In this Letter:
- Note from Jane, Executive Director
- 2024 Annual Banquet Highlights
- Staff Highlight
- Client Story Highlight
- BRPC Branding Update
- Volunteer Highlight
- Remembering Pregnancy & Infant Loss
- Men’s Ministry Highlight
- Ways to Get Involved
- Upcoming Events
Newsletter Quick Links
Dear BRPC Friend,
As we enter into the final quarter of our 25th year of life-affirming ministry, my heart overflows with intense gratitude for the tremendous growth we have experienced through the Lord’s faithful provision and your generous partnership. Celebrating 25 years of physical lives saved from abortion and eternal lives saved through the gospel with nearly 600 of you at our annual fundraiser banquet in September was one of the highlights of the year! We are so grateful to all who attended. If you were unable to join us, please take the time to read more about the event below.
By the time you read this, we will, most likely, have a new U.S. president-elect. I pray you voted, and I pray you made protecting LIFE a priority. Regardless of the result of the presidential election, we will continue to STAND FIRM for LIFE on the authority of God, our Creator/Redeemer. Our HOPE is in Jesus Christ. You see, we don’t have a political problem; we have a spiritual problem. 230, or 55% of the 421 patients we saw over the past year, were professing Christians – many of whom were considering abortion as a first option. The struggle we face on the LIFE issue is “not because of the depravity of the wicked; it’s because of the ambivalence of the faithful” (Pastor Alan Jackson). God has called each of us to fight this spiritual battle, and we are humbly grateful to YOU for partnering with us for LIFE through your prayers, sacrificial giving, and selfless service. We thank God for you.
I hope you’ll make plans to join us for our Open House on Giving Tuesday, December 3 between the hours of 10am-2pm. We would love to see you!
In His service,
Jane Oliver, Executive Director
2024 Annual Banquet Highlights
From all of us at BRPC, we want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Banquet on September 28. We were blown away not only by the attendance, but also by the generosity of our donors. Together, we raised just over $190,000 to continue to Stand Firm for life in Central Virginia. We are so grateful to our keynote speaker, Scott Klusendorf, for delivering a powerful message. To all of those who made this evening a tremendous success, we are so thankful to each and every one of you.
If you would like to view pictures from the event, click here or the first button below. If you did not have an opportunity to give towards the banquet, there’s still time! To donate, click here or the second button below. Thank you so much!
Staff Highlight
We are so excited to welcome Rebekah Brett, who joined us in August as a part-time Patient Advocate. We are so grateful for our volunteer patient advocates, and in an effort to serve more patients, we have recognized the need to have an advocate on staff!
Rebekah moved back to Virginia in 2021 with her husband and two children. She missed the community she built in years prior and wanted her family to experience the beauty of the Virginia mountains with her. They truly feel they have found where God wants them to be and have never felt more at home anywhere else than where they are now.
Rebekah shared: “I am post-abortive and through the healing process. The Lord has created a fiery passion within me to work in crisis pregnancy to walk alongside others facing unexpected and unplanned pregnancy. I believe in the redemptive Grace of Jesus as I am living proof of it and am so thankful that He has opened up the door to work as a patient advocate here at BRPC.”
We are so grateful for Rebekah and her vulnerability and passion to help those facing unplanned pregnancies. Please pray for her as she meets with patients each week to encourage and mentor them, and share God’s love and hope!
Client Story Highlight
It was a joy and privilege for us to be able to feature Mariah and baby David’s story at our Annual Banquet this year. Mariah’s testimony is one of courage, bravery, and empowerment. Pressured by her boyfriend to abort, Mariah came to us having already taken the first abortion pill and seeking abortion pill reversal after learning that it was in fact possible to still save her baby. Our Medical Director prescribed progesterone for her, and two days later, Mariah came to BRPC for an ultrasound to see if her baby had a heartbeat — this was a defining, life-or-death moment. Tears flowed as a very active baby with a heartbeat appeared on the screen! Praise God for David’s life. If you have not had a chance to view our new video featuring her whole story, please click above or below to watch.
BRPC Branding Update
We are thrilled to announce our recent brand update and refresh! Our goal was to update the logo to appeal to both women and men, since reaching fathers is also part of our ministry focus. We have also added colors to our current palette to allow for increased contrast and visual engagement. Finally, we are so excited to share that both our patient and donor websites have been updated to a cleaner, more mobile friendly design. We hope and pray that these visual updates will draw more men and women to our website and confidential services.
