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by Kim Hayes

What is true? What does love require? Will I trust God? These are the questions which guide my life and shape the narrative.

Narrative identity theory postulates that individuals form an identity by integrating their life experiences into an internalized evolving story which gives you a sense of unity and purpose in life. In essence, it integrates your view of the past, present and future and acts to guide your thoughts, goals and direction in life.

In his book, We Will Not Be Silenced, Erwin W. Lutzer responds to the cultural assault on the church. This has resulted in many churches submitting to the culture in many areas, especially in regard to sexuality and even weakening our stance on the sanctity of life. The cultural narrative has had a devastating effect.

Re-shaping the narrative is worth the effort to win back the lost. The church must take the lead in clarifying who God says we are and what His Word teaches accurately. When we rewrite or soften the message to make it work along with what is going on in the current culture, we are doing great harm to the kingdom and damaging our ability to bring light into the darkness and help people understand what is at stake for eternity.

Jesus commanded us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves—following this directive we can speak powerful truths to individuals. This requires educating ourselves from reliable sources, focusing on what is truly essential and then forming a narrative built on Biblical wisdom to guide our own lives and encourage others.

We all need a standard to follow, to act as a compass as we navigate through life. A compass is a great metaphor because of its consistency in guiding individuals who have learned how to use it to determine direction. But in the great divide in our nation, we need to realize we are not all using the same compass.

Radical Secularists are utilizing a compass that is focused on false principles if not outright lies. So we will compare two compasses as an exercise to lay out the major differences between Radical Secularists and Christians to hopefully draw us toward more effective strategies for the future.

The true compass, the Essential Narratives of Christ followers, primarily operates on the principle of LOVE. When life takes us to the deepest darkest places where confusion and discouragement can crush us, leaving us to question God and His goodness, love is the only answer. His answer to our confusion and discouragement is a cross.

To empower and guide our clients in crisis, we also have TRUTH as a primary point on the compass. Whatever negative, misleading or outright false thought seeks to dictate our decisions, we need to bring it into the light of truth.

Our compass leading us to Christ also offers HOPE and FAITH. You may have heard the statement, “You can choose to be a victim or a victor.” We all have witnessed people who have thrown off and rejected victimhood as an identity and chosen to allow hope and faith to find the way forward.

These are the four primary points of the compass. In between are additional points. Biblical wisdom, trust, grace and forgiveness, and, finally, obedience all play key roles in guiding us as well.

We need to be prepared both with the essentials to solidify our own narrative identity and to guide others. 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes us: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Kim Hayes is a writer for Pregnancy Help News. She has been a teacher, author, speaker and facilitator for marriage and family issues and married for over 35 years to Jeff, with four grown children. Kim's counseling experience included 21 years as a volunteer consultant and trainer at Pregnancy Decision Health Centers. She was the athletic director of Columbus Crusaders Youth Sports ministry for 15 years. Kim has written several books, including the latest release, Prodigal Rewind: The Grateful Son. She is presenting Essential Narratives as a part of the 2021 Heartbeat International Virtual Conference.

by Julie Stepp, Affiliation Coordinator
Heartbeat International

There’s something about 50-year anniversaries that always intrigues me. For one thing, I always seem to be ending up at these half-century landmarks whenever they happen. Whether it’s at my university, in my country of choice for an extensive study abroad, or during the timing of my first full-time job, I find myself celebrating 50 years of something… over and over. I’m starting to wonder, “Does God have something to tell me through all this? Are 50-year anniversaries significant to Him, and if they are, why?”

I started studying where the number 50 shows up in the Bible to search for clues. The first factoid I found was that “Pentecost” means “50” and was a feast that happened 50 days after the Passover celebration of freedom from Egypt. This feast of Pentecost was also called the Feast of Firstfruits and celebrated the harvest God had provided for the people. So evidently “50” was related to freedom, celebration, and abundance in that case. The number “50” also came up in situations involving armies (like a group of 50 soldiers) or measurements (such as “make this area of the temple 50 by 50”). But what really caught my attention was the significance of the Year of Jubilee, which happened every 50 years for the children of Israel and was an entire year of releasing slaves to their families, forgiving debts owed to debtors, and restoring land to its rightful owners. I felt I’d hit the proverbial jackpot. Here was an example in the Bible of a year-long celebration of a 50-year anniversary that God Himself ordained. Maybe here was the answer to my questions about “the year of the 50.”

