Being a part of a large conservative church with many arms of ministry definitely had its benefits. It was certainly a constant hub of activity — one that the life of my family revolved around. We pretty much lived at the compound, or so it seemed. Sundays were full days, from early morning with the bus route, to Sunday School, the main service, and later to the evening service. Then it was attending school at the Academy all week long. Throw in a midweek Wednesday night prayer meeting service and youth group, weekend events… I felt like I never left. Later on, I would go on to get a job there as a janitor/maintenance worker from age 16 until I graduated college (summers and winter break). We had so many ministries though.
Other than the Christian school, some of what we did:
- A special needs ministry for mentally disabled adults
- A ministry for the deaf — which mom and dad were a part of and used this as a way to talk about stuff in the front seat of the car without us knowing what they were saying; usually with mom saying, “Jim, slow down!”
- A yearly Sportsman’s dinner for hunters and fishermen which drew around 800 guys. Dad prepped and cooked for this every year for a good week before.
- The Bus ministry — I talked about this in a previous post.
- Food pantry — the best part of this was donut day when the local supermarket would give us huge bags full of day old donuts. Teenagers + donuts? Come on. I was all about finding those Boston Cremes!
- Bookstore — we has this little bookstore off the lobby that no one really did much with, and then I got involved, haha. Repainted it, reorganized it and got some other volunteers to help run it. I really enjoyed working there. I remember saving up for a long time when I was little to buy a Bible there.
- Miracle Camp — we bought a adjacent property with cabins, chapel, recreation center and a small lake that we used for summer camps
- Life Saver Ministries — a pro life ministry and the subject of this post.
It was the 80s. The abortion debate was in full swing. People were protesting at clinics, blocking sidewalks, shouting at women and showing large photos of bloody babies in an effort to persuade them to not go through with their abortions. Being a large church that valued life, we wanted to be a part of the pro-life movement. Thus, Life Saver Ministries (LSM) was birthed. At the top of our church was this little apartment with a few rooms and a tiny bathroom way up in the steeple. This became the offices of a ministry that would reach across the state of NY and beyond. Billboards went up with our 800 number and training manuals were established for our volunteers. Mom was a volunteer who often would sit up in the call center late at night, taking calls from desperate women who had no one to turn to. She would counsel, pray with them, and give hope. Later she became the schooling supervisor for the girls. Many girls would be thrown out of their homes or rejected by the families and have no where to turn to. LSM would try to connect them with places to go. But soon, families from PBC began hosting them. I remember various girls would be studying in the lobby balcony, working on their school work or their GED. Many were so young. They became a part of our community for months as they carried their babies — either to keep or adopt out. Several stayed in our little house.
LSM did training seminars across the state, held banquets and fund raising rallies to pay for the staff, the call center, the billboards, newsletters, mailing, etc. At some point we decided that even though this was all a good thing, we needed to do more. We decided that since we had this amazing facility called Miracle Camp, it was fitting to convert some of it over to give a place for girls to come stay. We spruced up the 12 unit hotel into nice rooms. We completely renovated the Rec Center into a beautiful large living room, kitchen, classroom, laundry. An older couple was hired to be house parents and help oversee the women who stayed. They would help them learn life skills — cooking, cleaning, balancing checkbooks, and getting their GED.
It was such an honor to see my mother being such a vital part of this ministry for so many years. I’m proud to say that she didn’t shout or thrust shocking images in women’s faces, but instead displayed the love and kindness of Christ with her words and actions. I can’t even imagine how many lives that she was able to touch with those peaceful words of hope and life. I was also honored to be a part of this ministry over the years doing design work. One of my first “big jobs” as a budding graphic designer after my freshman year of college was to lay out the LSM Volunteer Manual. I had this great office, my buddy’s amazing Mac, and it was a great project!
Right now there is much discussion on what it means to be pro-life and how that looks and will look in the coming days. I am glad to have a history with people who chose to make a lasting and positive difference all those years ago in the pro-life movement. It’s 2020 and LSM is still going. It has changed locations, staff, and it’s not quite as extensive as it used to be, but it is still providing hope, speaking life, and helping women in need — from pregnancy testing to life skills to counseling. For more information, you can check out their website: https://helpimpregnant.com/
What an amazing legacy and heritage to be a part of!