“Father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation” (Ps. 68:5, NKJV)

Our desire to see sinners saved brought us together. Our story began when the Lord called Eden (Schaefer) Kim to serve at a local pregnancy center. Eden’s eyes were opened to the complexity of the situations these women in crisis faced. It is not as simple as choosing whether or not to keep the baby. Parents, boyfriends, and a lack of resources are a few of the many factors that pressure women from every side. These women are in desperate need of the gospel.

After prayer and discussion, Eden and her husband, Jonathan, decided that God was calling them to open a pregnancy center. Their vision was to not only serve women with resources but with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

People in crisis are more open to hearing the truth. As their lives crumble around them, these women seek a place of refuge. Pregnancy centers are a unique opportunity to serve.

Eden expanded the team to Pastor Adam Kuehner, Cera (McCarragher) Pesole, Maxwell Molik, and Angela Kim. Pastor Adam Kuehner has served at the Southfield, Mich., RP Church for six years, facilitating outreach opportunities in the Pontiac/Waterford area, including a weekly Bible study and a bus-stop ministry. Cera has been actively involved in the pregnancy-help movement for nearly eight years, and she has experience both nationally and locally. Maxwell is a licensed realtor and has been navigating the uncertain waters of finding a building for the center to operate from. Angela has gained experience in fundraising initiatives throughout high school and college. Eden has had a heart for missions since she was young. She has participated in five trips through RP Missions, which taught her how to serve and evangelize effectively.

As we embarked on this great endeavor, we prayerfully began to build a vision.

We first searched for a location. After many extensive meetings, the board chose to locate the pregnancy center in the Pontiac/Waterford area in Metro Detroit. There is a great need and very limited resources there. In 2017, an estimated 460 abortions occurred in Pontiac alone, and, historically, the number has grown year by year. Additionally, members of the board are closely connected with the community and have been involved with mercy ministry and evangelism for years.

We gave our vision a name: Choices Pregnancy Center. As we worked, we had the opportunity to watch firsthand as the Lord blessed our efforts. Only a few months into planning, a pregnancy center from a nearby city donated its old ultrasound machine, a key piece of medical equipment that costs thousands of dollars up front. We were awestruck by the generosity of the center as well as the clear answer to our many prayers.

As a starting point, Choices Pregnancy Center will open as a resource center once initial funds are raised. Our aim is to lovingly share the gospel with every person who enters this center.

We plan to open our doors with options counseling, an “earn while you learn” program, and free pregnancy tests. Options counseling seeks to meet women and men where they are and offer real hope and truth to them as they face an unplanned pregnancy. The goal is to empower them to choose life for their baby and encourage them to encounter and seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The “earn while you learn” program will allow mothers to provide for their children with dignity as they learn from our Bible studies as well as birth and parenting classes. By attending these classes, they can earn important resources for their families.

Down the road, we envision broadening our services to include medical resources, post-abortive counseling, and a men’s ministry.

Our ministry aims to reach unreached men and women in crisis with the truth, compassion, and healing power of Christ, for the good of their souls, their bodies, and the beautiful children God has placed under their care. It’s a ministry in need of young people to step up and serve wholeheartedly.

At this point, Choices Pregnancy Center needs financial support in order to get started. For information, visit www.choicespregnancyfriends.com.

We would love the opportunity to give a presentation to your church about this ministry and what you can do to help. If you would like us to visit your church, please contact us via cpc@choicespregnancyfriends.com.

Finally, and most importantly, please pray for us:

• Pray that God would continue to guide our decision making and bless our efforts so that we will glorify and honor His name in the Pontiac/Waterford area.

• Pray that the Lord would provide the funds necessary to fulfill His will for this pregnancy center.

• Pray that God would draw lost sinners in the Pontiac/Waterford area to Himself through this ministry and transform many lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Angela Kim is a member of Southfield, Mich., RPC and the director of development at Choices Pregnancy Center.