Let’s take a look together at what God had to say to the children of Israel about this “jubilee year” in Leviticus 25.

First, God told them that every 50^th year would be a year of rest – rest for the farmland and the vineyards. This directly followed another year of no crop-planting, as every seven years God commanded a Sabbath rest too. With the 50^th year coming right after the 49^th, the Israelites were eating what they had planted over 2 years ago. God promised to take care of them through this time and provide for all their needs through their previous harvest. When I read this, I immediately thought about how 2020 was a similar year of rest in many ways. Businesses were closed for several weeks, social events were cancelled or moved “to the comfort of your home.” We didn’t have the option to “plant” our normal seeds in the hearts of our donors and supporters. The pregnancy help movement largely had to depend upon past interactions and strong current supporters to get through this season, and God provided. (Interestingly enough, while we’re celebrating Heartbeat’s 50^th birthday in 2021, the fiftieth year of Heartbeat International was 2020. Remember that a child’s first year occurs before their first birthday, and so on and so forth, so 2020 really did match up with our 50^th year!)

Then God told His people to “proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants” (v. 10). Slaves were freed and sent back to their hometowns, people who had sold their houses and land were welcome to return to their heritage (very important in those days), and many people got to experience freedom and release. It made me think of the fact that the pregnancy help community does exist to see an end to abortion in our lifetime, but in that existence, we encounter so much more than “the abortion problem.” We see broken families, wounded hearts, drug addiction, physical abuse, and sexual webs woven so tragically you wonder if their effects can ever be un-done. But Jesus came to give us “the year of the fifty.” He came to give not only us, but also our clients, a way out, a way to return to their homeland and repair the broken cities that have been devastated for generations. His power is real, and it works. What we do through pregnancy help inspires people to go back to their families – the places they learned their brokenness – and restore them back to healthy communities.

Last but not least, God promised the Israelites in verse 21, “I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years,” speaking of His abundant provision to sustain His people through their 2-year season of rest. Because the provision of the 48^th year was so great, God’s people survived and thrived until they could reap the harvest of the 51^st year. We’re in that season of rest and provision, friends. The seeds you have sown in previous years are still alive in the hearts God destined for them to be placed in. And not only are those seeds planted in the hearts of your donors, but also in the hearts of your clients. You are a two-sided ministry. Don’t doubt that God will bring to fruition what He planted through you in what seems like the distant past. His seeds have a purpose, and He will accomplish what He has set out to do. Don’t worry about “letting the fields rest.” God saw ahead, and He has commanded His blessing on you.

Just a few more thoughts. As a twenty-something celebrating all these 50-year marks, I’ve realized that it’s so sacred to witness a 50^th anniversary. Think about when a couple celebrates their 50^th anniversary. It’s such a special celebration because they likely won’t get to celebrate another 50-year mark – their 100^th anniversary. Many times, different generations are looking at the same fifty mark and only get to see that fifty mark once. In the same way, a 50^th birthday for an organization is a moment that all share together. I get to celebrate what others gone before me have prayed for, wept over, and offered their lives in service to. Heartbeat International, and the pregnancy help movement in general, takes skills, viewpoints, and experience levels from various generations to bring true healing and help to our communities. We are a cross-generational movement, and our 50^th birthday is a moment in time that captures our passion together. May this “year of the fifty” be a year of rest, release from bondage, abundant provision, and multi-generational celebration.

by Angela Copenhaver Founder of WeTeachThink and HumanFromDayOne.com

When does life begin?  Ask this question at a party and you will instantly cause a firestorm of dissenting views.  If you ask a pro-life person that question, you will get a resounding “at conception.”  If you ask a pro-choice person that same question, you will get an answer like “when the child is outside of the mother and can sustain life on its own.”  If you ask a “Middle Minded” person “when does life begin?” you get a myriad of answers “12 weeks,” “20 weeks,” “when it has a heartbeat,” and/or “when it feels pain.”  The answers are all over the board! How are we supposed to get people to protect human life when we cannot even collectively agree on when a human life is a human life?

