We believe that the Lord has given Community Pregnancy Clinics a specific and narrow mission. We are called to use the medical clinic model to save babies and help moms. The tool of the medical clinics is both a great gift and responsibility. It is a gift because it is so effective. It is a responsibility because God expects us to use it well and he will hold us accountable. Therefore, we strive for excellence in all we do and we strive to be focused on our mission. Like the wise virgins of Matthew 25, Community Pregnancy Clinics seeks to faithfully fulfill the role that God has given us.
At Community Pregnancy Clinics, our mission is to save babies from abortion while providing care, compassion, and choices for women.
We strive to create communities where every woman and baby is safe from abortion. Community Pregnancy Clinics has been serving the Naples community since 1974. A group of dedicated local volunteers founded the organization in response to the Roe v. Wade decision and a desire to provide a positive alternative to women facing a crisis pregnancy. They were one of the original 13 crisis pregnancy centers to open in the country. Opening under the name Emergency Pregnancy Services (EPS), the center operated as a traditional crisis pregnancy center offering free self-pregnancy testing, counsel, referrals, and material assistance.
In 2002, the Board of Directors made the decision to convert to a medical clinic model under the name Collier Pregnancy Centers, Inc. (CPCI). They were one of the first in the state of Florida to become a life affirming medical center. This conversion has had a great impact in the effectiveness of their services and the accomplishment of their mission. Their professional staff of registered nurses and ultrasound technologists, operating under the license of a medical director, provides 4,000 client services each year completely free of charge. Through the support of their donors and friends, they save nearly 1,000 babies from abortion each year between their three medical clinics.
The plan to open their first satellite clinic was realized in September 2007. Opening only two doors away from the most active abortion mill in Lee County at the time, they soon were operating at full capacity. Within three short years, there was a dramatic reduction in the abortionist's business which resulted in a move in 2011 to a larger facility and an even more strategic location across the street from Planned Parenthood of Fort Myers. The new CPCI Clinic has been hugely successful and provides their life affirming medical services to a much needed area while continuing to expand their vision to offer Care, Compassion, and Choices in Southwest Florida.
As a result of their successful growth along with the future possibility of further expansion, the Board of Directors decided to change their name effective January 2012 to Community Pregnancy Clinics. The new name will accommodate for their existing growth as well as future expansion into any specific geographic region while encouraging women from any community to turn to them for compassionate, loving, non-judgmental care during their crisis pregnancy.
We believe that when it comes to evangelization there is both the witness of our lives and the witness of our words. The two are inseparable parts of a whole. To be consistent, a believer needs to have both. However in our experience the witness of our lives is foundational. Our words fall flat and are even scandalous when our lives don't line up with our words. In addition, when clients experience kindness and caring, they are more open to hear our words. Therefore in everything we do, we seek to show love of God and love of neighbor.
We desire that our clients would have a tangible experience of the love of Jesus for them personally. In offering our assistance freely to our clients we pose a question to them, "why do these people, these strangers, care about me and my baby?" The answer is that we care because God cares. The witness of words is important too. If we are afraid to talk about our faith then it calls that faith into question. Words are most effective when in the context of a relationship. Our words should flow from our lives and be natural rather than transactional or programmatic.
Our staff as people of faith are encouraged as appropriate and in the context of the relationship to share their faith with clients. There is an element of context that must be considered in relationship to evangelization also. Effective evangelization looks different in different circumstances. For example the way a pastor, teacher, or small business owner would exercise evangelization within their professions is very different. Everyone expects the pastor to be out front with his faith. However, a teacher might be actually prohibited from mentioning their faith at work. As a result their evangelization activities might be limited to praying for students and colleagues, the witness of their lives, and waiting for someone to take the initiative. The small business owner might have more latitude to speak and display religious items in their business.
Community Pregnancy Clinics are medical clinics. As an organization we are not primarily a tool of direct evangelization, beyond the daily call of all believers to be witnesses to Jesus Christ. In this sense we are similar to a law practice. One hires a lawyer to solve a legal problem. If that lawyer happens to do their work well and happens also to be a person of faith, there can be an evangelistic element to the relationship. However the evangelism is not primary. If the lawyer's primary goal is to evangelize this presents a problem. He is likely not doing the legal work well because he is not focused on it. In addition there is a misrepresentation and element of deception to the relationship; he was hired to do one thing but is choosing to do another.
God made men free so that we could freely choose to love Him. His gift of freedom is in many ways a great mystery. God so respects our freedom that he allows us to reject him, and in the process never manipulates or coerces us. God gives us the freedom to be wrong. Therefore we seek to have the same respect for our clients. Rather than manipulate or coerce, we seek to share the truth in love. We propose the truth rather than seek to impose it. We always seek to be upfront with our clients and never to have an ulterior motive.
At Community Pregnancy Clinics, it takes $720 to save a baby from abortion. Hundreds of supporters of Community Pregnancy Clinics have become CPCI Life Savers with their pledge of support. Prayerfully consider becoming a donor and visit Community Pregnancy Clinics - Donate.
For more information contact or visit:
Sarah Kozak
Development Director/Client Outreach Manager
Community Pregnancy Clinics (CPCI)
Care. Compassion. Choices.
940 Fifth Avenue North
Naples, FL 34102
239-262-6381
Community Pregnancy Clinics - Website