Thriving
What does it mean to thrive? One definition says: to continue to be successful, strong, and healthy. At The Pregnancy Center here in Jasper, we are thriving!
Through the years our client numbers have fluctuated, but we are currently in a season of growth and success. We are incredibly grateful to see how the Lord is blessing us and increasing the ways in which we are able to serve this community's needs.
Our client advocates have seen changes in the following areas:
• more women coming in for pregnancy and parenting help
• greater interest in committed relationships – more married clients than singles – average age is 27
• increased interest in connecting with a local church for support, connection, and spiritual growth
• more men showing interest in being good fathers and partners
• desire for help beyond pregnancy and parenting concerns in other life matters
• the need for additional operating hours to help the ever-growing number of people who desire classes
Because of the Lord's blessing, we desire to serve our community by offering more opportunities to help and advise clients with their particular needs. Also, doors are opening to train and equip local church members to help disciple our clients.
We continue to pray for more opportunities to discuss options with women who are indecisive about their pregnancies. We desire that every woman choose life for her baby. One of our goals is to encourage her to embrace the fact that she and her baby are made in the image of God, and He has a purpose for them.
Thriving and growing requires more advocates and volunteers. We also need additional support to fund our programs and staff our center. Your prayers are vital as we petition the Lord to change hearts to love and follow Him. Your support in these areas will help us continue our mission effectively.
It is because of YOUR partnership that we have been able to thrive and grow! The Lord continues to bless us above and beyond as we get up every morning, show up, and strive to be faithful! Please continue to support this mission field as we trust God and serve others with tangible help and spiritual hope. Your participation in this ministry is invaluable.
Friends for
LIFE, Pat Page Executive Director
Table of Contents
TPC Board and Staff
Board:
• Steve Kroening, Chairman
• Matt Rees, Vice Chairman
• Clare Foglesong, Secretary
• Tim Boothe, Treasurer
• Harriet Stroh
• William Mostellar
Executive Staff:
• Pat Page, Executive Director
• Renée VonBehren, Center Manager
• Ronna Kenney, Administrative Asst.
• Kristen Richardson, Store Manager
• Lisa Dudash, Client Service Director
Mission Statement:
• Bring compassionate help and hope to families.
• Present sexual abstinence as the best option for teens and singles.
• Influence community culture in support of Christian values on marriage and family living.
• Develop community relationships to promote healthy families and empower individuals toward stable relationships.
• Provide free resources and support for healing and restoration for those who have had abortions.
• Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Publisher: Steve Kroening Design Director: Kevin Cole
7 Caring Way Jasper, GA 30143 | 706-253-6303
info@babyontheway.org www.babyontheway.org
Help Meet the Needs of The Pregnancy Center
If you'd like to donate to the Center, please visit babyontheway.org and click on the Donate Now tab at the top of the page.
Thank you for helping us save lives and meet the needs of these families.
© 2024 Heartbeat of North Georgia is a publication of The Pregnancy Center. All rights reserved
The Pregnancy Center is not a medical facility. Counselors are not licensed by the state as professional psychologists. Referrals for these services are available upon request.
T H E
C H A N G I N G
L A N D S C A P E
O F A B O R TI O N
The landscape of abortion in the United States is undergoing significant changes. Traditionally, most girls seeking an abortion would visit a brick-andmortar clinic. However, today over 60% of abortions are performed at home using chemical abortion pills,* fundamentally altering the experience and implications of the procedure. Anyone at any age can get a doctor to order these pills online without an ultrasound or parental permission.
THE RISE OF CHEMICAL ABORTIONS AND THE NEED FOR SUPPORT
Chemical abortions involve taking medications, typically mifepristone followed by misoprostol, to terminate a pregnancy. While this method is marketed as a convenient and private option, it often comes with severe physical and emotional consequences that are far more traumatic than widely reported. The isolation of undergoing an abortion at home without direct medical supervision can exacerbate these effects.
The physical complications from chemical abortions can be significant. Not only is a mother taking the life of her baby, but many girls experience intense pain, heavy bleeding, and other severe side effects that can lead to emergency hospital visits. The emotional toll is equally severe, with feelings of fear, guilt, and regret often magnified by the isolation of managing the procedure alone. Unfortunately, these experiences are frequently underreported. Abortion facilities suggest that women who suffer complications from the pills and need medical help tell doctors they are experiencing a miscarriage, thus obscuring the true scope of the issue.
holistic support to women facing these challenges, offering a safe and compassionate space for them to receive the care they need. Our counseling services are designed to help women navigate their emotional and psychological pain, providing a supportive environment where they can process their experiences and begin to heal.
WE BELIEVE THAT NO WOMAN SHOULD HAVE TO FACE THEIR FEARS ALONE.
1 John 4:18 says, “perfect love casts out fear,” and our goal at The Pregnancy Center is to love these women and come alongside them in their journey. Doing so allows them to cast off their fears and move forward with hope and confidence, knowing they have the support they need.
