A Path to Hope

Published: Fri, 04/23/21

Welcome to the

Hope First Family Resource Center

Newsletter!

We Saw A Need

Last year, realizing our community lacked the resources for serving the needs of women and men facing an unplanned pregnancy, a group of pro-life minded people who shared a vision began a quest to meet this need with relationship, pregnancy, health, parenting, life skills, and fatherhood services.

Through persistence and determination, and by the grace of God, the

Hope First Family Resource Center

was birthed! Here are a few examples of the amazing work God is doing through this process.

Eve and Brian Wall gifted their 7-yr old custom-built home to be used for the center if we could move it and place it on some land.

Pastor Joey Rhoads of Community Baptist Church, talked with his congregation, and they graciously decided to allow us to use a portion of their land for placement of the center. The Hope First Community Resource Center will operate as a 501(c)(3) separate from the church.

Many in the community have come forward to help with construction assistance, funding, working with the Brighton leadership, and prayer.

The Steering Committee members, Gigi Owen, Alicea Lybarger, Patrice Gerber, Dean Anderson, Jana Sundberg, and Tara Gallagher, have been working tirelessly behind the scene, preparing documents, talking with the community, and overseeing the process of becoming a non-profit organization.

We are very excited and humbled by the people God has prompted to join this effort. We appreciate all their gifts and abilities, as well as their generous donations, to bring hope to women, men and precious babies- inside and outside the womb!

Introductions and Updates

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

~ Mark 10:27

From Our Construction Team

My name is Randy Hunter. I am a retired commercial construction superintendent. The superintendent is the person responsible for the day-to-day on-site operations of a construction project. I have run many jobs ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to several million. When I heard about the need for someone to help coordinate the construction portion, I felt God could use me.

We are in the initial stages of getting approval from the City of Brighton.

James Powers is an architect who has offered to help us with this project. James had an initial PAC meeting with Brighton. During that meeting he shared what the intent of our project is and found out some of the requirements Brighton will have.

He and Randall Phelps, a civil engineer who also has volunteered, are working on compiling and producing all the required documentation. Once we have the actual location for the house, we will be able to get a soil test done.

When we receive the soil test, Jack White our structural engineer, will be able to design our basement requirements. We will probably have 1-2 months of waiting for the city to approve the project.

As you can see, waiting for everything to be approved takes a considerable amount of time. Please continue to pray for favor with those from the city. Pray for a speedy approval with no more add-ons from the city. Thank you to James and Randall for all of their time getting us through this initial phase. Their expertise is invaluable!

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will remain--so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you."

~ John 15:16

A Letter of Support

from the Pastor of Community Baptist Church

My name is Joey Rhoads. I am one of the pastors at Community Baptist Church in Brighton. I have been at Community Baptist Church for 11 years. I have an amazing wife and five awesome kids!

Our church has always been a strong pro-life proponent and the reason is simple; our God is pro-life. From our salvation through Christ, which is receiving everlasting life, to how precious human life is regardless of their age. This is because we are created in God's image and therefore have intrinsic value.

We have worked with pro-life ministries over the years and at one point, even offered the use of part of our land to a pro-life ministry here in Brighton. That ministry never took us up on our offer and as of January, that pro-life ministry closed its Brighton office.

Several months ago, I was approached by Gigi Owen. She asked if we would still be willing to bring a pro-life ministry under our church as a fiscal sponsor and allow them to use some of our land to launch this new ministry. We have worked with Gigi over the years and for me it was a no-brainer, we said absolutely! We are willing to do anything to help foster a pro-life ministry in this region.

Since those beginning conversations a lot has happened. It is truly a blessing to see how God has provided all of our needs in order to go forward. I believe that Hope First Family Resources Center is going to make a huge impact in our community. One of the reasons is because of the approach that the center is going to take.

Traditionally pro-life ministries focus only on the pregnancy side of things, like offering counseling and giving ultrasounds so that women will decide not to abort keep their baby. Hope First is taking more of a comprehensive approach. Not only will they be offering those services, but they will be helping these new mothers learn what it is to be a mom. Hope First will be teaching basic domestic life-skills and offering parenting classes.

They will not only be working with women but with men as well. We know from studies that when a father commits to being involved in a pregnant woman's life, the woman is less likely to have an abortion. And so they also want to help fathers understand what it looks like to be a dad and provide them with the resources to be successful.

Ultimately all of these principles come from the word of God. And so while they will be meeting physical needs, their ultimate goal is to meet their spiritual needs. In other words, ministering to the whole person. The center’s hope and desire is not just to save babies' lives but to see men and women come into a relationship with the one who formed them in their mother’s womb.

Till He Comes,
Pastor Joey Rhoads, Community Baptist Church

Please Support this Ministry

Please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry through your prayers, donations, time, or by spreading the word.

Prayer Requests

Now that we are a fully incorporated non-profit we will be filing our application for tax-exempt status with the IRS- pray this to go smoothly through all of the government channels and for approval. It has been taking up to 6 months to receive approval/rejection.

Pray for those involved in all of the aspects of the construction. Pray for a plumber who would join the construction team.

Pray for God's direction as we seek people to be on our Board of Directors.

Praises

Thanks be to God for the
HAGEL FAMILY FOUNDATION
for generously providing the funds for the house move/construction.

Praise God for all of the people He has moved to be a part of the construction project-so gifted and such a blessing!

Praise God for His hand providing favor for the meetings with the city.

Praise God for you-and for all of those who are praying for protection and provision for this project.

Donate

Please select 'Give to Hope First Family Resource Center' from the first drop down box.

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