SPEAKER_01 0:00

Well, welcome to the Pro Life Team podcast. I'm Jacob, but I'm here with Carolyn. So, Carolyn, I'm excited to hear about the Coalition Leadership Network. Would you tell us a little bit about your backstory and then tell us about the Coalition Leadership Network?

SPEAKER_00 0:16

You you bet. Yeah, thanks, Jacob. Um the Coalition Leadership Network really is being birthed out of Life Matters Worldwide. Life Matters Worldwide has been in existence since 1984 and it began as Baptist for Life. Really, the the idea of its initial kind of growth was to guard life from the womb to the tomb. So a lot of the initiatives were obviously around pregnancy centers and protecting life in the womb, but also it was during the Dr. Caborkian age when euthanasia and self- or assisted suicide was in full operation, and then elder care. So it kind of reached the or or wanted to reach the the gamut of really life and protecting life, womb to tomb. And then as different agencies arose and and some of those things on the like assisted suicide and end-of-life care, hospice and faith hospice and things like that started to come further to the to the forefront. And so Life Matters kind of took the focus and really engaged more with pregnancy centers and equipping pregnancy centers. In 2012, the name changed from Baptist for Life to Life Matters Worldwide. And the worldwide then started bringing equipping pieces to pregnancy centers internationally, specifically working with the Baptist missionaries. So bringing equipment and ultrasound and those types of things where Baptist missionaries were internationally as well as here nationally. But about six years ago, the board really looking at kind of the state of our nation felt like, in a sense, we needed to come home. And also other international agencies really were rising beautiful feet. International heartbeat went international. And so they just think that's a larger scope than what we feel visioned for or have visioned for, and really brought the work back to the United States and with that really concentrated on honing in on how do we support and care for pregnancy centers that are on the front line of this work. So that's when I came in just over five years ago out of a pregnancy center and was asked to take the lead of Life Matters. It was really, okay, how are we going to accomplish that? And really what we've found is, especially with the Dobbs decision and the overturn of Roe, that coalitions, state coalitions with the laws, you know, within in one state at a time, how do we help to support the state coalitions and thus really support the pregnancy centers within each of those states? So that's kind of how this has all grown and the focus that we have in supporting, strengthening the state coalitions, and we're building strategy on how to best accomplish that.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

Awesome. Yeah. So the audience of this podcast is what includes a large number of pregnancy clinic uh directors or leadership. And and so and each one, well, may have well, they may have a state coalition in their state. So what yeah, what does it look like for state coalitions or what does that space currently look at? Like what's our current snapshot of state coalition?

