Churches

Call us to find out how your churchcan be part of our support community

Call us 416-229-2607

Pregnancy Care Centre Toronto started in 1984 by church leaders who believed in the beauty and sanctity of human life and were personally convicted that sacrificial and compassionate care was the most appropriate Christian response to a woman and her family facing an unexpected pregnancy. The support of the church community in Toronto has remained vital link to our capacity to offer long-term community support to families.

Local Churches + PCC

In 2013 a growing number of churches joined our First Response Network. Together with the PCC, we are enhancing community support and long-term care for families who have embraced their unexpected pregnancy.

Churches in the First Response Network are aligned values of the PCC and together we are extending hospitality and practical support through their volunteer teams who work in coordination with PCC staff.

Churches in the PCC’s First Response Network have greatly enhanced the care and support we can offer families.

Pregnant Icon
Help Women with Unexpected Pregnancies
Hope
Restore Hope
show love
Show Compassion & Love

For churches in Toronto who share our vision and want to help, please contact us at 416-229-2607 or write info@pregnancycarecentre.org.

Call us 416-229-2607

The First Response Network

The First Response Network is the Pregnancy Care Centre’s outreach program that bridges relationships between churches in the Toronto area with families facing unexpected pregnancies.

The First Response Network is the Pregnancy Care Centre’s outreach program which bridges relationships between churches in Toronto with families with unexpected pregnancies who are seeking support and Christian community. Churches in the PCC’s First Response Network have a team of trained members who extend hospitality, care, and help love to families seeking community support.

The First Response Training is the first step for many individuals in churches who want to learn how to offer compassionate support and a life-affirming response to a friend, family member, or neighbour who is experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. Just as with administering first aid, one’s initial actions are important. The very first response that a woman and her partner hears may be the reason they choose to have a baby or have an abortion. During this training, participants will better understand these issues from a personal and biblical perspective, as well as learn response skills to extend help and hope.

  • Regularly pray for our clients, our staff, and our board. Join Here
  • Invite the PCC to give a presentation at your church
  • Participate in PCC’s community events
  • Encourage your church leaders to join the First Response Network
  • Call us at 416-229-2607 to find out how your church can serve with us.
  • Follow Us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

First Response Network

The following churches have entered into a ministry agreement to work together with the Pregnancy Care Centre so that more families can thrive in supportive communities.

Bethel
Hope Church
Church in the City
Fellowship
Grace Fellowship Rexdale
Grace Fellowship - Don Mills
Grace Toronto
Hope Toronto
Hope Toronto West Church
Morningstar
New City Baptist
Primera
WTBC
Westminster

Call us to find out how your church can be part of our support community

Call us 416-229-2607

How do people in your church responseto news of an unexpected pregnancy?

There is a glaring hole in serving families with unexpected pregnancies. It is found in our churches among the quiet pre-service whispers as she walks by. It is heard at Sunday dinner as her name bounces back and forth across the table among interjections like, “But she comes from such a good family!” It is seen in the averted eyes and not-so-subtle head wags. “Wait you haven’t heard? She’s pregnant!”

If you’ve experienced an unwed pregnancy in your church, your family, or your circle of acquaintances—who hasn’t?—you know the typical reaction. It’s a mixture of disappointment, condemnation, and pity. But there are places across the country where this is not the response to the girl who shamefully mumbles, “I think I’m pregnant.” They are called pregnancy resource centers. The women and men who serve in these safe-havens have comprehended something our churches haven’t yet: unwed pregnancy is not a sin.

When a young woman walks into a local PRC, and she makes the painful admission that she’s pregnant by her boyfriend, and she’s afraid what her family will say, and she’s pretty sure her dad is going to kick her out of the house, and she’s worried her college dreams are shot, the response she finds from her counselor is surprising. It’s Christian love, understanding, and joy. Perhaps for the first time since she missed her period, she’s found someone who actually celebrates her pregnancy as a gift from God and does not judge her for carrying a tiny baby inside.

It seems so obvious once it’s stated this way, but the Bible never condemns unwed pregnancies. In fact, the lineage of our Savior has several. Some of his ancestors were conceived through prostitution, incest, and adultery (cf. Gen. 38, Gen. 19:30-38, 2 Sam. 11:1-12:25).

It is telling that Jesus himself was an unwed pregnancy. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary became the most vulnerable of women—an unmarried pregnant teen. She was deeply loved by God and in need of care and support. When she traveled to see family, she was not ostracized but welcomed with a beaming smile and these words from her cousin Elizabeth: “Blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42).

PRC counselors seek to be like Elizabeth welcoming these expectant mothers with warm, receptive, and loving arms. They treasure the fruit of the womb as the wondrous gifts from God that they are—no matter how they were conceived. Many of our congregations couldn’t dream of responding this way—even when we are technically pro-life. How do we follow the example of the PRCs across the country? How can we create this kind of celebratory, supportive, and loving culture in our churches?

To read the rest of this article (by Chad Ashby, Brothers and Sisters)