The Rise of Chemical Abortions and the Need for Support
This underreporting contributes to a lack of awareness about the real impact of chemical abortions. As a result, the trauma faced by many girls remains largely hidden, leaving them without the necessary support and understanding. The emotional and psychological scars can be deep and long-lasting, requiring comprehensive care to heal. This is why The Pregnancy Center offers post-abortion care.
The number one reason women have an abortion is because they don’t have a support system in place to help them care for the baby. At The Pregnancy Center, we recognize the urgent need to address this hidden crisis. Our mission is to provide
Furthermore, we are actively working to raise awareness about the realities of abortion, especially the new reality of chemical abortion. Nearly 40% of women sitting in the pews at church have had an abortion. By educating our community and partnering with local churches, we aim to ensure that these women know they have access to compassionate and comprehensive support. We encourage churches to become more involved by providing resources, volunteering, and spreading awareness about our services.
The landscape of abortion may be changing, but our commitment to supporting women in need remains steadfast. The Pregnancy Center is here to help, offering hope, healing, and a path forward for those impacted by the trauma of all abortions. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that every woman receives the care and support she needs.
*https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortionaccounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020
When Does Life Begin?
By William Lile, DO, FACOG
From a scientific point of view, the moment of conception is awe-inspiring. It’s even accompanied by a dramatic flash of light within the fallopian tube. As a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, I recently had the opportunity to describe this process in detail with Care Net President and CEO Roland Warren on the Care Net video series entitled: “The Doctor Is In.”
I am passionately pro-life, and firmly believe that each person is created in the image of God at the moment of conception. I often say, “A patient is a person, no matter how small!” In our discussion, Roland and I explored the critical question, “When does new life begin?” My firsthand experience and expertise, having delivered approximately 4,000
babies, coupled with the scientific evidence, leaves no room for doubt.
The question is not even a philosophical question. It is a scientific question, and it is a medical question. When the DNA from the sperm and the DNA from the egg come together as one cell, that one cell is genetically unique from Mom and Dad and the other eight billion people on the planet. At that one-cell stage, the blueprints of life are already laid out. That living cell will divide into two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four cells, and continue to divide. As adults, we are comprised of about 60 trillion cells. What’s unique is that our DNA – our genetics – never change in any of those cells. If you do a DNA test on somebody who is
An ultrasound of 17-week-old baby in the womb
90 years old, it will be identical to the single cell created when they were conceived.
Roland noted how this data contradicts a common narrative that life is constructed in the womb. That misconception occurs when we think of a baby in the womb like the construction of a Tesla.
“When is a Tesla actually a Tesla?,” Roland asked rhetorically. “The reality is that a Tesla is never intrinsically a Tesla because at any point you could turn a Tesla into a toaster. It could be turned into something else. That’s why human development is not the same as human construction. It’s an absolute miracle.”
We are all created in the image of God – not on our birthdays, but at that moment of conception. That miracle of conception involves some astounding steps, both before and after the sperm and egg unite. The first sperm cell to get through to the egg must out-swim hundreds of millions of others. All of the sperm cells are trying to unite with the egg, but there is only one gold medalist. As soon as that first sperm cell gets inside, an amazing reaction happens. A shield goes up, just like the Star Trek Enterprise. That shield is called a zona pellucida.
At that moment, if you look with the right frequency of light, you can actually see a flash of light that occurs. The miraculous and even mysterious nature of conception continues when the DNA from the mother and father comes together and cellular division begins. All the cells are exact copies at that point. How does one cell
say, “I’m only going to read [certain] pages of the blueprints of life? I’m going to start the entire cardiovascular system.” Another cell says, “I’m going to start the entire GI (digestive) system.”
How do they know what their job is supposed to be and what pages of the DNA they’re supposed to read? It’s an absolute miracle. It’s called cell differentiation. We still have no idea how it happens. Things don’t evolve into amazing miracles like that. There was a Designer, and that Designer is – no doubt – Almighty God.
But there are more facts that confirm that new life begins at conception, including the ability of doctors to perform complex surgeries on babies in the womb. We are treating them as patients, diagnosing them as patients. In my practice, we are doing brain surgery, spina bifida corrective surgery, laser vascular surgery, and open-heart surgery. Often, we will have a separate anesthesiologist who will start an IV on the baby and give the baby fluids and fentanyl to block the pain.
These babies are created in the image of God. They are my patients. If they are patients, then they need to be protected.
If you believe that life is precious, then you must be 100% certain that what is in the womb is not a life before you destroy it. If you’re uncertain about when life begins, you should be pro-life. The biblical narrative, the scientific evidence, and our medical experience all come together to support the perspective that there is new life in the womb, and that life begins at conception!
