Megachurch to Celebrate Mother’s Day With a Unique Gift

This Sunday, Prestonwood Baptist Church is celebrating Mother’s Day by unveiling a new mobile ultrasound unit that will bring hope and life to women facing a crisis pregnancy.

The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center Mobile Sonogram is a clinic fully-equipped to provide ultrasounds, pregnancy tests and counseling, among other medical services. The unit’s mobility and same-day-service functionality allow women to drop in for prompt and confidential visits, especially as it will travel into the heart of neighborhoods and communities across Dallas-Fort Worth where abortion is most prevalent. All services are free and administered by medical staff and trained volunteers.

“If you think about it, Mother’s Day is actually a day when we celebrate life—whether we are aware of it or not,” said Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church. “It only seemed fitting for us as a church family to celebrate this day by affirming life and our commitment to helping expecting mothers who are in need.”

Pastor Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Church launched the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center in 1991 to reach women at their point of need during unplanned pregnancies. In the past 27 years, the center has served more than 70,000 clients, from teenagers to married couples. In the past three months alone, more than 1,600 clients have come through the clinic’s doors—an 83 percent increase from the previous year—and 9 out of 10 chose life for their babies.

In recent years, though, the pregnancy center has begun serving a unique clientele: refugees. Dallas, where the mobile unit is deployed, has one of the fastest growing refugee populations in the U.S.

“We’re seeing an increase in the number of refugees stepping through our doors—and they come from all over the world,” said Leanne Jamieson, director of Prestonwood Pregnancy Center.

“These clients come with a whole host of problems. Many are in a very fragile state, and they’re already in crisis even before they become pregnant. They’re at risk medically because a lot of them are uninsured. Most have little or no support system and are ill-equipped to navigate an unplanned pregnancy. There are also many contextual issues surrounding life issues—with some cultures being particularly pro-abortion or anti-adoption.”

Though founded by Prestonwood Baptist Church, the center serves women from all faiths and backgrounds, and has started recruiting bilingual volunteers to help break language barriers. In some instances, the center has helped Muslim women who are facing cultural difficulties.

“Right now, we’re looking for ways to meet these women where they are; to love and serve them the best way we can,” Jamieson said. “That’s what God calls us to do.”