Heartbeat International’s annual Pregnancy Help Institute is approaching and opportunities remain for a deep dive into core topics that are key in the pregnancy help movement and beyond.
Heartbeat International is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. Its Pregnancy Help Institute has provided thousands of pregnancy help leaders with professional training since 2007. Heartbeat has continually added key elements essential to the movement to the training over time as pregnancy help services have expanded.
The Institute is not a conference nor a typical training. The intensive week of instruction conducted in Columbus, Ohio, delves deep into subjects that are fundamental for delivering pregnancy help and useful in life.
Organized under intensive tracks - New Director, Development, and Leadership, as well as the medical LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical - Pregnancy Help Institute incorporates executive-level education in a small-group environment, where participants have the unique opportunity to process information and strategies with experts and fellow front-line pregnancy help leaders.
[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]
Participants regularly remark about the Institute going beyond their expectations and proving them with the necessary tools to succeed, along with meaningful relationships within the pregnancy help community forged during the week.
They report as well how it effectively conveys that the pregnancy help movement is a big network of support in and of itself. One director has attended Pregnancy Help Institute four times and readily attests that it is “well worth the investment.”
Pregnancy Help Institute provides practical, biblically grounded instruction in each area and every track is aimed at strengthening the health and effectiveness of pregnancy help organizations.
The New Director’s Track is designed for directors with less than three years’ experience leading a pregnancy center, medical clinic, maternity home, or non-profit adoption agency.
Participants in the New Directors Track are given practical tools to manage the day-to-day operations of their organization, strategic insight for vision planning and board development, and biblical encouragement for leading with integrity and grace. They will also network with fellow directors who understand the director’s journey and get a tangible reminder that they are not alone in their work.
Previous attendees of the New Directors Track described it as “intense and abundant.” Other terms used to describe it were informative, empowering, encouraging, insightful, and inspiring. One new director termed the training as “practical, accurate, relevant,” and another said, “I feel equipped and empowered.”
Tweet This: “I feel equipped and empowered” - Pregnancy Help Institute attendee
The Development Track is intended for leaders within a pregnancy help organization who are responsible for fundraising.
Participants in the track will learn about biblical foundations for fundraising, setting goals and targets, getting started in funding their mission and building from there, creating and maintaining monthly support, developing church relationships, building major gift relationships, writing effective grants, communicating with financial partners, creating effective direct appeals, and creating fundraising events.
A 2024 attendee of the Development Track at Pregnancy Help Institute told Pregnancy Help News it was “a godsend.”
The Leadership Track is geared for seasoned leaders who want to invest in their ministry with leadership development. It covers concepts developed by Built to Lead, an executive coaching program that has trained CEOs, presidents, and ministry leaders across the U.S. Previous participants have said that the track helped them to grow as a leader, to understand strengths and weaknesses, and to know how to train and lead.
The LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical is a specialized training for medical professionals, and as an innovation of Heartbeat International it connects both the technical and spiritual needs of those working in pregnancy help.
Previous attendees have said of the clinical:
“This fits exactly how I want to practice medicine. It’s evidence-based and rigorous. It has integrity and incorporates God,” and “This is how medicine should be practiced,” as well as “Came here feeling very overwhelmed. I leave feeling empowered.”
The 2025 Pregnancy Help Institute will be held July 21-25 in Columbus, Ohio. While the Leadership Track and Ultrasound Clinical are currently full, the New Director and Development Tracks both have space available. Attendees can register until July 18. Visit the Pregnancy Help Institute registration page for specifics.
The LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical takes place quarterly and the next clinic will be September 22-25, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Registration for that is available HERE.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
