, we are constantly tweaking our daily operations to make our process more efficient. Two new opportunities will begin this year for our supporters. Once you read about them, I pray that you are as excited as I am. Toni Clarke Executive Director Prayer is a crucial part of our mission. Every day at noon, the staff gathers in our prayer room to intercede for our patients, the unborn, our government, our volunteers, and our own families and concerns. Our desire is to have the local body be more involved in our prayer efforts. A prayer text will be available this year for those who are interested. About once a week, a text will be sent out with specific prayer requests. I hope many of you will take part in this. Prayer is the single most important thing that we can all participate in. Expect more information to follow in the next few weeks. The staff celebrates the lives of the babies we save. We get excited when the schedule is full and there are plenty of positive pregnancy tests. In addition to the prayer texts, our supporters can celebrate with us in another way. This year, whenever we confirm that a patient has made a decision for life, we will contact one of our supporters with the baby’s due date. When possible, we will even notify you when the baby is born and give you a name. This will allow you to celebrate and pray with us for the mother and child. For the last two years, the focus of our pregnancy center, along with others around the nation, has been “The Great Turnaround!” This program, led by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, set our center on a new path. This year, we are preparing for “The Great Advance,” which will focus on advancing the kingdom of God by saving more babies in west Omaha (with an branch office located there) as well as training other centers around the nation to be more effective. (Please see the article on our upcoming banquet in this issue!) Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” I am excited for this new year at the Center. I believe God has prepared and equipped both our staff and our supporters for such a time as this. Five Ways What Can You Do to Create Real Change? Barb Malek AdministrativeDirector What can you do? It’s simple really: ask Him what He wants you to do. You Can Support the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling As those of you who read my blog (www.erasetheneed.wordpress.com) on a regular basis know, I was quite passionate about the last election. There was just so much at stake. I am glad that I have been a believer in Jesus for as many years as I have and that my faith is pretty unshakeable. Otherwise, the results of the election may really have thrown me into serious disarray. 1. For those hard-to-buy-for people I still think that pro-lifers and people of faith are going to pay a big price because of the way things turned out. Once the new Healthcare plan kicks in and insurance covers the cost of abortion for more and more Americans, it is going to be tougher than ever to defend the unborn. Just recently, we had a woman in the pregnancy center who told us that she had always considered abortion to be wrong, but she was confused because everywhere she turned the media and those in her life were telling her it was no big deal. How could all of them be wrong? Add to that mix the insurance companies treating the death of unborn children like it is normal healthcare, and there is one more voice telling her she is wrong to be concerned. Plus, it all becomes so easy. 2. Give donations of baby (size 2 Maybe I am just exhausted from the battle and will change my mind in the next two years, but I have lost a lot of my belief that change will come from Washington. Don’t get me wrong: I still believe that it is important to speak up and to vote for life and righteousness. However, our elected officials are NOT the answer. Faithful, praying people, who are obedient to God’s call, are the answer to changing our society and saving lives. They always have been and they always will. I think that the Lord is calling His people to take on a number of vital roles in these difficult days. I hope He is calling some to run for office at the local, state and federal level. However, most of us will be in our communities, working at the ground level for change. We will be praying outside of abortion clinics, feeding the hungry, volunteering at the CPC and other non-profits, teaching our children and grandchildren Biblical values, and speaking truth whenever we have a chance. If every believer would be obedient to what God called him or her to do, the non-profits and churches would never be wanting for volunteers and all would be fully funded. If we would all just obey, this would be a very different world from what it is. What can you do? It’s simple really: ask Him what He wants you to do. I’m sure the Lord has given you a passion for something. This world is full of urgent needs and not nearly enough people who have responded to the cries around them. Jump in, and encourage those around you to do the same. Write a blog or ask your friends out for a cup of coffee and share what you are doing. Or, call us: we have a wide array of volunteer opportunities available! You’d be amazed at how many are longing to make a difference with their lives but just don’t know how. Be ready: the battle is fierce! Before you jump in, you also need to commit yourself to reading the Word of God everyday and to build a strong relationship with Jesus. Satan hates it when we turn people away from sin and death and he will fight back. However, if all of God’s people would stand up and take their rightful place, we would make an army that could not be defeated! The sad thing is that so many of us have chosen to remain in comfort and ignorance instead. If you are like me, you continually need someone to remind you to put on the armor of God and soldier on! Take this as your reminder for today. Let’s commit to encouraging one another to keep running the race set before us, or to at least begin moving forward. It is the only hope that we, or the world, have. on your gift list, give a gift to the Center in their name. (We have pretty cards to send out for that purpose- just ask!) and under) and maternity items to our Boutique. Or, have a Baby Shower in which your guests bring items to give to new mothers who are taking our Parenting Class. 3. Pray for us. Every day at the Center is a spiritual battle. Pray for salvation for the young women and life for their children. 4. Volunteer! We always have positions available in every area of the Center. You can work with our pregnancy testing program or with parenting. We even need volunteers to do laundry or work with the landscaping! 5. Give! We are dependent upon donations from people like you who are concerned about life! Without government funding, we are free to share the Christ’s love and truth! Statistics April to November, 2012 Pregnancy Tests.............1208 Positive Tests.................. 815 Negative Tests................ 