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Leading and Loving It

Through the Eyes of … the Crisis Pregnancy Center Coordinator

This week I get to introduce you to my friend Laurie … also known as brunettekoala. A few things I love about her: She uses European spelling. She has a wonderous Scottish accent. I get to go to church with her at Central’s Facebook Campus. We share a love for teen moms. Make sure to check out her blog.

1. What is your role in leadership/ministry?

In March 2009, I offered to jointly take on the role of coordinating a Christian pregnancy crisis centre with my friend, Sarah, in the city where we both live in Scotland. I had been working there already for 18 months.

2. What is your favorite thing about your role?

I love the variety that comes with this job. No week is the same. One of my favourite parts of my role is heading up the education work. Most of the time this is in high schools, but in the last year I had the chance to speak at the Scottish Christian Medical Fellowship conference with my friend, Joy who heads up a pregnancy crisis centre in Aberdeen. That somehow led to me running a training day with CMF and PRIME International to teach doctors, medical and nursing students from all over Scotland some of the tools we use in our centres to help their patients in pregnancy crisis in a compassionate way which doesn’t compromise their Christian beliefs.

3. What is the most challenging thing?

This is a spiritual battle. We’re in the frontline dealing with a social issue which is surrounded by controversy. It doesn’t get talked about in churches much at all, and we get so little support from them. Every day we face discouraging and heartbreaking situations which most people don’t want to think about. It is emotionally and spiritually draining, and it’s tough sometimes to keep going. We also face a lot of distrust from secular organisations and health care providers because of the assumptions they can make when they find out we’re Christians.

4. What do you wish someone had told you before you started in your area of leadership/ministry?

I started training in Aberdeen before the centre there had even opened, so we were all in it new together and had a great support from churches all over the city. The churches there really work together and support each other, and you can see the fruits of that in so many ecumenical ministries up there. Coming back here was a shock to my system as the churches here aren’t quite so united. I wasn’t prepared for that.

5. What do you wish others in leadership knew about your specific area?

The challenge of it. How important it is. That is something that is based on biblical truth that needs to be taught and shared in both actions and words. It’s so easy to say whether something is right or wrong, but it’s a whole other thing to be that change or to help people in really difficult situations so they do have an alternative option to abortion.

6. How has God used your leadership to grow and change you?

I’ve really learned that God is strong in my weakness and the power of prayer. Just before I started training as a pregnancy crisis advisor my faith was majorly tested when I found out I might not ever be able to have children. God just gave me such peace, and I quickly realised Satan was really going to try and stop me from being part of this ministry in any and every way he could. But God is bigger and greater.

7. If you could pass one little piece of wisdom to someone else in the same leadership role, what would it be?

Get to know your bible. Your bible is your one and only offensive weapon in battle. When I was a student I used to have different passages and verses that God had spoken to me through stuck all over my wall and mirror so I’d read them and meditate on them while drying and straightening my hair every morning. Sometimes when I feel I’m being dragged down by lies and discouraging stuff, I speak aloud those verses. It’s a bit like what Jesus did in the desert when he was tempted by Satan. And a bonus gem which a bloke called Mike Pilavachi taught me (and 1000s of others) in the summer of 2002 – leaders don’t have it all sorted. They go through struggles and they’re imperfect just like everybody else. Realising that was immensely liberating! God doesn’t necassarily call the equipped. He equips the called.

Through the eyes of… « Learning from Sophie Reply:
 December 16th, 2009 at 11:51 am

[...] Through the eyes of…the Crisis Pregnancy Center Coordinator [...]

Steph Reply:
 December 16th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

I strongly believe in this ministry! I am involved in a similar ministry here. Ours is called Pregnancy Resource Center in Owasso. FCC started it about 22 or so years ago. It is such a vital ministry to our community. They see hundreds of girls every year. God is changing lives thru you Laurie!! Bless you!!

[Reply]

brunettekoala Reply:
 December 20th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

Lovely to meet another Pregnancy Crisis Centre person Steph! I’m sure God is changing lives through you too!! Thanks for commenting

[Reply]

Through the Eyes of … You? « Leading and Loving It Reply:
 January 6th, 2010 at 11:42 pm

[...] way we are doing this is interviews like the ones we’ve done with Tam, Laurie, Mandy, Zak & Amber, Amy, and Lane. And now we are looking for more people to interview and [...]

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