William Lile, DO, FACOG, “The ProLifeDoc,” is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is licensed to practice medicine in both Florida and Alabama. He has been an instructor for both the University of Florida and Florida State University, OB/GYN residency programs. He is the former chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL. He has an active practice in Pensacola, FL.
Many men and women have suffered severe sexual trauma thanks to “free love” – but there’s hope.
When Brian told his parents that he was moving in with his girlfriend Megan, the ensuing argument ended when Brian flippantly said, “But it’s not hurting anyone.” His parents were aghast and didn’t know how to respond.
Ever since the Sexual Revolution exploded on the scene in the 1960s, our culture has adopted the motto: “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, you can do whatever you want.” The problem is, the Revolution has left millions of people in its wake hurting, devastated, and longing for answers.
Let’s start with the 60-70 million babies that have
lost their lives in the last 50+ years. The majority of them paid the ultimate price for “free love.”
But that’s just the beginning. The sexual trauma that has destroyed the lives of men and women in those years is finally gaining the attention of our culture. In fact, even many non-Christians are starting to see the truth.
In her book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, Louise Perry dismantles the lies about sex that mainstream, secular feminism offers to young women. Perry is a London-based journalist in her early 30s, a devoted feminist, and a new mother who claims no religious affiliation. Her
book flies in the face of everything most of today’s culture believes.
It starts with a rather obvious truth that any married couple will acknowledge is true: Men and women approach sex differently. While this is clear to most adults, the Sexual Revolution was supposed to free women to enjoy sex as much as men – and with the same reckless abandon. But Perry gives ample evidence that women do not enjoy casual sexual encounters at anything close to the rate that men do.
That’s largely because, in general, men are far more sexually aggressive than women, which brings up Perry’s second point, which is that the Sexual Revolution ultimately opened the door for men to prey upon women far more than it has freed women to access sexual pleasure. The Sexual Revolution has led to a massive increase in rape, incest, assault, and disease. For instance, according to FBI statistics, in 1960 there were 17,190 reported cases of rape in the US, but in 2018 there were 143,765 cases. Based on the population, that’s nearly 4.5 times as many rapes annually per capita.
Another point Perry makes is that the Sexual Revolution has given pornography and other sex work a major societal platform. This has exploited women, infantilized men, and created, according to Forbes, a $150 billion (at least) sex-trafficking industry.
It may seem obvious, but the more a man views pornography, the more it heightens his lust for sex. However, it doesn’t enhance his sexual ability. In fact, it creates uncomfortable and sometimes impossible expectations for rough and exotic sex, it puts pressure on women to say “yes” on first dates, and it destroys relationships between men and women.
The price men pay is steep, too. There’s growing evidence that pornography exposure can lead “to social anxiety, depression, low motivation, erectile
dysfunction, concentration problems, and negative self-perceptions in terms of physical appearance and sexual functioning,” according to an article by William M. Struthers, associate professor of psychology at Wheaton College, published in the Christian Research Journal. It also creates men who refuse to take responsibility; fail to mature emotionally, spiritually, and relationally; and are unable to take their place as leaders in the home, in business, and in the church.
The number of people who now suffer from sexual trauma is through the roof. Many of these people aren’t aware of the trauma they’ve suffered, and don’t realize they need help. Some experts say the number of people who have experienced some form of sexual trauma is between 20 and 25%.
Given the extensive impact of pornography on our culture, the true number is significantly higher than that.
It's become clear that the Sexual Revolution is bringing more harm than the world ever expected.
Even Brian, the one who said moving in with his girlfriend wasn’t going to harm anyone, deeply hurt his parents when he told them. If the girl gets pregnant out of wedlock, that child could be aborted, suffer security issues from uncommitted parents, or face a number of other issues. Moving in together is just the beginning. At The Pregnancy Center, we see broken people who are in this situation all the time. The harm is real, and it’s often very deep.
The good news is there’s hope! The gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers for every traumatized person, whether victim, perpetrator, or willing participant. Just about every client we see at The Pregnancy Center fits into one of these categories. Many of them don’t realize the harm they’ve suffered. When we start to unpack the trouble they’re in, they begin to comprehend their dilemma and are relieved when they understand the hope they can find in Christ.
Sin causes trauma, but grace can reverse it. Even the world is beginning to see that God’s ways are good for men and women. At The Pregnancy Center, we realize that Christians walking in the grace of Jesus and living by the Holy Spirit and His Word are the most powerful tools available to combat sexual sin and trauma. God’s Word is completely sufficient to bring peace into the lives of everyone we share it with and who is willing to live according to It.
Perry, Louise. The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, Polity Press, 2022
https://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carmenniethammer/2020/02/02/ cracking-the-150-billion-business-of-humantrafficking/?sh=35a578074142.
William M. Struthers, Ph.D, “The Effects of Porn on the Male Brain,” Christian Research Journal, volume 34, number 05 (2011).
