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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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Cindi Boston: Crisis Pregnancy Ministry
“My greatest joy is bringing hope to women.”—Cindi Boston
The plush waiting room is quiet, but not for long. With 10 paid employees and 20 volunteers scheduled to come in that day, the Springfield Pregnancy Care Center will soon become a hive of activity. Cindi Boston, the center’s executive director, wears a sharp, professional suit and a warm, welcoming smile. “In just five years, we have acquired over 7,500 square feet,” she says as she leads me through the maze of classrooms, counseling rooms, offices, work spaces and storage rooms. Boasting a budget of over $500,000 for 2005, two to four choices for life are made each day, and over 850 babies have been saved in less than five years.
Tell me a little about your “call” or journey into this ministry.
BOSTON: It goes back to my childhood, really. I came from a typical Assemblies of God church with only 60-80 people. Our pastor was an incredible man, able to develop in people a passion for life, for the unsaved, and for ministries that reach out to others. We received the message clearly, “Whatever God gives you to do, do it with all your heart.” Many from that church have gone into full-time ministry.”
I was a youth pastor’s wife for eight years. During that time, I worked part time running a housing program that was an extension of a local pregnancy care center. Later, when we moved to Springfield so my husband could go to seminary, I worked the secular marketplace to pay the bills. I remember mentioning to one local youth pastor that I had some experience working in a crisis pregnancy center. He remarked to me, “Oh well, we don’t have that problem in Springfield.” At that time, we were seeing about 1,500 abortions annually in our city. Springfield had a problem, but not many realized it.
A group of business people, students, professors, and ministers formed to address the problem and to become the groundwork for a center. I was not a part of the original group, but later, when the group heard about me and my experience, I was literally forced into the leadership position. After all, I was the only one involved who had even worked in a center! The board handed me $2,000 and a mailing list with 300 names.
Right there, I had to come to terms with God’s call. I had spent the first 15 years of my marriage in the background as a support person. I had just had a baby. I had finally achieved a strong position in my workplace, and our family was in a place where we could relax a little financially. How could I take a job where my income was not guaranteed?
But I go back to the truth that “God does not call equipped people, but God equips those He calls.”
Obviously, I’m not trained to run a non-profit organization. I can hardly believe it when I say we now have a budget of over $500,000, and this in five years! But I am a believer in educating yourself to become a specialist in the area in which you want to work. I read all the time, I go to seminars both in person and on line. I’ve certainly had to learn to become a fundraiser. I have learned that you don’t have to know it all; you just have to be willing.
You’re also a mother. How do you balance the demands of the center with those of your family?
BOSTON: Anytime a mom works, there are tough choices to be made. If my family wasn’t committed to the mission, then I’d have to do something else. My entire family, even my youngest, can speak intelligently about premarital sex, abortion, and life choices. Family is the most important thing, and I admit life is a balancing act. I often feel like the performer balancing those spinning plates on sticks! There are opportunities to speak and write that I turn down simply because of the need for balance.
What are the greatest rewards for you personally?
BOSTON: My greatest joy is bringing hope to women. On the surface, it appears that our goal is to save lives. But you can’t save the life of an unborn child unless you touch the heart of the mother. So our primary focus is on the woman. And this is a tough adjustment for many to make, because they want to focus on the baby.
We’ve saved 146 lives this year alone just by giving free ultrasounds. But even more significantly, we’ve given hope to more than 800 women, and have seen 31 women who would never attend church make decisions for Christ.
What are some of the challenges of running the Center?
BOSTON: Leadership is full of tough choices. Leadership is lonely. I have to discipline people, corral groups of people that are straying from the task, diplomatically bring people to the place where they need to be, and wrestle with other people issues.
It’s a heavy responsibility. If I goof up on TV or in an interview, there are widespread ramifications! I didn’t expect to be a public speaker or live in the media spotlight. I’ve had to adapt, and I’m still not comfortable.
How do I do it? I surround myself with all the brains I can get! I surround myself with very smart people because I have a lot of weaknesses. It takes all of these people for success, and I have had to learn to let other people be successful.
Every once in awhile there is a moment of panic—when I wake up in bed and think, “Oh, how can this possibly be done?” But it’s at those times that I go back to my home base, the very foundation of a trust relationship with God.
