2023 Summer Ministry: The Lennon Pregnancy Center

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...

Psalm 8 1 How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

Your majesty is praised above the heavens;

2 on the lips of children and of babes you have found praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel.

Why Me

I was born on the 7th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. A coincidence? I have always wanted to serve the unborn, children, and their families and did so this summer at the Lennon Pregnancy Center in Dearborn Heights.

The Lennon Pregnancy Center

The Lennon Pregnancy Center was the target of vandalism on June 20, 2022 before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. The vandals smashed in 3 glass doors, shattered 11 windows, and spray-painted this on the small building: “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.” I can personally attest that the LPC is stronger in its mission to serve and empower its mostly low-income African American, Arabic, and Hispanic clients.

My Summer Ministry

During my time at The LPC, I was grateful to be able to lead and participate in educational classes for clients; provide donated material assistance for families in need; and build a men’s small group ministry. All of these activities formed me; however, one particular challenge was key to my learning and growth.

One of the primary tasks that Executive Director Mariann Bolton asked me to lead was to build a men’s small group ministry to promote fatherhood - a critical need at the center. This was in my wheelhouse! I’ve run men’s small groups before, so much so that a friend used to quip that I collected them! I did much to promote the group: I sent out a survey to clients, made phone calls, sent text messages, publicized through social media, and prepared for classes for each and every Tuesday night for eight weeks. And then for several weeks in a row, no men attended - not one man. While I was able to accompany women during the parallel class happening at this time, I was frustrated and wanted to see results! In this, there are two things the Lord revealed to me:

What I Learned

The first thing: Building a ministry from scratch is hard. No matter what I bring to the table, it isn’t about me but about the Lord working through me in His time. Like Peter and the apostles in the boat overnight, catching nothing, we must keep fishing. And then my prayer to the Lord eventually became, “Just one, Lord. Just one.” I realized that I didn’t deserve “one” - the Lord did. In the 7th week, the Lord introduced me to one father, Rickey, who just had a five-week-old beautiful baby girl. Rickey was doing such a great job as a dad! The Lord provides! A second expectant father, Terrence, attended on the eighth week and I was able to spend one-on-one time with this dad-to-be as well. The Lord showed me the blessing these fathers were to their children. And Lord allowed me to gift each of them with my teaching and experience on those last two nights.

The second thing I learned: Our very presence and accompaniment itself is a gift. Having a goal and grand plans, like building a men’s ministry, is important, but we must focus on the person the Lord puts in front of us at any given time. Each mother, father, baby, child who entered the center deserved my accompaniment as a man, as a father, an image of God they might not normally witness - no matter how well the men’s group ministry was going. I also learned that accompanying the staff at The Lennon Pregnancy Center through their daily lives was important. Mariann was preparing for her first grandchild and I was able to share in that excitement with her. Colleen was struggling with home life due to the recent power outages and I was able to listen. Pam lost her ex-husband unexpectedly and was grieving with her sons. Maggie, the nurse on staff, was celebrating a much needed update to the ultrasound clinic. I was able to walk with each of them. They were gifts from the Lord.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I saw the Lord save many babies and children at The LPC through incredible women and men, mothers and fathers. I shall ever proclaim Psalm 8 confidently to the Lord, that “on the lips of children and of babes, you have found praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel.” How great is your name, O Lord Our God, through all the earth! AMEN!