Great Is God’s Faithfulness
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
At a recent lunch, Pat Page and I determined the length of our friendship. It’s been 47 years! We wondered how that could be, yet we sat facing one another—still friends keeping connected, and still being used by God even in this stage of life.
We met at the Jackson, Mississippi church she and I and my husband, Gary, attended. Pat had just graduated from college, and Gary and I were newlyweds living in Jackson while he attended seminary. Pat was one of our first dinner guests.
For many years, we observed God preparing Pat to become directly involved in this restorative ministry now called The Pregnancy Center. We were first drawn to the ministry because, even though it operated on a shoestring budget, it provided much-needed help for women.
It wasn’t long before the local community— churches, schools, and businesses—found out about the services provided and began to come alongside the ministry to help. Gary and I once visited the ministry’s earlier building. The inside had been newly painted and decorated. Local high school students had pitched in to make it look bright, fresh, and welcoming. It is impressive what can be done on a small budget, and it wasn’t long before the ministry outgrew its space.
As donations increased, the ministry continued to add services to help entire families. Its main objectives of saving the lives of the unborn and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with mothers continued to be foremost. An unplanned pregnancy affects many more—husband, boyfriend, other children, often grandparents, and even employers.
God’s goodness and faithfulness were evident for those of us attending the open house at The Pregnancy Center’s new facility several years ago. God does indeed provide what is needed, and this time He provided BIG! The Center has a beautiful and spacious facility where it has been able to add services, classes, additional volunteers, and is now open four days a week. The work increases as more women find their way to this oasis in a world that thirsts for God but continues to reject Him.
Gary and I committed to support this wonderful ministry years ago, and have been led to increase our donations yearly. Observing God’s continual blessings on The Pregnancy Center, the work it does, and its excellent stewardship of donations has been a tremendous encouragement and a powerful lesson teaching us to never limit God’s faithfulness. ~ By Carol DeMar
Gary and Carol DeMar
Meet Our Client
This is our client Lisa and her new baby boy. Lisa has been with us since the end of 2023, and worked through the Pregnancy/Birth, Brightbirth Academy, First Year, and some of the parenting lessons. She has been very consistent, taking approximately 90 lessons at The Pregnancy Center virtually and in-house. In addition to earning Baby Bucks and the free brand-new baby outfits, diapers, wipes, and bath essentials, Lisa was awarded Walmart gift cards for her consistent participation in the Attend & Achieve Program. Lisa says, "The Pregnancy Center strengthens my faith and helps me work stuff out."
Our FREE Comprehensive Care
Pregnancy Services
• Pregnancy tests
• Options education
• First trimester ultrasound referrals
• Childbirth classes
• The Mommy Store, see page 21
• The Earn While You Learn program
• Online Bright Course classes
Angel Babies Boutique
• Baby clothes, diapers, shoes, baby items, books, toys, pack and plays, cribs, etc.
• Baby items available for those in our program and also OPEN TO THE PUBLIC for cash sales
• Gently used donations welcomed & discounts given
• All donated items are tax deductible
Family Resource Center
• The Earn While You Learn program
• Fatherhood classes & coaching
• Court-approved parenting classes
• Family and life skills classes
• Community assistance referrals
• Abortion recovery education
• Foster-family support
Community Outreach
• Speakers available for churches, civic groups, schools, events, etc.
• Tour The Pregnancy Center by appointment
• Sexual integrity guidance for youth, parents, and youth leaders
• Annual fundraiser banquet in October
• Collaboration with community agencies
Building Community: Moms
Connect at The Pregnancy Center
By Lisa Dudash, Client Services Director
Our monthly Mom Connect groups get rave reviews! The Pregnancy Center hosts these groups for our clients and any moms in the community. We have moms of all ages attending.
We keep the groups small to foster great conversation and develop friendships among the group leaders and participants. Refreshments are served, and toys are available for children. The group is free to all moms.
We base our gathering on an Earn While You Learn lesson that participants complete at home and are ready to discuss in the group setting. Every lesson has a spiritual application, and each mom earns baby bucks for completing the lesson and attending the group. At the end of the meeting all moms can share prayer requests with the entire group or anonymously.
The vision we had for developing friendships among moms who may normally feel isolated is coming to fruition, thanks to the support of The Pregnancy Center. We are grateful for the opportunity to use this space in a “Titus 2” fashion, and we anticipate some sweet spiritual growth among group members as time goes on and as the Lord permits.
“I recently started attending the Mom Connect Group, and I love how it brings moms today together to talk and learn about each other’s lives. I look forward to going every time.”
~ Mom Connect participant
MAKING AN IMPACT
Here is my short story! Though no words could ever truly express my thankfulness for all that each and every one of you do for those like me, I hope that this at the very least offers some insight.