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Well, it's it's in its birthing, in its birthing process, I would say. One of the the big ways that we hope to support and bring resource is we are working to develop in tandem with choose life uh marketing a communication hub where it's a platform where coalition uh leaders can find a directory of coalitions that we can connect them to one another. The goal is also to connect them to other pro-life agencies throughout the nation. So some of the national organizations that are doing legislation or policy making or marketing or whatever the resource is, the idea that we are hoping to achieve and have made great strides toward that is to connect one to the other, in a sense, to be a conduit of the connective tissue in a way, um, of what kind of resources they need. I know as a center director and even as a coalition leader, because I'm kind of dual rolling right now as the the uh executive director of the Michigan Coalition as well as the president Life Matters Worldwide. So I'm feeling what they feel. Like, where do I find this? And where do we, how do we engage our members with coalition? What does it look like? Do we need to be a 501c3? Do we need to be a six? Do we need to be, you know, what all of those things of not necessarily templates, but the resources of how to begin if we don't have a coalition, how do we connect to the things that we need? How do we connect to funding? How do we connect to one another? How do we not reinvent the wheel, membership packets, all of those types of things where it saves the time and energy if we can do things together and be better together than we would be separately? So one avenue is through that coalition hub. Another would be just being in their state coalition if they have conferences, being a resource of kind of coaching and leadership development and those kinds of things. We've worked, like I said, with the Michigan Coalition. We've done a lot with Illinois in Vision 2020, which is now Vision for Life, Savannah in Ohio, Marsha Middleton has a great template, you know, in Missouri. So just the different, what kind of what kind of coalition do you feel like you need in your in your state, then help to to resource that so they're not kind of scrambling for those kinds of resources. And then obviously to connect to things like policymakers or lobbying, or you know, some of the states are more volatile than others. The other thing that we're working on and working very closely with um the New England states, they are wanting to put a conference together to kind of gather their state coalitions, and so just helping to help that forum and be a support and and bring resources to them as well. So we're sitting on different committees and just being a uh both a voice and a coach and kind of helping with that that leadership development and resources for them.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yeah. Um it seems like the when it comes to state funds, when a state is directing money towards pregnancy clinics, the best group that would be prepared to like help provide the best advice would be a state coalition. And having that state coalition made up of pregnancy clinic leadership would be the best makeup for a state coalition.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Absolutely. Absolutely. And and the the combined voices is a powerful force. So, you know, for example, one of the coalition leaders said, you know, often I have tried as a pregnancy center leader to make contact with our policymakers or the government, the governor's office, and you know, it landed nowhere. But she said, as soon as we formed a coalition and I called on behalf of the you know, 100 plus centers within that person's state, then I got a, you know, the phone, the phone call got returned. And so there's there's power in in our united voices, not only state by state, but as a nation, if we can bring all the states together as well, what is the, you know, what is the message we can bring from every state coalition as a united voice? Um and then, you know, my vision, our vision is bigger than that, even where what does it look like for the movement itself, the pregnancy center movement itself to be united? So the national organizations, those that are making policy or influencing policy, what does it look like for us all to come together as one voice and a united movement? And what kind of you know, cultural change could be impacted? And then you've got the church as well, you know, as part of that entity of being a support system and really being, you know, on the front lines in their own way of coming around families and and pregnancy centers in within their communities. So it's it's a lot. It's a big, it's a big vision of of unity, of collaboration, of resourcing one another and kind of locking arms with one another on behalf of life and and really on behalf of our nation. You know, the the dinner that we did, the fundraising dinner we did, the theme was bringing our nation back to life. And, you know, I've I feel like this is this is a beautiful way to achieve that, you know, where unity is is one thing that I've I continue to kind of be monitoring is that this isn't about uniformity, this is about unity. And those are different. Uniformity means, you know, you have to do things a specific way, but unity means we we do it together in the way that God has shown you you need to accomplish the vision he's given you, but we can do that in a more impactful way if we if we do it together. Um then the other the other part of that is I often refer to Psalm 133 that talks about the fact that God commands his blessing where unity is. And so, you know, if we truly unite together in this movement, the blessing of God, you know, he commands his blessing when we are together. And we see that so often in biblical stories, you know, when you think about Nehemiah and building the wall, and they all came together around a specific cause, and his blessing was there where they achieved something in 52 days that had laid in ruin for over a hundred years. So there's just great power in unity, and that's a a lot of what we will, you know, continue to concentrate on in this in this service that we're that we're offering.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Wow, that's really yeah, and so I'm in a small group called Hebrews 1024. It's made up of Brandon Monahan, Bryce Asperg, and myself. And and and we met at the MICO conference this year, and one of the things that I took away from it was the one of our current greatest needs is the need for unity in response to addressing infighting or in you know competition within our our team. Right. And and so I just want to echo your reflection of the need for unity. And I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but I know I know you know Bryce because he's there in Michigan with you, and right and Brandon, I'm sure you know well as well.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

But when we were our first Hebrews 1024 meeting, which I think was three years ago, maybe it's been four years, I I've lost track. Uh, but our in our very first meeting, we've we we're we're brainstorming, and that's when we realized, you know, you know, we went through a progression of dominoes, and that's where the uh the idea of you know a cola of colas came from that first meeting, and then we spurred on people. Uh so Hebrews 1024 is uh let us consider how we may spur right or you know, push or yeah, prod others on one another towards good, you know, towards love and good deeds. And so it may not be the perfect use of that verse, but the idea is to try and brainstorm and then encourage someone to do what's needed.