393 Ultrasounds...................1385 Received Christ................. 82 Parenting Classes............ 458 Ad Parenting Classes....... 168 Life Basics Classes........... 186 (Spiritual Development) Boutique Visits............... 705 U Center pdates “The Great Advance” God is at work in the Relationship 2013 Fundaising Banquet Education Department! For the last two years, we have had Dr. Bruce Wilkinson lead us in “The Great Turnaround!” You have responded to us in an amazing way with your gifts and your prayers. As a result, we have been able to increase our advertising and nearly double the number of women that we see every week. In turn, we are close to doubling the number of babies which have been saved each year (from around 600 to almost 1200!) At this year’s banquet we will be asking you to join us in “The Great Advance!” As we have mentioned, in order to reach 1500 women a year (as we promised would be our goal at the 2011 banquet) we are convinced that we need to open a branch office in West Omaha. A study of the zip codes in which our patient’s live clearly show that we are not reaching women in the western part of our region. As the saying goes, if they won’t come to us, we must go to them. The second part of “The Great Advance” will be a venture we have undertaken to reach out to pregnancy centers all over the United States with the Optimization Tool (OT), a 15-step linear process which we adopted in 2006 to reach more abortion-minded women. The OT has been extremely successful for us and we feel a calling from the Lord to share it with other centers. Statistics have shown that those pregnancy centers that adopted the OT are reaching far more women who would otherwise seek abortions and, therefore, seeing the lives of many more children spared from abortion. At the 2013 Banquet, not only will we be sharing with you the exciting news about “The Great Advance,” but you will also have an opportunity to hear Dr. Alveda King. Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. King sees the prolife movement as a continuation of the civil rights struggle. She currently serves as a Pastoral Associate and Director of African-American Outreach for Priests for Life and Gospel of Life Ministries. She is also a voice for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, sharing her testimony of two abortions, God’s forgiveness, and healing. Karieta Johnson- Director of Relationship Education Department “Now to Him that is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV) In addition to speaking in our current schools, this semester we’ve been blessed to speak in three new schools. We recently completed two five-day presentations to freshmen at the two Papillion-La Vista High Schools. We were also blessed to speak to eighth graders in South Omaha at Marrs Middle School. Additionally, we have been able to speak to the freshmen at Plattsmouth High School. In January, we will be speaking in an all-school assembly at Plattsmouth High School. Indeed, the Lord is doing a new thing in our department. Because of your support, we have also added two new speakers to our team, Jerrod Cunningham and Jill Bydalek. Our ability as relationship educators comes from God. He gives us the words to speak to depressed, hopeless, and discouraged students. He gives us the words to say when we meet with school officials and administrators. God gives us the courage to walk into those schools, educate the students of the Greater Omaha area, and tell them that abstinence is the best choice for them. Society tells them they shouldn’t wait until marriage to have sex. But, we have the awesome opportunity to tell them they are worth waiting for. One reason they’re worth waiting for is because they’re not an accident. There is a purpose, plan, and destiny for their lives. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for your financial support, prayers, and for spreading the word about our program. Please pray for favor with school officials so we may reach even more students. Pray for the health and strength of our speakers so we can boldly proclaim this life-giving message. Pray for the students that they will decide to become abstinent after hearing our message. Lastly, please pray for the young ladies that are pregnant or think they are pregnant that hear our message. We want them to visit our center rather than visiting an abortion clinic. We want them to choose life for their unborn child. We are honored to help erase the need for abortion in our community by educating students. May the Lord bless and prosper you in the New Year. Please see the notice for the banquet in this newsletter (as well as at our website at www.aaacpcpartners.com.) Invitations will go out in February, so stay tuned! This is an event that you will not want to miss! A New Thing We want to sincerely thank all of you who took part in our Adopt a Family Christmas program. Thanks to you we were able to provide Christmas gifts and joy for 54 families. We wish you could have been here to see the smiles of joy, and even tears, on the faces of mothers and fathers as they picked up their gifts. For some of them there would have been no presents without your generosity. We especially want to thank those who rushed in to provide gifts for some families at the last minute. Thanks again! AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling 6510 Sorensen Parkway • Omaha, NE 68152-2138 Return Service Requested NONPROFIT ORG US Postage PAID Gretna, NE Permit #38 You are Invited to a Fundraising Event Thursday, April 11, 2013 Doors Open at 5:30 P.M. Dinner (served promptly) at 6:30 P.M. Staff members Embassy Suites 12520 Westport Pkwy La Vista, Nebraska Barb Malek Administrative Director Individual Seating - $15 Table for 10 - $120 Call 402-390-9700 or go to www.aaacpcpartners.com for Ticket information (See the article in this newsletter for more exciting information concerning this exciting event!) Toni Clarke Executive Director Michelle Sullivan PRC Executive Training Coach Chris Schlesiger Director of Advocate Resources Sue Bunjer Special Projects Coordinator Leanna Hyatt Director of Client Programs Beth Matson Life Basics Coordinator Rachel Franks Follow-up Coordinator Brent Myers - President Jon Reid - Vice President Annette Wells - Treasurer Chris Beck - Secretary Femi Awodele Jim Beck David Meyer Jason Rothfus Vaughan Wenzel Nursing Staff Valerie Bokowski Office Assistant and Data-Base Coordinator Beth Brown, Lindsey Cain, Sarah Foster, Dawn Strelow, Mary Wurgler, Liz Larson Connie Abdo Amy Smith Office Assistant Rachel Swartz Shift Supervisor Relationship Speakers Pamela Chmielewski Usack Staff Sonographer Jan Duffy Staff Sonographer Julie Thomas Nursing Supervisor 402-390-9700 Board members • Karieta Johnson Relationship Education Coordinator Julie Sibert Kim Schiemann Theo Hudalla Jerrod Cunningham Jill Bydalek www.aaacpcpartners.com Design: LifeSupport, Inc. © 2013 . www.life-support.org for the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling