Honoring Those Who Sacrifice

On behalf of our staff and those we serve, I want to thank everyone who has given a gift of life support this May.

May is a beautiful month because it brings new life blooming all around us. It also features two beautiful holidays that honor sacrificial service: Mother’s Day and Memorial Day! And while their service may look different, both mothers and those in our armed forces give of themselves so that others may live.

Together, these holidays remind me of a young woman we served during my early years at Lighthouse. Abby was in a leadership program for ROTC (Reserved Officers’ Training Corp). Along with being the only pregnant student at her residential college, she was the only ROTC member wearing maternity camouflage fatigues. 

It took tremendous courage on her part and significant prayer on ours, to make it through the challenges of telling her commanding officer about the pregnancy, passing required fitness tests while pregnant, and serving her country as a new mom. But thanks, in large part, to the emotional, spiritual, and material support her family found at Lighthouse, Abby did it! Today she is the proud mother of a Lighthouse teen (and his younger brother), happily married to their father.

Thank you for giving sacrificially so that others may live and stories like Abby’s have a grace-filled ending.

May also brings our Baby Bottle Boomerang, and we are so grateful for all the churches and several schools participating in this fund and awareness-raiser for Lighthouse! 

To watch our 2023 Boomerang Video or learn more, visit www.LighthouseBabyBottle.org.

To Remember and Honor…

The loss of a child, whether it be through termination, miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death, is a devastating and heartbreaking experience. We know that mothers and fathers feel a natural range of emotions, including grief, sadness, anger, and even guilt. It’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to grieve, and that it’s okay to take the time you need to process your feelings and heal.

One of our goals at Lighthouse is to help mothers and fathers process those feelings, and to remember and honor children that they’ve lost.

To that end, a few of our generous donors have helped create a Memorial Room for the Unborn at our Hawthorne headquarters. This memorial room will provide mothers and fathers with a quiet, peaceful place where they can reflect, pray and remember. This room isn’t just for Lighthouse parents; this room will be available to anyone in our community, no matter how or when they experienced their loss. 

Learn more about how you can contribute a nameplate to our memorial wall.

We’re inviting our supporters to a brief dedication ceremony on Sunday, January 29th at 2pm. We are also creating a display with Christian crosses of all types, and would welcome your donation of a cross that is special to you, for display in the memorial area. Donations can be brought to our HQ, 297 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, weekdays, 9-5pm, using front/street entrance; call 973.238.9047.

 

Additional Help

Many women and men with an abortion in their past come to us for counseling, feeling overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, pain, and regret.  Our Forgiven and Set Free Bible study provides healing and wholeness for women who have experienced abortion. Healing a Father’s Heart walks men through a similar journey. These programs literally set people free from years of heartache, forbidden grief, anger and regret. 

In 2022, three Forgiven and Set Free groups took place. In addition, many women and men had the opportunity to speak confidentially with our caring staff about their abortion experiences. Over 170 conversations related to abortion recovery took place, and another 33 peer counseling sessions focused on the grace and forgiveness found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“The study helped me realize that having an abortion affected me more than I thought. I can’t take it back, but the study helped me grieve and most importantly, I confessed to God and asked for forgiveness. During the study, I realized that I have a baby in Heaven waiting for me. It was a beautiful experience. Being surrounded by women who went through the same thing helped me realize that I wasn’t alone.” — A participant of Forgiven and Set Free

If you would like to participate in an upcoming Forgiven and Set Free group, you can contact us confidentially at help@lighthouseprc.org.

An Amazing Morning of Grace…

On November 5th we held our second annual Thanks-giving For Grace Breakfast Fundraiser at the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel. We had 325 supporters join us to help make life choices possible for women and men facing unexpected pregnancies in our community. Between sponsorships, seats, Lighthouse Keeper pledges and one-time gifts, we’ve raised $77,000 towards our $150,000 goal.

Our featured speaker was Amy Ford, the co-founder and President of Embrace Grace. She shared how God has used Embrace Grace to stir up His church to pour out love for mothers facing unexpected pregnancies. We also heard from Diana Organowska, an incredible mother and an Embrace Grace graduate who went on to earn her Masters Degree in special education.

Thank to you every sponsor, guest and donor who supported this year’s event!