SPEAKER_02 12:34

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

And often it encourages our our you know, the three of us to do what's needed, but ideally we wanted to figure out how to spur on other people to do what's needed. That was part of our original intention, but it may not have played out that way. But but yeah, and then so yeah, just it's just interesting how some things play out, like you know, many many years later, here it is, the cola of colas, or this the coalition of leadership network is getting a refresh and a restart. And it's still very needed for and that was I think that yeah, so with Dobbs and having the per state fight and the per state support, or in some states, there's very unique struggles. Like when I go to the California, a California coalition, they they have very unique California-only issues that they absolutely a national conference won't have coverage over because it's a state-based concern and struggle. And and I've been to yeah, Marcia's conference over many years, and it seems like she's set a really good example of like how to pull everyone together and just build this really great support across the state for centers and pro-life orgs, and be amazing to see that replicated.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Right. And that's that's the thing, you know, what can we what can we learn from one another? And and some, you know, some have been at it for for years and years and and can be a an amazing resource for those that you know have a similar template in their in their state or opportunity in their state for specific things. So really what what we're hoping to do and and have begun doing is to really be a conduit for those kinds of conversations and those kinds of connections. I don't feel, and really since the very beginning, as we've talked about this and and really even uh evaluated what is life matters niche, you know, in this moment as we respond to what's happening in our nation and and in our culture and in policy, is how do we best respond to that and and in a sense fill the gap? And this is really where we believe that, you know, the the Lord has landed us is to really be a conduit to be able to address these things and connect others to one another, as opposed to reinvent it and become that. One, we don't have the capacity to do all of those things, and there's experts doing those things. So let's be the conduit to connect those who need it with those that are doing it. So it's it really is an exciting, an exciting time for us where you know it it feels like it's it's grown in a sense to to be kind of that that connective tissue, the the conduit of both of the, you know, taking what the experts in some of the policy making and the national organizations and the things that they're all doing well, and getting them all the way down to the pregnancy centers, but also getting that pregnancy center one day at a time, all the way back up, you know, like here's what we need, here's here's the on-the-ground stories, here's the impact that what you're doing here is coming here, and what we're doing is needed there. So, you know, we see lives being transformed within the pregnancy centers and those communities and being changed and being saved, uh, but it's because of the work that's happening here. But what we know is that policy doesn't change culture, culture changes policy. So, how do we, you know, how do we influence the culture of the everyday? And that's where pregnancy centers, you know, are making that kind of impact and and having those those conversations one-on-one with women and men and families on a daily basis. So to be really to serve as as that conduit and get the resources that those pregnancy centers and specifically state coalitions, because you know, we started with the mantra one pregnancy center at a time, well cared for people care well for people. So if we care for them, they can care well for the the families they serve. If the pregnancy centers are thriving, the families they serve are thriving. But if we bring it, you know, up one level, if the state coalitions are thriving, then their centers can thrive and be well protected. And in turn, every community within their state can thrive. And then if you bring that nationally, right, if every state has a healthy, strong coalition and their leaders are supported and connected, then again that filters down and we have a thriving nation of you know, families and communities and churches that understand, you know, the value of every life, but also are actively protecting family and life.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yeah, uh I'm a really big fan of Heartbeat International, CareNet, NIFLA, these these, you know, where they have a national focus or international in Heartbeat's case, right for reaching for providing education, support, training, materials. And that's actually sort of why, well, one of the reasons why I started this podcast was to provide really good workshop leaders to share their story here to make it more accessible, make their story accessible, maybe even longer, letting them have more time to you know to not have to have 10 points and 50 minutes, but maybe have 50 minutes for two points. And uh and and then also with the state conferences, they also greatly increase accessibility. So for like the Missouri conference, for example, they will have 250 people from Missouri and Kansas and some of the neighboring areas, and they will have the same mostly like maybe 75% of the same people there every year with a few newcomers with the shuffling of teams. And but at a at a national conference, just based on the cost of travel and time and whether it's on East Coast, West Coast, Texas, or mid, and you know, based on all of those variables, I think people might go at once every four to five years or or may not go in a long time. And so it becomes less accessible, you know, just because of travel and everything that goes with going you know on a flight and having a having a limited team. But the state conferences are more accessible because people often go repeatedly and they can bring their entire team because it's literally just a drive. And and so I think there's a huge amount of like training opportunity that can be sort of like made easier to access through state conferences or or through shared podcasts. But the state conferences I think also allow for like this niche support of you know just simply that you know the the building of the team within your state with your neighbors and and very often the state conferences will you know break up the the room based on parts of the state someone's in so they can sit and eat and talk with people in the same region. And it's just a beautiful thing. And it's it's really good for community building.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

It is. Well, one of the things that we've seen here in Michigan where where we are, and and really a lot of this has grown out of that experience of walking with Michigan and developing a coalition and how it how it best worked. And when I mean, as a pregnancy center leader, I was part of the West Michigan Alliance for life. So it was all the West Michigan executive directors who would get together on a monthly basis, share ideas, share prayer requests, you know, meet together in person, give to know one another, and really help to build what each of them were doing and speak into and and yeah, share resources and all of those things. When I came to Life Matters, realized that we have three different alliances across our state. So we had a West Michigan, we had a central, and we had a southeast. Great that they were all, you know, the template was pretty much the the same, where they're meeting monthly and collaboratively or bimonthly, you know. Um so but what we realized is there were certain areas within our state, which is fairly large, and we've got the upper peninsula, and then we've got the upper lower peninsula. Neither of those regions had anyone pulling those groups of executive directors together. So we started doing that as part of Life Matters, going, you know, they need an alliance in that area, and they need an alliance up in that the upper peninsula. And from that, okay, now how do we take each of those regions and pull them together under one umbrella in a sense? And still meeting regionally on a monthly basis, but the Michigan Coalition, it was much easier to gather all of them and bring them together in unity as a coalition and as members of a coalition than it would have been if you know if there wasn't that regional representation. So we've just learned a lot of, you know, hey, these are really great ideas. You don't have to, you know, reach every aspect of your state just through your coalition, but you can build. These regional pods that you know can resource one another because what happens in West Mich Michigan is very different than what happens in Southeast, where Detroit lives, right? So very different cultures, very different needs. Those centers have all kinds of different struggles and and pressures than what we do over here in West West Michigan. But so then to have those conversations and come together, you know, at a at a state conference is really critical too. And and the wonderful thing is our nationals are very willing to come to our state conferences, you know, and and lend their their expertise and and and uh and be be present, right? And whether it's medical training or you know, board governance or any of those types of things, that's where we can continue to resource them. And they've, I mean, we've not ever worked with the the Vision Um Vision for Life Illinois Coalition too. And you know, there they do the same thing, you know, ask some of the the national partners to come and present that kind of information. So it's it's just I think it's an amazing time for us, all of us as as a movement to come together around the same, you know, the same purpose. And whether we do that one state at a time, one center at a time, you know, uh it's just it's a very positive move, I think, right now, that that we're seeing a momentum that we're seeing across our nation.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