How did we get to such opposing beliefs?

Throughout our lives, we develop certain biases of which we are likely not aware. These beliefs are called “belief bias.”  This type of personal bias occurs when people see their beliefs as rational and the beliefs of others as irrational. In other words, when opposing sides of a topic perceive the other groups’ decision making as emotionally charged and irrational and their groups’ decision making as rational.  When this occurs, it makes it nearly impossible to come to any type of agreement on an issue.

This is what has happened with the topic of abortion and when human life begins. The pro-choice side thinks that this is a “Woman’s Rights” issue and has no tolerance for what they believe to be the radical pro-lifers trying to shackle them with (emotional) religious morality.  The pro-life side thinks that this is a “Human Rights” issue and has no tolerance for what they believe to be the “emotionally charged” radical left that is blinded by a selfish disregard for human life. The “Middle Minded” have declared themselves neutral, not wanting to be part of either group. However, just because the “Middle Minded” have excused themselves from the issue does not exclude them from having their own personal biases and unknowingly participating with their silence.

The “Middle Minded” individual is likely suffering from “confirmation bias.” This type of bias is the tendency for individuals to seek and find confirming evidence to support what they already believe. This fallacy is clearly illustrated by Trent Horn in his book Persuasive Pro-Life as to how the “Middle Minded” rationalize their position on abortion. They say things like “I don’t believe in abortion myself, but what about…?” 

The thought process of “confirmation bias” is really attempting to find proof in reverse that allows an individual to ease their conscience. We start with what we believe to be true and then go in search of evidence to prove our beliefs by cherry-picking the facts that support our theory and leaving contradictory evidence behind or just ignoring it altogether.

When developing a strategy to debunk years and years of misinformation of when human life begins, it is critical to research the likely biases of the target market. You must clearly understand the descriptive thinking of your potential customer. It is vital to delve into their self-talk as to why and how they rationalize a topic. In this case, rationalizing the normalcy of abortion by confusing the understanding of when a human becomes a human.

Helping the “Middle Minded” to set aside their “confirmation bias” and begin to say “human life begins on Day 1” is the key to sustainable cultural change. We must reach out to this group and give them logical and emotional reasoning to actively support human dignity at all stages of life – Born and Preborn.  We can do this by addressing their deep-seated personal bias and confusion on when human life begins with thought-provoking marketing. 

All marketing is designed to gain agreement from your potential customer that your product is the best choice and for them to become loyal to that decision. When the “Middle Minded” become “Life Minded” and are loyal to that decision, the issue of abortion will become socially unacceptable. Until we gain agreement from the “Middle Minded” that we are Human from Day 1, abortion will continue to be socially acceptable in society.

Angela Copenhaver is the Founder and Executive Director of WeTeachThink an educational marketing organization designing multimedia campaigns to directly influence public education, awareness, and perception of Human dignity and rights. In 2018 Angela felt compelled to take on this mission after a friend asked her to read “40 Days for Life.” She had previously categorized herself as a “fence-sitter” and early in her life, she was very much a Pro-Choice advocate. She is presenting Essential Marketing Strategies: How to Change a Culture at the Heartbeat International 50th Annual Conference.  

by Lori Kuykendall, MPH, President and CEO of Medical Institute for Sexual Health

When the United States Supreme Court made the decision to legalize abortion in 1973, a cultural war had been raging in America for over a decade. Roe v. Wade was another battle won by the sexual revolutionaries who were advancing ironically under the banner of “Make love, not war!”  Their war had as its objective to overturn the cultural values of sex within its God-intended context of marriage.

