Since January 2022, more than 60% of the mothers we serve at Care Net are single moms – that’s 287 women raising a child without commitment from the father just in the last 18 months. Many of these women, because they are single, feel isolated and lacking in resources to take care of a baby.
Care Net provides these women with initial resources and walks with them through the first two and a half years. But what about after that?
That’s why the mission of Embrace Grace is to connect pregnant women to the local church. Embrace Grace is a 12-week Bible study program for pregnant and single moms. We want these moms to get plugged into a community that will support them and come alongside them in training their child up in the Lord for years to come.
“The very name of it, ‘Embrace Grace,’ goes both ways,” says Leslie Miller, Care Net’s Client Coordinator for Embrace Grace. “It’s a call to the women to embrace the grace of God, but it’s also a call to us, the church, to embrace that grace and live it out.”
For this reason, Embrace Grace is one of our referral partnerships. Care Net volunteers and staff coordinate it with the women, but local churches sponsor, host and lead the Bible study and baby shower celebration.
Let’s explore the different aspects of Embrace Grace and how it impacts single women through the story of a Care Net client, Rochelle, who completed Embrace Grace in October 2022.
How Do Women Feel About Parenting Before Embrace Grace?
Rochelle shares that after she found out she was going to have a boy, whom she named Ra-Khari, the father of the baby left her.
“I was pretty lonely and sad and broken, so I was just reaching out for any support groups trying to get closer to God,” Rochelle shares. “I felt like I wasn’t good enough. It was horrible being left, because my other three kids are by one person. So I’ve never had to go through a pregnancy like this ever before.”
What Is Community Like in Embrace Grace?
When Rochelle went to Care Net, she learned that First Methodist was hosting an Embrace Grace Bible study. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she signed up to join.
“It’s something you look forward to,” Rochelle says. “Whatever you’ve been going through from last Tuesday to this Tuesday, you know you’re gonna be able to get it off your chest, go to sanctuary and pray, and you have people to pray with you.”
Every Tuesday, she and two other pregnant moms would enjoy a meal and then gather in the sanctuary with their two hosts. Through the weekly meetings, she and all the other ladies developed a lasting sisterhood.
“We see each other often, we’re totally like family now,” Rochelle shares. “We have a group chat, we all know everything about each other. We cry together, we laugh together.”
What Is the Bible Study Content Like?
The curriculum walks women through stories of other pregnant and single moms, with situations including rape, abuse, judgement and abandonment, explaining how each woman overcame her difficulties to become a mother. Through this, and other group members, each Embrace Grace participant learns that she is not alone in her struggles and that God still loves her.
“It made me realize I wasn’t this horrible person, that I can get through anything,” Rochelle says. “It’s very uplifting and it empowers you. It equips you, it heals you, it also gives you something positive to do. It motivates you, because you hear different stories that are worse than yours. If they can get through it, then you can too.”
How Does the Baby Shower Make an Impact?
Rochelle shares that her baby shower supplied abundantly more than she needed for Ra-Khari – in fact, more than half a year after the shower, she still had supplies left.
“I haven’t bought a diaper in eight months,” Rochelle shares. “Not one.”
The Bible study’s hosts also receive unexpected blessings from the shower. Care Net’s first Embrace Grace group started in March 2021, led by Vero Christian Church. Since then, five other churches have hosted at least one group.
Mie and Heymi led an Embrace Grace group at King’s Baptist Church in Spring 2023. They reported developing a deeper connection with other church members and close ties with the single moms that culminated in the baby shower.
“They almost become like your daughter,” Heymi says. “You’re taking care of them, and especially today seeing them up there [on stage at the baby shower] you just feel proud, so proud of how far they come.”
How Do Participants View Churches After Embrace Grace?
Rochelle attended a different church than her host church before Embrace Grace, and continues to now, but her experience with Embrace Grace impressed on her heart the importance of fellowship.
“To be in a Christian environment where you’re already going through something like this, takes the burden off of you,” Rochelle says. “When you’re going to a church, you’re going for a prayer, you’re going for a healing, to talk, and we all can think and that’s what I looked forward to every Tuesday night to the point where I just lived for it.”
If any church is interested in hosting the Embrace Grace program Rochelle encourages the congregation to dive in.
“You’re doing God’s work,” Rochelle says. “It’s a different channel, but you’re still doing God’s work, and you’re saving lives because some women feel hopeless. The church setting is a healing environment.”
How Can I Get Involved?
If your church would like to get involved in Embrace Grace, or you would like to assist women facing unplanned pregnancies through Care Net’s material and emotional support services, call 772.569.7939 or email info@carenetirc.org. We are always looking for churches with vibrant youth and children’s programs to partner with us.
About the Blogs:
Care Net is one ministry with a unified goal – to create a culture of abundant life. But many different roles must be carried out to accomplish this goal, from greeting each client with a smile, to meeting each mother and baby’s material needs, to supporting post-abortive women.
In this blog series, we introduce you to the invaluable services that Care Net provides to clients on a daily basis. Click here for more.