Oh, that's so good. So one of the most exciting new ideas I've heard, and it's really it's innovative, and I would love to, you know, just connect this with state conferences. Is so Heartbeat is putting out this training, I think it came out late last year, about making a virtual team. They have encouraging priency clinics to consider the idea of building a virtual team. And the idea is that it's sort of like the same way that a prixy clinic might build a team for a mobile ultrasound unit, they're encouraging groups to make a virtual team that can do care remotely to help cover a desert that may be in their state. Like if there's a region in your state where there's not a pricey clinic within an hour and a half drive or two-hour drive, to consider making a virtual team to do what's called telecare, they're calling it telecare. I haven't gotten to the training yet, but I have someone on my team's going through it. We're going to figure out how we can support this idea. Because I just but in order to help someone remotely, the same way that you know, maybe people in the beginning of the movement 45, 50 years ago, where we didn't have all these brick and mortar locations and telecare or helping someone over the phone was the only way to help. But when there's a desert, meaning there's not a nearby place to send someone to, you know, this is a really exciting new idea. You know, well, maybe it's an old idea, but that's being refreshed. And boy, it just seems like having a state group, figure out, you know, where do we need coverage? How can we work together? How can we cover that area even though we're not there, and and then maybe eventually plant that brick and mortar there where it's needed.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

There's just a lot of ways to work together when it comes to trying to cover areas.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Absolutely, Jacob. I, you know, that that as a you know, the telecare, the the virtual team, um, the other thing that we're seeing in a couple different states, and and we worked specifically again, you know, because of our vicinity with Michigan, but we just had a couple of the central state, the center of the state uh pregnancy centers come together as one because they both had strengths in in different areas, and their their vicinity was within, you know, a hundred mile radius, and they just said, let's just join forces and became one clinic with separate, you know, locations and separate kind of strategies or specialties. And we're seeing that in another area that was uh of Michigan that was kind of desert-like, uh, but very small centers, rural centers, and coming together, working together as as one. Where our desert is, is in the upper peninsula. There's eight centers up in the upper peninsula, and it's a lot of region. And interestingly enough, the other side, the opposition, is calling it an abortion desert. So they're sending telecare, telehealth resources, and promoting, you know, the abortion pill and all of those things to make sure that women in the UP get abortion care. You know, so the idea, like you said, is is new and not new, but if it it's something that we need to be actively pursuing in order for that care to get to, you know, women and families wherever we can, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Yeah, and I can include there's I have a a link to uh to Heartbeat International's telecare, uh, telecare toolkit where someone can buy that. And uh and also there's uh another link, uh, I'll put in the the you know, I'll connect it to this podcast somehow, with for it's called the the high risk response network. And I think the the the two of those work together to provide care in a different, you know, for when with in an area that's outside of your tri-county or you know, some some groups cover five counties, but you know, outside of your five county area. And so you know, going into an area where there's just a need, but it doesn't currently have a a pen for to send someone to.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Right. Yeah, it's great, great. Yeah, yeah, there's so so much, you know, innovative and networking kind of things that we have opportunity to to take advantage of, right? Really to increase the the reach of of our movement and the the impact really, especially right now, where it just seems like culture and and women are inundated with all kinds of messages that you know promote one choice rather than the fact that they're you know one choice is not a choice.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Yeah. So I've been going to the Missouri conference, I want to say 16 years. I don't know. And one of the things that's sort of interesting is they've been supporting this lady in Zambia, Zan Zambia, Zambia Africa for I would say 12 years or maybe over a decade. And as a group, they they have a sign up for who's gonna cover the rent each month for that next year. And as a group, they they cover her rent and they also do like a fundraiser. Yeah, Sean Dickerson's been thrown into the pool in winter in order to raise money, and obviously everyone wants him to get thrown into the pool, right? And they would raise lots of money, or they would do these, you know, fun activities in order to raise money not money for this prank clinic in Zambia. And so they have adopted this group. I wish I could remember the lady's name, but she also comes to the Missouri conference. They help her get there, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