The so-called “science” of Alfred Kinsey from the 1940s and 50s espousing more sex, earlier sex and sex with multiple partners combined with the pharmaceutical advances of widely accessible birth control to the millions of “baby boomers” coming into their rebellious adolescent years created a perfect storm to set off dramatic cultural change. Sex without commitment or consequences became the norm, and immediately divorce rates climbed from 1 in 6 to now nearly 1 in 2 as did sexually transmitted diseases, then just two to be concerned about and now more than 30.

Consider the many “ills” of our society that have resulted from sex outside its intended context of healthy marriage. Add to climbing divorce rates and STDs abortion, sex trafficking, sexual abuse, cohabitation, pornography, rape, exploitation, out-of-wedlock births, prostitution, and adultery.  We walk daily through the fallout in our own lives and in the lives of our friends and neighbors, and I wonder as we trudge through all the rubble if we can even imagine a different world.

Pregnancy help centers are positioned perfectly to compassionately help those left in the rubble. Other groups are fighting divorce or trafficking or pornography or rape in public policy, media, churches, and schools. Yet, somehow, we have not recovered a lot of the lost ground in spite of our individual efforts. We have not really gotten to the root of the problem. 

Like the Hydra in Greek mythology, we have worked tirelessly to cut off a few heads—only to see more heads grow back in their place. Now, we must strike at the base—and we must do that together. We have the opportunity to join together and attack the Hydra at its core, by working together to restore sex to its intended context and start a “new sexual revolution.”

Ushering in this “new sexual revolution” will require the united strength of all of us—combining our knowledge and efforts and working in close coordination in a stronger, more strategic way. We must step out of our silos, link arms, and wave the victory flag of hope and wholeness as we rebuild the walls of our nation, one family at a time. 

Lori Kuykendall, MPH is President and CEO of Medical Institute for Sexual Health. Her first job in health education was at the Women’s Pregnancy Center in Houston. She later was the director of LifeTalk Resource Center in Frisco, Texas. Together with Medical Institute Founder Dr. Joe McIlhaney, they are leading a national “coalition for a new sexual revolution.” She is presenting A New Sexual Revolution: Positioning for Cultural Change at the Heartbeat International 50th Annual Conference.

by Nafisa Kennedy, Director of Option Line

Earlier this month, Option Line celebrated their eighteenth birthday! It's exciting to think that some of the first callers to Option Line could be parents of children who may be graduating high school this year.

Just like over 18 years a child develops into a young adult, Option Line has changed a lot over the years in some amazing ways. 

When I arrived at Option Line nearly fifteen years ago, we were a developing, yet still relatively small operation. We were answering calls and emails 24/7, but had just started taking on AIM Instant Messenger during 3 shifts per week. We had a paper schedule posted on the bulletin board each week. Nobody worked remotely-consultants would often come to work at 9pm in their pajamas so they could get in bed as soon as they returned home at 2:30 in the morning.

WEST VIRGINIA PREGNANCY CENTER COALITION PRAISES THE WEST VIRGINIA SENATE FOR PASSING RESOLUTION 7, HONORING PREGNANCY CARE CENTERS

February 22, 2021

“Pregnancy care centers in West Virginia provide families facing unintended pregnancies with care, compassion, and practical help to make decisions respecting life. In 2020, our centers provided approximately $6,000,000 of valuable services to West Virginians,” said Jenny Entsminger, President of the West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition, “We are grateful to the West Virginia Senate for recognizing the value of pregnancy care centers.”

Charleston, West Virginia. – The West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition praises the West Virginia Senate for its passage of Resolution 7, which honors pregnancy care centers, adopted on February 17, 2021.

“I am joined by dozens of West Virginia pregnancy care center staff, volunteers, and board members to offer our appreciation to the West Virginia Senate for recognizing the value that pregnancy care centers bring to our communities,” said Jenny Entsminger, President of the West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition, “We offer special thanks to the resolution sponsors, Senators Patricia Rucker, Mike Maroney, Rupie Phillips, Rollan Roberts, and Bill Hamilton. Pregnancy care centers in West Virginia provide an array of services at no cost to clients, including limited obstetrical ultrasounds, parenting classes, pregnancy tests, peer counseling, referrals, and material assistance. In 2020, these services were valued at $6,000,000.”