“I couldn’t be more thankful to be a client at The Pregnancy Center. It is a wonderful place filled with loving people who deeply care about others and putting every effort possible into helping those in our community. They truly go above and beyond for every single person! I have met wonderful people here, and each and every one of them have very quickly become just like family to me. They have made me feel supported, loved, appreciated, and confident as I grow through my first pregnancy. As a young mom I am so glad that, despite my fears, I decided to take that uncertain step anyways and walk into The Pregnancy Center. Thank you and thank you God!”
~ Phebe Holden
Forgiven and Forgiving
~ By Doug VonBehren, Men’s Ministry Coordinator
Every
woman who comes through the doors of The Pregnancy Center has a man who is a part of their situation. Some of these men want to improve their family relations and become the husbands and fathers they know they need to be. This is the story of one such man. It begins with some questions.
What can we help you with today?
His story begins as many client stories do. He recognized that he needed some assistance in learning how to motivate positive behavior in his children. Because we’re affiliated with organizations such as Bright Course and Heritage House that produce high quality, statistically sound, and scripturally supported training videos, we have access to over 600 classes to meet a wide variety of client needs.
In my conversation with this man, we selected classes such as “Parenting Without Shame” and “Loving Discipline” as a starting place. He enthusiastically embraced the concepts, and worked hard every week to incorporate the concepts into how he related with his children.
These concepts included rewarding good behavior with simple things such as sticker charts for doing good, and allowing the child to peel and stick their own stickers on the chart for added reinforcement. We teach parents to always address a child’s behavior while never attacking their character, always loving unconditionally, never withholding love because of “bad behavior” or extending love only as a condition of “good behavior.”
His children responded wonderfully. Their behavior improved, and the overall atmosphere in the home improved tremendously.
Are you forgiven?
I assume it was because of the relationship that we had built and the positive results that we experienced in those first few weeks that the client was willing to share some of his deeper concerns. In one of our later appointments, he said, “Doug, you really don’t know me. I’d like to tell you more of my story.” I replied, “Sure, feel free to share any of your stories that you would like to share.” He then proceeded to describe how his pattern of destructive decisions had had a devastating impact on the lives of many other people, including him and his immediate family.
When he finished telling his stories, I was led to ask him a question that I do not remember asking anyone else before. I asked him, “Are you forgiven?” He answered, “I hope so.” And I replied, “‘I hope so’ won’t cut it. You must know so! Would you like to know so?" “Oh, yes!” he responded.
So, we went to Acts 7:54-8:3 to learn about a man named Saul who had a very destructive past as well. Saul had even participated in and approved the persecution and killing of people simply because they believed that Jesus was the Savior and were telling other people about Jesus. Our client could see the connection between his life and Saul’s.
We then went to Romans 7:14-8:2 to see Paul’s (previously Saul’s) description of the classic struggle between good and evil in our own lives that reaches the crescendo in verse 24: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me?” The answer comes quickly in verse 25: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” God’s rescue through Jesus Christ our Lord then culminates in the profound reassurance in verses 8:1-2, “Therefore there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Spirit of Life has set me free!”
I had the awesome and amazing experience of watching the Holy Spirit move that man to receive this invitation and be saved. I reassured him that the Word of God says that at that moment many things happened in and to him, including “YOU were ‘saved, sealed, and set free!’” So, my question for each of you reading this is: “Are you forgiven?”
Who have you NOT forgiven – yet?
This client and I are now in the process of addressing this final question, “Who have you not forgiven – yet?” The reality is that each of us has sinned – and we have all been sinned against! While forgiveness is foundational to our salvation and the new life in Christ, it remains one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. At the Center, we frequently use a book by June Hunt simply entitled Forgiveness to assist our clients in this process.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Investing in a Young Mom
Samantha (Sam) walked into The Pregnancy Center over two years ago, and we continue to see her as she completes her lessons and stops in to say hello.
Her first visit was about halfway through her pregnancy. She told us she was excited to learn and grow, and expressed thankfulness for having found us. Before Sam's baby came, she earned a car seat/ stroller combo.
Most recently, Sam completed many lessons in the Parenting and Toddler packs, and continues to earn baby bucks for diapers and other items at Angel Babies. As a busy mom and wife, she takes advantage of the virtual lessons.
It's an honor to award Sam's consistency in the Attend & Achieve Program to earn $30 gift cards for groceries/gas. It's been a privilege to walk alongside Sam these last two years. Sam said: “How thankful I am to receive your Godly counsel and have your fellowship in Christ.”
In her book, Hunt clearly addresses key elements such as “What forgiveness IS” and “What forgiveness is NOT.” She explains and builds on key Bible verses regarding forgiveness, such as God’s instruction in Ephesians 4:32 that we are to “forgive one another, just as in Christ God forgave you,” and Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:21-35 of the unmerciful servant, which ends in verses 34-35 with the servant who would not forgive being the one who is “in prison and being tormented.”