And they also support her in that work, and that's pretty amazing. And so that would be cool. It's an amazing idea. And as a group, it's it's accessible, whereas like a single you know, Princey Clinic may struggle to do that, but as a group of 45 or however many groups are part of the Missouri Alliance for Life, they do it as a group. And it's just a it's really remarkable.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

It is. That's that's amazing. Yeah. That's that's a great idea. It's a it's a good thing to put into the uh, you know, we've talked about sponsorships and and those kinds of things. How do we how do we gather funding, you know, for state coalitions that may not, you know, have the funding to do that. And and you know, we've been talking to some of our our donors and looking at ongoing funding that it doesn't because our desire is that it doesn't cost to be part of, you know, the the coalition leadership network, that it's it's a service that we can, you know, gift to to coalitions and even how can we help them with startup funds or executive? I mean, we're looking at Michigan and hiring executive directors to to help run the coalitions because all of a lot of them don't have a designated, if they have a designated executive director, they're typically dual rolling and still in their pregnancy center. So those types of things too, how do we become the best resources we can be to help them, you know, fund what they need in order to be completely supportive to the pregnancy centers that they're serving and and be influential within their state in in all of the the different avenues that that they have vision for?

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Yeah, I think one of the uh you know, one really good way to look at the benefits of being in a state coalition is the economy of scale. You know, instead of you know having the ability to uh as a team or a group of many pregnancy clinics or many organizations to navigate state policy in order to connect with state funds, you know, working as a group to do that together so that um, you know, leaning on someone else's expertise and having that economy of scale impact of as a group having an expert who can support everybody else and then work to get that that fund or that that money or financing flowing, and and as a group navigating those policies, instead of having to do it one-on-one or solo, doing it as a group allows for economy of scale and leaning on experts within the movement and across organizations. And then, and as a group, we have we all have a sh a common mission of serving Jesus and you know, we're doing the work we're called to do in this space. And so it makes a lot of sense to work together instead of trying to do things solo, which then you know is a cost per group that has to figure it out and struggle through it.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

Right. The same with messaging, you know, marketing and messaging as a as a unit to to really influence how pregnancy centers are seen and how your state coalition is seen within your state. That messaging piece is is a big aspect too that that we've had a lot of conversation around.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

Yeah.

unknown 32:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

So what do you look at so so Karen, what do you, what do you see the future for this group and this work going or what do where would you like it to go?

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Well, I've just just completed kind of a draft of a a strategic plan for it. But uh, you know, there's there's kind of six areas of priority that that we see. And one is really to strengthen the leadership of those state coalitions where they're healthy, they're well equipped, they're well financed, and able to do the work that, you know, that the the state is is needing for them to do. The other would be to really build a coalition capacity where they are sustainable, they are well operated, they're well funded, and they have great strategic influence within their state. So kind of building capacity. And again, learning from a lot of what we've, you know, the the growth of the Michigan coalition, we've grown it to a place where I can't continue to do both things, you know, be it Life Matters Worldwide and the Michigan Coalition, because there's more things that the Michigan Coalition should be doing in order for it to really be impactful. So building those, those kinds of, you know, sustain sustainability and building capacity funding, and then really the influence of what the coalition can, the impact it can have and the influence it can have within in the state. The other would be to really strengthen the national coalition or connection. So unified national network where we're connecting the heartbeats and the care nets. And, you know, they are connected to the pregnancy center specifically, but you know, other entities, you know, that are impacting policy and that, you know, are seeing the movement from a national perspective where pregnancy centers may not be, and state leaders are looking at their state, but how do we impact this nationally as well? So just a collaborative network that can communicate with one another, that can have some shared learning and shared action, right? So that not only in state by state there's action that happens, but how states can come together around national action as well. And then I don't know, it's for me, as we think about how do we impact culture? How do we change culture? And um again, as I said earlier, you know, culture impacts and changes policy, not the other way around. So how do we get the everyday people more pro-life oriented? Um, and I think a lot of that's through storytelling. It is through policy, but I think it's also telling good, you know, this the stories that are happening, the changes of heart that are happening, helping us to really advance and influence culture is is another area. And then another would be just the development of resources and and kind of innovation, much like you talked about, like the the telecare, and and what kinds of things can we help bring to the ground level of of what's happening. So again, not reinventing, but the connecting. So connecting practical tools and templates and training and you know, best practices, connecting them to those that are developing those things and getting them, you know, to to the states and to pregnancy centers. And then the final thing is really the the ensuring of financial stability, you know, that that they're not struggling to to make you know that the ends meet and and that they're well financed and that they're well run and sustainable so they can continue to gain momentum and not worry about and you know spend all their time fundraising as better instead of influencing.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