As a client of the pregnancy care center in Parkersburg stated, “When I found out about my pregnancy, I was scared, angry, stressed and a mix of other emotions. I never in a million years believed I was strong enough to make it through everything. I credit my son with fully helping me heal the trauma, but before his arrival it was The Women’s Care Center that helped me get through.”

The West Virginia Pregnancy Center Coalition is a 501(c)3 organization formed to assist and promote the worthy work pregnancy care centers in West Virginia.

Servants of Excellence

“And last of all, as if to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” I Cor. 15:8

The Apostle Paul was known for his ability to connect his faith to disparate groups, from fellow Jews to Greeks in Athens, to political leaders. Paul could “make the case” for Jesus and His resurrection like almost no one else. He wrote much of what we call The New Testament.

In short, Paul was a force to be reckoned with.

Was Paul a great theologian? Sure. Heck, he invented theology, for the most part. Was Paul a terrific apologist? There was probably no one better, except for Jesus of course.

But if we get to the core of who Paul was, we find he was quite simple. Because when it came to theology or apologetics, Paul stuck with one tactic, using it again and again. We might say that when it came to sharing his faith, Paul was mostly a one-note wonder.

His crafty strategy? Telling his story. We find this in I Corinthians 15, where he lays the foundation of the Good News, that Jesus “died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” Simple stuff. But there’s more.

Paul goes on to speak of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to Peter, the twelve disciples, another 500 people, James, all the apostles, then . . . “as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

Paul told his story. In fact, Paul’s story of Jesus appearing in front of him was Paul’s connection to the resurrection he speaks of so often.

We see the same in Acts 22, where Paul spoke in front of the Jewish council, beginning with his story of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:1-21). Later, in front of Agrippa in Acts 26, Paul shares the same story.

Certainly, Paul did much more than tell his story. But in so many of his encounters and letters, he refers back to this one story as the foundation upon which he builds his defense of the One he followed, Jesus.

Guess what?

We can do the same. When we have opportunity to talk about our faith, we don’t have to know every verse or defend against every argument. All we need is our story. Because just like Paul, our story is more than enough to show someone Jesus is real.

The next time we sense the need to talk about our faith, let’s start with our story. Because for many, our story will be more than enough to open the door for a valuable, faith-filled conversation.

by Kirk Walden, Advancement Specialist

Our completely updated training will be available in early March for medical professionals offering Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound in Pregnancy Help Clinics. We are thrilled to offer ten new modules on topics such as ultrasound physics, first trimester scanning, legal and ethical questions, knobology, and more.

We invite imagers around the world that perform limited obstetric diagnostic ultrasounds to our updated Online Ultrasound Training. The purpose of scanning in the Pregnancy Help Clinics is to shed His Light on the reality of life by showing a mom the first image of her baby. Designed with the medical professional in Pregnancy Help Clinics in mind, this training is rooted in the LOVE Approach for all who serve and all who are served in Pregnancy Help Clinics.

Available to you:

• Preparation for the imager for the front lines  
• Image review by sonographer trainers for one full year
• Community calls with sonographer trainers and other students
• Handouts for all training modules
• Self-paced training for the busy nurse
• Video training and demonstration
• Clinical component completed in your own center
• Access to the didactic training for six full months
• Nursing and ARDMS CEUs
  (SDMS does not require continuing education credits)

Training topics includes:

• Legal and Ethical issues of Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Nursing Professional Practice Guidelines
• Patient Assessment and Education
• Ultrasound Instrumentation & Imaging Techniques
• Typical and Atypical Findings
• Doppler and the Fetal Heart
• Policies, Procedures, and Protocol
• Ultrasound and the Abortion Pill Reversal Client
• Obstetrics and Prenatal Health
• Ergodynamics
• The Physics of Ultrasound
• Fetal biometry in Limited Obstetric Ultrasound
• And more!

Who are the instructors of this course?

You will not walk the journey alone but rather will be guided by those of us who have walked the journey before you. Each member of the Medical Impact team has been a part of creating this training and providing support for you as you learn.  