This is an ongoing process, but one that with the help of the Holy Spirit is doable. With His power, we can have the freedom by forgiving others that God promises in Ephesians 4:30-31 as we “get rid of all bitterness.” Hebrews 12:15 further tells us to “see to it that no root of bitterness grows up”.
I encourage each of you reading this article to take the time to look up each of these Bible verses and consider how they apply to you and your life. To God be the Glory!
YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR BANK.
Community Bank of Pickens County opened in 2000 and an additional location opened in 2008. We are locally owned and locally operated and we’re proud to have over 50 employees that consistently offer competitive deposit and loan products to our community.
MAKING AN IMPACT
I’m so happy my sister told me about the classes that The Pregnancy Center offers. I started classes during my second pregnancy, and found the childbirth and pregnancy classes to be great reminders of general information. There’s a lot age difference between our two girls, and a lot has changed, so having the classes also provided some new information.
After our second was born, I remembered that there were parenting classes available. I’ve been taking those classes for about a year now, and absolutely love them. We have both a teenager and a toddler at home, and these classes have been so beneficial for both those scenarios and stages. I particularly love the classes by Dr. Kevin Leman and the course called “Parenting Without Shame.”
The parenting classes have taught me a lot, and have reinforced the parenting strategy that my husband and I want to use. In addition to all the knowledge and encouragement received, I’ve also earned “baby bucks” that have really helped to supply diapers, clothes, and so many other needs for our little one. Plus, I’ve found taking the classes and speaking with the ladies at The Pregnancy Center has been therapeutic for me. The work they are doing there is so important and impactful in the lives they touch. I really appreciate all they do and their sweet prayers.
Beth Kroening
Beth Kroening has been married to her husband, Steve, for 28 years, and has enjoyed a fulfilling life with their four children and one daughter-in-law.
Before having children, Beth taught kindergarten for seven years, and then home schooled their kids until this year when the youngest graduated from high school. The Kroening family attends Faith Community Church in Woodstock, which has been a cornerstone for their faith and community life.
Beth has been working with Angel Babies since 2020, initially joining The Pregnancy Center as a volunteer, eager to find a way to serve families. She is now on staff. Her time at the Center has been incredibly rewarding; she loves her co-workers and deeply appreciates the opportunity to support the families who come into the Angel Babies Boutique. She finds a wonderful sense of purpose and connection in this work.
Outside of work, Beth has a passion for reading, working out, hiking, and gardening. She is an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan and cherishes spending time with her amazing family. They enjoy meals together, watching movies, playing games, and engaging in fun and often deep conversations. These moments of togetherness are the highlights of her life.
We all love working with Beth. She is such a kind, caring, compassionate person who loves to help our shoppers and also loves to encourage them as moms.
Ronna
Kenney
Ronna Kenney has a degree in elementary education. She grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and then moved to Memphis where she married Frank in 1975. They lived there for 20 years before transferring to Atlanta. She helped her husband while he was working in estate planning. In 2018 she moved to Jasper, as recent widow, to be closer to family.
When she moved to Jasper, she inquired about volunteering. Robie Rens (a friend from church) and her daughter, Clare, suggested The Pregnancy Center. Ronna had previously worked at another pregnancy center in Georgia, so she volunteered to be an advocate.
After Ronna had served as a client advocate for about two years, Pat asked her if she would be a staff member and work as an Administrative Assistant. She accepted, and has been serving here for over four years. She loves working here, and loves her co-workers. She says they are special to her because they are all dedicated to helping families and serving Jesus through this ministry.
We love having Ronna here. She is always dependable and flexible, serving wherever she is needed. She is full of southern charm and class, with a little sass thrown in! She brings a lot of wisdom and calm to the office, and we love her! We love it when she makes charts and documents with such accuracy, and that is why we have her working with the finances. She also writes the most beautiful thank-you notes to our donors.
In her spare time, she loves to read, quilt, work in her garden, and spend time with her children and grandchildren. She is an active member of Mountain City Church in Jasper. Thank you, Ronna, for all you do to serve here!
The Mommy Store
New Moms & Dads
I f you’re expecting, sign up for our Earn While You Learn program and you can begin to fill your own diaper backpack in The Mommy Store!
At The Pregnancy Center, we have a specialty store with brand new baby items for new moms. Any pregnant mom who participates in our Earn While You Learn program will get to choose a new diaper bag and fill it with newborn items for their little one’s first year! You also earn Baby Bucks to spend in the Angel Baby store.
Help Us Stock The Mommy Store
We always need the following NEW items:
•Newborn diapers
•Baby wipes
• Newborn girls’ and boys' clothing (0-6 months)
•Baby toiletry items
•Washcloths and hooded towels
• Teething items and pacifiers
•Car seats
If you would like to have a baby shower with your friends, co-workers, or church groups to provide these items for The Mommy Store, please call The Pregnancy Center at 706-2536303. We can help you put it together.