Yeah. So the Michigan conference was really nice. Uh it was my first time there this year, and that it was an you know, just such a beautiful space. The there was like a tree with like purple or pink blooms and pink blooms. It was on like Lake Michigan, and that was just a beautiful, beautiful area. Yeah. And so spending time with different people, you know, getting to eat with you know, people in your state where you don't normally see them, but you get to see them once a year, um, getting to you know, sing and praise God with an amazing band and good music and just really good praise together. And it's just it was just an amazing time where you get to praise together, eat together, learn together, you know, walk through a beautiful space and figure out, you know, you know, just talk and and get support. And but essentially it's such a community-building experience. It'd be really nice just for every state to have community-building elements that you know that just connect people well.

SPEAKER_00 38:19

Yeah, and we've we've worked with a couple of coalitions, some specifically, I keep going back to Illinois just because we've been working with them for man, probably five years and helping to develop specifically their pregnancy center conference. Uh they they had a coalition, but that's one area that they they didn't have. And so working with them and just to see where their conference has moved in the last few years and the attendance increasing. And as back to your point, Jacob, of the the power of the local conference within your state, because you have the common issues, you have, you know, common territory and and yet some very big city, and I mean they've got Chicago, and then they've got, you know, Rushville, where I've, you know, done a board training and you know, very different cultures within the same state. But when you pull them all together, you know, around the table and they worship together and they they attend workshops and they eat together, it's a it it's a very important time for the state to come together. And that that's a an area that that's why we're working with the Northeast coalitions right now, because they're you know, within their states, they only have a handful of pregnancy centers. So we're just pulling the the whole region together around a conference, and and they're in high stress states, you know, that that the policymakers and legislators and and attorneys general are coming at them. And so that conference is gonna be a lot more of just breathing life into them, you know, giving giving them time to to sit with one another and be ministered to and prayed over and you know, kind of more soul care in that in that conference because they're just weary, you know. And as we met with them, it's like, well, we can bring in this workshop, work this workshop, but listening to the leaders, the coalition leaders, going, I don't know that we need more workshops. We just need to rest, you know, we just need to be, you know, kind of cared for and our teams need to be cared for. And it's like, okay, let's shift to that, because we have to we have to remember that in order to stay in the work, you know, we have to be, we have to be filled enough to stay in the work and we have to find those Sabbath moments, right? To to be able to uh be restored and and cared for one another. And I go back to kind of the mantra that that we have uh spoken for the last few years, you know, well-cared for people care well for people. So if that can be one of our major initiatives or responsibilities is to continue to care for those in the work that are sitting on the front lines every day, that's that's a huge, a huge call and a and a huge uh blessing, opportunity, uh privilege for us to be able to, you know, uh deposit and and lift up and care for those that are doing the work every day.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Yeah. So one of my the last podcasts I recorded, but I haven't published it quite yet, was with Bryce, who I asked him to redo his closing statements because it was it were so encouraging. And so that's gonna be the episode before this one. Good. That's awesome. And where he talks about build, you know, you know, be founded in the gospel, do things with excellence, and be and and take innovate, take risk with innovation, or take, you know, do innovation if you even if it's a bit risky. And um and one of I think the first talk at Miko was yours where you talked about simple things like a stone, a stick, right? And then you talked about how some how God uses simple things. And you share a little bit about that talk. That was so that was very encouraging too.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Right. So the the topic or or the kind of the title, um, I'm a preacher's kid. So the title of my sermon was really what's in your hand. And you know, it it started with referring to to Moses and and at the you know, at the burning bush, and God said to you know, throw, throw down your staff. And and really the question that God asked him was, What is that, what's in your hand? You know, when the questioning ability and what what do I have to offer? Um and sometimes this work can seem really, really, really overwhelming. And so when God asked, you know, what is that in your hand? What he basically was saying is, I've already provided for you. So look what you already have and why I called you to this, you know, to this work, to this task, why, why I'm trusting you with it. And so the message was really all those simple things. So his staff, you know, threw down and it became a snake. He picked it up, you know, and then it was used again at the parting of the the the Red Sea to, you know, to deliver the Israelites and same same simple object used in a different way, accomplished, still accomplished God's will and God's vision for what he called Moses to do. And then we see it with David, and you know, it he picked up five stones, but it only took one to take down a giant. So again, it it wasn't really the stone, again, it was the obedience and what using what was in his hand. Um, because he knew, you know, from past experience how God's. Shows up in the things when we just continue to move to what he's asked us to do. The fish and five loaves, you know, as a little kid offering this simple thing, but how God, you know, through Jesus multiplied that. And, you know, the the widow's might and the the flasks of oil and and how, and again, obedience, that little bit of oil multiplied. So the idea is what's already in our hand that God has put there for this what seems like an immense work and an impossible task to turn our nation to life. But he's using each one of us and what he's put into our hand to impact change right where we are. So to be obedient, to be faithful, to be brave, to take what's in our hand, to be confident that he's put in us. And it may not be an object, it may be a gift, it may be a talent, it may be, you know, uh the the assignment, whatever it is, whatever the gifts he's deposited into each one of us, he wants to use and he will continue to use even in our doubt, you know, even in our discouragement, we're here for a reason and we're assigned to the spot that we're assigned in for a reason to to accomplish great things, right? And as David said to, you know, in the in the whole David and Goliath saga, uh, when he looked around at the rest of the the army that was supposed to be fighting these Philistines, and they were all kind of paralyzed, you know. I think it was like 40 days they'd been on the front lines, you know, looking at this, this big Philistine. And and he was like, Who are you to speak against my God? And his message to everyone was, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? Is there not something we should all be doing? And if you guys aren't gonna do it, I'll go do it, and and grabbed his little stones, you know, to accomplish that, threw off the big armor and grabbed a little stone. So to not doubt the little or the much that God has entrusted to us and and use that and apply it and again, you know, move bravely in it to to impact those around us and and to continue to save lives and and to advance this movement and change the the hearts and lives and and uh our culture of where we are assigned.