Gathered from around the world, we are dedicated to assisting and encouraging while you learn not only the technique of performing a Limited Obstetric Ultrasound Diagnostic Exam but also as you forge through the spiritual warfare that will accompany it.  

Our team is composed of sonographers that are multicredentialed to include RDMS(OB/GYN) and recognized nationally for their accomplishments and Registered Nurses that have performed ultrasounds in Pregnancy Help Clinics throughout the nation. You will also hear from Heartbeat International General Counsel, HBI President Jor-El Godsey, Vice-President of Ministry Services Betty McDowell, and Vice-President of Development Cindi Boston-Bilotta and others from the HBI team. Each member of this team brings with them experiences that will enhance your learning experience. 

Who is this course designed for?

This course was created for medical professionals who are called to perform ultrasound in Pregnancy Help Clinics. It is not essential for you to obtain the RDMS credential to effectively perform Limited Obstetric Diagnostic Ultrasound.  It is essential that you become competent.  This course is designed with you in mind.  We fully believe that God equips who He calls!  

What is the pace of the course?

This training is self-paced and can fit in any schedule. Participants complete modules when convenient to their them. There are no required log-in times but we would expect the course to completed within six months from start date. Recognizing that each person will progress at his or her own time frame, the clinical section of this course can be completed while one is completing the didactic portion of the program or may be completed following the completion of the program.

What topics are included?

Module I The Power of Seeing
This module explores a basic overview of the history of Ultrasound and its unique utilization in Pregnancy Care Centers.

Module II: Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound for the Registered Nurse
These presentations provide guidance on patient assessment & education, documentation, and nursing professional practical guidelines for those that scan in Pregnancy Help Clinics. 

Module III: The Physics of Ultrasound
These presentations will help you become more familiar with you machine along with teaching basic physics principles that will enhance your scanning effectiveness. 

Module IV: Pelvic and Obstetrical Anatomy
This module will briefly review basic embryology along with the female reproductive system and basic first trimeter obstetrical anatomy in order to prepare the participant for First Trimester Obstetrical Ultrasound.  

Module V: Obstetrical Ultrasound
These presentations focus on the basics of scanning in the first trimester starting from basic transducer manipulation to basic measurements along with presentation techniques. 

Module VI: Normal Variants and Atypical Findings
These presentations focus on scanning beyond the typical first trimester scan concentrating on the second and third trimester basic measurements, presentation techniques, commonly encountered first trimester abnormalities and scanning multiple gestations. 

Module VII: Abortion Pill Reversal and Ultrasound
These presentations will help you to care for the abortion pill reversal client in your clinic.

Module VIII: Legal and Ethical Issues
This module concentrates on quality analysis of exams along with legal and ethical issues.

Module IX: Self-Care and the Imager
This presentation explores the personal role of the imager and the care that is involved in those who serve on the front lines.

Module X: Clinical Competencies
The clinical component of your training includes two elements, an experience log and competency evaluation. Clinical portion of training is completed in your clinic under the supervision of a qualified RDMS OB/GYN Sonographer, qualified RN who has completed ultrasound training, or a Physician of your choice.

What is included in these modules?

Each module of this course consists of presentations, discussion questions, and assignments. This course is designed to be completed in its entirety with each section developed to specifically prepare students for the task ahead. After each section, a small quiz assesses understanding of the topic. Questions are encouraged in the discussion forum or in email to our ultrasound instructors.

What is the cost?

Cost is $495 for non-affiliates/$395 with HBI affiliate discount.

Assistance is available to centers who qualify through the Option Ultrasound Program (OUP) which provides grants to qualifying pregnancy medical clinics for 80% of the cost of an ultrasound machine or sonography training for medical personnel.

We are excited for those that will join us on this endeavor to image life. We can assure you, this will be a life changing experiencing for you and those for who you scan!  

For more information:

Contact our Medical Impact Team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are thankful to all that heed the call of obedience and using your medical background for the unborn child. 

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 16061 for eight contact hours.