Diana Anderson, executive director of Pathway of Hope, felt there needed to be an avenue connecting her pregnancy resource center clients to local churches. Second Baptist Church in Greenville, Kentucky, and Melissa Bivins stepped up to make that happen.
“We can only do so much as far as discipleship goes,” Anderson explained.
A few years ago, Anderson heard about Embrace Grace, a gospel-focused ministry program that equips churches to facilitate small groups for unmarried pregnant women. She sent information about the ministry to her pastor at Second Baptist Church. With staff encouragement to move forward, Anderson began praying for a leader in the church who could take Embrace Grace and guide it.
Melissa Bivins, a long-time member of Second Baptist Church and retired registered nurse who worked in obstetrics, had recently walked with her daughter through an unplanned pregnancy. She was the perfect fit.
‘Run with it’
“The more Melissa and I talked, the more I just felt like she is the one that needs to take this and run with it,” Anderson explained.
Bivins said after some prayer, it was clear that God was calling her to run an Embrace Grace group at her church.
“The vision of Embrace Grace (is) for every girl with an unplanned pregnancy to have a church to go to for spiritual, emotional and physical support,” Bivins explained. “The mission is to inspire and equip the church to love on single and pregnant young women and their families.”
Second Baptist was eager to embrace that mission.
After announcing the intent to jumpstart the ministry, Bivins said “women came crawling out of the woodwork” to volunteer — to help during weekly meetings, serve as an alternate, bring a weekly meal for attendees to enjoy.
“People came to me in brief with their own stories, or the reason that they were anxious to see this happen,” Bivins said. “It was very well received. I’m very proud of Second Baptist.”
Churchwide baby shower
The first 12-week group, which will culminate with a churchwide baby shower for participating moms, began on July 7. So far, four women have attended.
“We have two teenagers; we have two twenty-somethings…We’ve really kind of settled on two coming regularly, it looks like. But I’m pleased with that this first time,” Bivins said.
Both Anderson and Bivins agree there’s a huge community need for the Embrace Grace ministry.
“(There’s) lots of unwed women in our community who are expecting,” Anderson explained. “I think this year right now (Pathway of Hope is) at 49 pregnancies…I’m not saying all those are unwed, but the biggest majority are.”
The partnership between Pathway and Second Baptist through Embrace Grace is a big deal for their respective ministries, too.
“It means that we now have somebody that can pick up from where our boundary is of being able to help and continue ongoing help with them in other areas as far as discipleship goes,” Anderson said, adding that Pathway of Hope will refer their clients to the group. “And some of the young ladies that come in are unchurched and are not Christians … we’re just praying that as the seeds are planted, that there’s going to be a harvest soon.”
Shamed, frightened, confused
“I’m sorry to say (for) way too many years … the church would be the last place they would think to go in their position,” Bivins said. “They’re shamed, they’re frightened, they’re confused. And so it’s time we got over the hump of that and welcome them into community with other believers…It’s important that as a church that we get them in (and) love on them.”
Bivins believes the local church can provide encouragement and tools for single women to see themselves as capable of being mothers — especially because single pregnancies happen within Christian circles just as they do outside the church.
“It is here. It’s been here for a long time, and it’s time the church stepped up to meeting these young women where they are in the moment, in real time, as opposed to ‘Oh, maybe they’ll follow up once they get their act together after the baby’s born.’ We both know that doesn’t work. It’s not helpful to them,” Bivins added.
After the initial 12-week semester ends, Bivins and Second Baptist intend to start another group in the spring so they can continue investing in single moms who live around Greenville.
“These girls are loved, they are accepted, they are brave, and we’re going to walk through it with them if the will let us,” Bivins said. “I would encourage any church to look into (Embrace Grace), and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
To learn more about starting an Embrace Grace ministry at your church, visit embracegrace.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tessa Redmond and originally published by Kentucky Today.