SPEAKER_01 46:36

Wow, that's so beautiful and so encouraging and practical and yeah, you know, using what we have to do what God's calling us to do.

SPEAKER_00 46:45

That's yeah, because Jacob, I think the you know, the thing that we often do is comparison is is a killer, right? Um so what's in someone else's hand I don't have, you know, and he doesn't ask us to have that. And and so even even within the the movement, you know, as you talked about a little bit with your thing, you know, with the Hebrews 1024 group, you know, it's spurring each other on to accomplish what God has asked each one of us to do and what he's put in each one of our hands, as opposed to it being a conflict or a comparison or a competition. He's gifted each one of us with specific things that we should be just really champing and spurring one another on and and kind of fanning the flame that he's that he's started in each one of us. And that's not going to be a threat to me, what you do, but it shouldn't be a threat to me. It should be something that I fan your flame so that we create this huge fire, you know, between us, as opposed to trying to put a damper on one so mine looks, you know, burns brighter. It's the the collaboration. And again, that's that's where I feel, you know, God has called us as life matters into this this networking because it it really is that. How do we how do we join the you know, I the bit the the picture I have is you know, when you're trying to light something on fire, but you don't want to get too close, so you pour gas on it and then you pull the stream back and you light it from afar. I mean, imagine if that's if that's really in the heart of each one of us is to to light that fire, you know, positively for each one of us and and how that just becomes this this huge flame uh for for life and for God's glory and his kingdom building here on earth right now.

SPEAKER_01 48:44

It reminds me of a joke that my dad used to tell me the the Indian makes a small fire and stays warm by staying close, and the white man makes a big fire and stays warm by getting more wood. I don't know, that's really applied to your analogy, but it just sparked that funny joke my dad used to always tell me, like you know, you can stay warm by getting more wood.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:07

I guess that's one way to make a big fire is you gotta go get more wood.

SPEAKER_00 49:10

That's right. That's right, that's right. Yep. Again, what's in your hand, right?

SPEAKER_01 49:17

Yeah. Well, thank you, Carolyn, for for being on here and sharing. Before we close things out, or you know, what else would you like to share that you didn't get asked about?

SPEAKER_00 49:26

Um boy, I when when does all this launch, I guess?

SPEAKER_01 49:31

Uh yeah, I'll share you, I'll share the link, but I'll probably get this online within a few days. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

Yeah. Well, really, we're we're in the the process. If you go to our website, it's it's still kind of old messaging that we're in the process of updating the coalition leadership network will be embedded within the Life Matters Worldwide website, and and that's where coalition leaders can can log on and become part of it's it's gonna be uh which address should they go to?

SPEAKER_01 50:02

Which address should they go to?

SPEAKER_00 50:03

It's the wwlifematters www.org.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

Okay. When do you think that new website or the coalition version will be coming?