Volunteer Highlight: Davina Hunt Bare
Meet Davina Hunt Bare! Davina and her husband moved to Lynchburg in June 2020. Davina was led to begin serving as an advocate two years ago due to her parents’ story. Davina’s mom and dad were teenagers when they found out they were pregnant with her. Her mom did not feel confident as a single parent and failed to pursue her dreams of education and career goals.
Reflecting on her mother’s story, Davina shared that if her mother had the support and free resources of a pregnancy center, she would likely have had the confidence to be a single mom.
Davina’s desire is to be the voice that her mother did not have, to advocate for women and instill confidence, hope, dreams, and the assurance that their lives are not over because of an unplanned pregnancy. On the days that Davina comes to meet with patients, she often finds more chaos, whether that be challenges with family, friends, or traffic, simply because she knows the devil does not want her to be here, speaking life into these women. But she knows God says abortion is wrong and that children are a blessing, no matter the circumstance behind their conception.
Davina finds so much assurance in God’s desire for her to be here, not only because she can comfort and empower women, but because she can share the gospel and fulfill that calling as a follower of Christ.
If you are considering becoming an advocate, do it because it is life-giving. Here, we get to see the Word in action. We are not pressuring people to make a decision – we are giving them all of their options and they feel encouraged. We are loving our neighbors – there are so many beautiful ways that you can see it in action. This builds my faith. No matter how busy you think you are, He will make room for this because it fulfills kingdom building.
Remembering Pregnancy & Infant Loss
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This month, we honor and remember the children lost through any cause during pregnancy or infancy such as miscarriage, stillbirth, or other complications. Before you continue reading, please take a moment of silence to honor the lives of those children and pray for the broken hearts of their parents.
We also want to take a moment to remember the children lost to abortion, and to pray for the parents who have encountered this loss.
There are recovery resources available for both men and women who have known this pain. For more information, please reach out to Jordyn, our Unhindered Director, at jordyn@blueridgepc.org or call or text (434) 277-3331.
Men's Ministry Highlight
From Alaric West, Men's Ministry Director
We are so excited to announce the launching of our men’s ministry program at BRPC: Carry the Fire. Led by our Men’s Ministry Director, Alaric West, Carry the Fire is dedicated to leading men through the profound role of fatherhood. This ministry is designed to encourage men to “carry the fire” as they navigate the challenges of being a father. To “carry the fire” is to embody the enduring light of faith, resilience, and righteousness, passing it down as a legacy to future generations. It requires the grit to persevere through trials, ensuring that the hope and integrity rooted in God’s promises endure through time.
Fatherhood is one of life’s most significant responsibilities, and it can be a daunting path to walk alone. Carry the Fire exists to connect Fathers to the life-changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and integrate it into every aspect of their lives. Through fellowship and education, we help men develop the tools they need to shepherd and lead their families in an honorable manner.
With Carry the Fire, we believe every father carries a responsibility — to provide, protect, and lead his children, no matter the circumstances. We remind men that they are gifted with the strength to bear the weight of the responsibility of fatherhood.
Our ministry offers a variety of resources, including mentorship programs and Christian counsel, all aimed at helping men embrace their roles as fathers. Whether you’re preparing for fatherhood or are in the early stages of parenting, we are here to help you carry your fire with purpose and passion.
To learn more, visit our For Men page here.
Ways to Get Involved
Male and Female Volunteer Patient Advocates and PLS Mentors Needed
At Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, Advocates empower life-affirming pregnancy decisions by coming alongside men and women facing unexpected pregnancies to offer options counseling, support, resources, the Gospel message, and hope. In our Parenting and Life Skills classes (PLS), Mentors encourage our clients and offer rich, gospel-centered community. If you are interested in serving as an Advocate and/or as a Mentor, please click here to apply and be a part of saving and transforming lives!
life center needs
Material Goods
Our Life Center gives class participants items such as baby clothes, teethers, burp cloths, and so much more. Click here to visit our Amazon Registry and view our current needs. We are always in need of diapers and wipes! Thank you in advance for helping us provide these material needs to moms and dads in our community.
You're invited!
Open House Giving Tuesday 2024
Please join us on Dec 3, 2024, anytime from 10am – 2pm, for an opportunity to tour the Center, meet the staff, and celebrate all that God has done this year!
Light refreshments will be served.
We look forward to seeing you there!