Chillin’ With Kona Ice
Over 100 snow cones for over 100 people!
In the heat of summer, The Pregnancy Center wanted to offer some relief to the kids who are about to go back to school. So we gave them free snow cones!
On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, during a two-hour window, we gave kids and their families free snow cones at The Pregnancy Center and Angel Babies Boutique parking lot. With school starting just a few days later, it was some welcome relief from the heat!
Each year, we eagerly anticipate the chance to connect with our local families through community outreach. It's a time to meet and greet moms, dads, children, grandparents, and friends, and this year was no different. The shared enjoyment of a free icy treat and the introduction to our services at the Center and our boutique fostered a sense of community and togetherness.
We loved talking with our families and their children, asking them about their summer and excitedly sharing the beginning of a new school year. We passed out T-shirts, visors, and bookmarks, and talked about the sanctity of human life and the preciousness of each individual who was formed in the womb.
Several young middle schoolers and teens had never seen the tiny feet, and couldn’t believe that they, too, once had feet so small.
What a great opportunity to cool off on a hot summer day, meet and greet our local families, and share the help and hope that we offer here at our Center.
Many of our customers were familiar faces, current clients, and shoppers whom we are always delighted to see. But we also had the pleasure of meeting people who had never been here before. We are deeply grateful for our community and the dear, precious families we have the privilege to serve. Your support and presence mean the world to us!
Smathae Ruiz Zavala and Nayomi
Summer Gobie and Keagan Wilson, Kaleigh Burleson, Lane Hollingshead
Angel Baby Boutique Renovation
We recently completed an expansion of our Angel Babies Boutique. We now have more room for donations to help meet tangible needs in our community and among our clients. As donations come in, items are sorted and cleaned. Out-of-season clothing is stored in bins. Currentseason clothing, baby items and toys are cleaned and inspected, and sanitized before being placed for sale. Any items we cannot use are donated to other ministries. Our Angel Babies Boutique is open to the public, and The Pregnancy Center clients can purchase items with earned Baby Bucks.
Change in Hours
The Pregnancy Center and Angel Babies Boutique have changed hours to the following:
• Monday . . . . . 10-5
• Tuesday . . . . . 10-3
• Wednesday . . . 10-5
• Friday . . . . . . . 10-5
Our new hours are a response to increased client and customer needs.
Holly Boothe, Kristen Richardson, Mary Jo Barranco
PROGRAMMINGChildren’s Children’s
PEEWEE SPORTS (3-5 YRS OLD)
$50 | Tuesdays & Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Oct. 1-Oct. 24, 2024
RHYTHM & MOVEMENT (3-5 YRS OLD)
$35 | Mondays at 4:15 p.m.
Sept. 2-Sept. 30, 2024
GYMNASTICS
$89 | Thursdays at 11 a.m.
Oct. 17-Dec. 19, 2024
Super Tumblers (3-4 years old)
$99 | Thursdays at 12 p.m.
Aug. 15-Oct. 10, 2024
Oct. 17-Dec. 19, 2024
Homeschool (5-12 years old)
SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS
Sept. 16-Sept. 20, 2024
Feb. 17-Feb. 21, 2025
March 31-April 4, 2025
School break camps are offered for school-age children up to 12 years old. Summer camps offered in June and July.
playcherokee.org |
WREC - 770-924-7768 | Aquatic Center - 678-880-4760 | The Buzz - 770-501-8002
Our People Make the Difference
Our people are the life-blood of The Pregnancy Center. Without them, we couldn’t meet all the needs we see every day. They keep the ministry moving. They help and encourage our clients. And they have hearts that want to serve. We praise God for them!
Jennifer Ellzey, Lisa Dudash
Prayer Time With Staff & Volunteers
Staff & Volunteer Appreciation Lunch at Engelheim Vinyards
Linda Nelson, Renée VonBehren, Pat Page
Holly Boothe, Kristen Richardson, Hannah Reece
Ways You Can Help
• Pray – sign up for text messages (see page 29)
• Volunteer to train as an advocate
• Serve in men’s coaching
• Become an ambassador at your church
• Sort donated items or train as an assistant to serve in the Angel Babies Boutique
• Collect gently used clothing for our Angel Babies Boutique
• Host a baby shower or diaper drive
• Arrange a tour for your group or organization
Donate:
$750 gift provides a baby shower with a crib, car seat, stroller, baby clothes, diapers, wipes, and other accessories for a new mom .
$1500 (or $125 a month) supports a pregnant mom during her entire pregnancy and first three months postpartum with advocate support, crib, car seat, stroller, baby clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets, baby accessories, and more for a year
$100 a month helps to supply moms with infant and children’s clothing and helps with diapers and wipes as well as advocate support .
$25 a month provides on-line resources for our clients who use our Bright Course classes .