SPEAKER_00 50:13

The coalition the the coalition hub should be live within, I'm gonna say within the next couple weeks. Okay. And probably the website itself, I'm it's really the delay is on me because I have to get new content to to them. So which is which is very close. So my guess is everything would be within the next couple weeks.

SPEAKER_01 50:38

Awesome. Oh, and how many states have a coalition and how many states don't currently have a coalition, or do you know?

SPEAKER_00 50:45

We well, we have we have record where we've because we've been meeting with state coalitions at the different conferences, the the national, so at Heartbeat, at NIFLA, uh, Kernet throughout the past year and gathering information, kind of exchanging ideas, hearing what it is that coalition leaders need. We've done surveys and and all of that to say, how do we best serve you? So we've done that, and what we the the what we've gathered from those meetings is there are 41 state coalitions. Some of them have more formalized than others, some are not incorporated as a like a 501c3 or four or six. They're loosely affiliated, which you know is is fine, and and they're they're working together. So they're all different kinds of the vast majority of them are 501c3s, but uh I don't remember how many are unlike unincorporated or unaffiliated, unassociated, I think is the word. But it's that's that's where we've been working together with uh Janine and I think Sean would be Sean Sergei would be a great advocate uh as well in just some of the formation different ideas and where we're gathering you know other other partners into kind of that formation piece and and what's what's good for your state and what are what are the the battles that you have going on or you know some are a little more quiet than others, so so 41 states we have record of and are working to get these notices out to and and kind of invite a lot of uh state coalitions have uh overlap.

SPEAKER_01 52:31

So like even if your state doesn't have a coalition, your neighboring state might, and it would be helpful to maybe connect there until your state maybe has, you know, until your state has a a group to support your group.

SPEAKER_00 52:44

Well, we met that's a great that's a great point and a great example. Um I think it was at Heartbeat Conference where we did a side meeting with the coalition leaders and Nevada was there, and they said, you know, we only have a handful of centers. I don't know if it's worth, you know, establishing a coalition. Well, California coalition, they had a couple of them because of the enormity of the state. Yeah. And okay, well, those ladies were sitting there and we're like, well, let's connect you to one another. And we we saw them the next morning at breakfast together, and they're like, We started, we're together, you know. So we can, you know, it just makes sense. They're just over the border and and they can learn a lot from each one another. And if that's not necessarily in in Nevada, at least right now, to start up, that connectivity has has happened. And you know, they may be able to start their own at some point, but if it's not necessary, it's not necessary. They're still they're still in collaboration and still learning and can influence.

SPEAKER_01 53:46

Yeah, often the neighboring states, just a six, you know, five, four to six hour drive or less to it's it's pretty accessible. Yeah. Well thank you, Carolyn, for being on here. Would you wrap up our podcast with a prayer, a prayer for the pro-life movement and the state coalitions as they're yeah, continuing to do the good work?

SPEAKER_00 54:09

Amen. Yeah.

unknown 54:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:10

So, Father, we thank you.

SPEAKER_00 54:13

Yeah, thank you for this time. God, I thank you for Jacob and IRApture and just uh the way that uh their heart and his heart specifically is for collaboration and and networking and resourcing one another and unity. God, as as uh He shared from Hebrews that we really are here to spur one another on to love and good works and and to the not for our own glory, but for yours and for your kingdom building. And so I thank you for what you are doing state to state throughout our nation, what you are doing in the pro-life movement in all the different aspects, whether it's policy making and legislative advocacy or on the ground floor of meeting one woman and one one couple, one family at a time. God help us to um be that, to be in unity with one another. You are the great example of what unity looks like, and we rest in the fact that you command your blessing where we uh come together in unity. And so God, we thank you for what you are doing in our nation through the pro-life movement, through pregnancy centers, through state coalitions, through policymakers, through uh for-profit organizations that are coming alongside and resourcing this movement. I just thank you for what you are doing. And we give you the honor, we give you the glory and the praise for every aspect of this. And we do ask, God, for protection of every state coalition, and the leaders within, for every pregnancy center and their leaders, for every advocacy organization. God, I thank you for each one and the role that you've called them to. God, thank you for what you have put into every one of their hands and how they are using those small things for great impact. And specifically today, I pray also for Heartbeat as they are standing in front and testifying and coming against uh the state of California or that them coming against Heartbeat and what they are doing there. We just pray for our brothers and sisters as they testify, give them strength, give them courage, give them peace, and uh advocate on their behalf. We pray. We pray this all in your sons are mighty and strong name. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 56:46

This is only the beginning, even though it's been out of control. This is only the beginning, even though it feels just like the end.