Staff:
• Pat Page, Executive Director
• Renée VonBehren, Center Manager
• Ronna Kenney, Administrative Asst.
• Lisa Dudash, Client Services Director
• Jennifer Ellzey, Asst. Client Services Director
• Kristen Richardson, ABB Manager
• Holly Boothe, ABB Floor Manager
• Hannah Reece, ABB Sales Associate
• Beth Kroening, ABB Sales Associate
• Mary Jo Barranco, ABB Sales Associate
TPC Volunteers:
• Vicki Rees, Advocate
• Cecelia Mostellar, Advocate
• Kim Miller, Advocate
• Kim Geiger, Advocate
• Cynthia Samuels, Advocate
• Val Rappa, Advocate
• Sarai Barrientos, Advocate
• Amanda Engel, Advocate & Community Outreach
• Linda Nelson, Receptionist
• Mary Anna Fillmore, Mommy Store
• Doug VonBehren, Mens Ministry Coordinator
• Melissa Payne, RN, Child birth Classes
• Tim & Kit Brown, Addiction Counseling
• Scott Wilder, IT
ABB Volunteers:
• Isabelle & Lindsey McGreger
• Carol Hall
• Denise Ethridge
• Sinthean Pereira
• Meg McHale
• Carole Jasper
• Rebecca Saylor
• Andrea Wasielewski
• Kathleen Winslow
Client Visits Continue to Skyrocket
The Lord continues to bless The Pregnancy Center's ministry. As you can see from these charts, the number of clients we serve has gone up significantly in most categories.
THREE YEARS OF GROWTH
Text Message Alerts
One of the foundations of The Pregnancy Center’s ministry is prayer. Every day that we’re open, the staff and volunteers gather and pray. You can join this team of prayer warriors from your home. Simply scan this QR code to sign up to receive real-time prayer alerts by text message. As always, you can be assured that we do not share your contact info with any other organizations.
Meet Our Client
Our client, Giny, came to us while she was pregnant with her little boy, Liam. Giny says "You all have blessed me so much! Thank you!" We are so honored to come alongside Giny to help her with classes and baby items throughout her pregnancy.
Council 14348
Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church Jasper, Georgia
Words from Pope John Paul II: “Human life is sacred and inviolable at every moment of existence, including the initial phase which precedes birth. All human beings, from their mother’s womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the ‘book of life.’ There too, when they are still in their mothers’ womb—as many passages of the Bible bear witness— they are the personal objects of God’s loving and fatherly providence.” (Papal Encyclical: Evangelium Vitae, 61).
Knights of Columbus
Committed to spiritual and economic support of the pregnant mother and her unborn child.
Giny wins drawing for contest
Expanding Our Ministry
Meeting & Barbecue at Talona Ridge RV Park
On a crisp evening in Ellijay, Georgia, the Talona Ridge RV Park hosted a heartwarming and impactful informational meeting aimed at encouraging donors in their support of The Pregnancy Center. The event, which took place at the scenic Talona Ridge, brought together community members, supporters, and potential donors to share in the mission and accomplishments of this vital ministry. The purpose of the gathering was to highlight the transformative work being done by The Pregnancy Center and to inspire continued generosity and involvement.
The beautiful setting of Talona Ridge RV Park provided a perfect backdrop for this meaningful event. Attendees were greeted by the inviting aroma of a complimentary BBQ dinner, which set a welcoming and communal tone for the evening.
As the program began, Executive Director Pat Page and Chairman of the Board Steve Kroening gave updates on the ministry's progress and plans for the future. Pat expressed heartfelt gratitude to the donors and supporters whose contributions have been instrumental in sustaining the Center’s operations and expanding its reach.
Pat related a few compelling stories of individuals whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the services provided by The Pregnancy Center. These personal testimonies highlighted the Center's role in offering support, resources, and counseling to women and their families.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to showcase the various programs and initiatives spearheaded by The Pregnancy Center. From pregnancy counseling to prenatal care and parenting classes to material assistance and post-
abortion counseling, the center's comprehensive approach aims to support clients at every stage of their journey. Attendees were encouraged to see how their donations were being used to create a lasting and positive impact on the community and to expand our outreach further into North Georgia. We have many clients from the surrounding counties, and we’re always seeking ways to serve them better.
The informational meeting at Talona Ridge RV Park was a resounding success, leaving attendees inspired and motivated to support The Pregnancy Center. Through fellowship, shared stories, and delicious BBQ, the event underscored the power of community and the profound impact of collective generosity in furthering God’s work through this essential ministry.
The Angel Babies Boutique is a gently used baby clothes and more store. We carry adorable children’s clothing (sizes preemie – 5T), nursery items, formula, diapers and wipes, strollers, bassinets, highchairs, toys, and much more! All at 50-75% off retail price. We accept baby-related donations during store hours. See our website for details. All donations are tax deductible, and all purchases support this ministry. Ask us how to get