Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on the Morning Center. I will still send another Project Manager’s update out at the end of May as well.

In just a couple weeks the Morning Center will be having its first Morning Center Charlotte fundraiser with Nashville-based comedian Brad Stine and musicians Lara Landon, Faith Gilmore and Sean Michel. It will begin with a silent auction followed by the concert and comedian. James has several meetings in Charlotte lined up while he is there for the Charlotte fundraiser.

The Morning Center is also sponsoring the Charlotte Christian Chamber of Commerce’s May Luncheon! Our Charlotte volunteer team has been working tirelessly for these events. Many thanks go out to each of them!

We are also working hard on the Memphis fundraiser, which is scheduled for June 14th. Brad Stine and Lara Landon will also be headlining that event and our great Memphis volunteer team has already begun contacting local Churches. More on this event in the next report.

The Morning Center also has a wonderful new website! Have you stopped by www.morningcenter.org recently? If not, stop by and share it out to your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

One question we are often asked is what the Morning Center needs. The answer is simple: prayer and money. I know each of you can give the first. Thanks! If you can give the latter, thanks also. All that is standing between us and the launch of Mobile Maternity Care units in Memphis and Charlotte is just the right amount of funds in the bank. Praise God for his provision…and if He is calling you to be a part of that please don’t hesitate to join us in bringing a new dawn to maternity care.

- Posted by Elysse Barrett Baumbach

He has opinions on what Christianity is supposed to be like, and it includes efforts like The Morning Center, Samaritan Ministries’ charitable maternity hospital project.

To back up his talk, Brad will perform at two upcoming Morning Center fundraisers: one in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 15 and one in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 14.

“This is what Christianity should be, coming out and supporting these things, giving money, time and effort to saving lives, sacrificing for something much grander and more important than you,” Brad says. “It’s about really taking care of culture as believers.”

And the comedian doesn’t just want you to be there.

“Bring a nonbelieving friend to this event and see what they say,” he says.

Here’s an interview with Brad, in which he explains why he’s doing the fundraisers and how Christian comedy can impact culture.

Why did you say yes to taking part in the Morning Center fundraisers?

When I heard of this Morning Center I saw pro-active Christianity, which is what I love—people that aren’t talking about Jesus, they’re being Jesus, they’re giving people what they need. They’re not just pointing fingers and saying, “Don’t do something.” They’re saying God wants you to be able to honor this life and we are going to facilitate that and help you accomplish that. That is so beautiful, that is so beautiful. The pro-life movement is so much about being consistent with our faith but also actually helping and assisting people in productive ways, in a loving way, to accomplish this mission. The truth is they’re in some very difficult situations sometimes financially or physically or emotionally, and we need to do more than just say, “No, don’t kill that baby.” We need to give them love and grace and support and dignity and realize that they’re loved and that they too are made in the image of God and that we are not going to just expect something but we’re going to help you accomplish it so that you see what love looks like and what you should have had all along and it didn’t come your way, let us give it to ya. That’s beautiful man, that’s Christianity and that’s when it’s just something that I can just sink my teeth into.

Why should Christians lighten up and laugh more?

If I were to ask the average Christian in America, what is worship? “Oh, it’s when we sing.” No, it isn’t. That’s one way. You know how else we worship? We laugh together. That’s worship in joy. You know the other way we worship? Community, talking together. You know how else we worship? We eat together. You know how else we worship? We create centers where women who have children they weren’t expecting can have them in dignity and that child lives and they feel good about themselves and loved and cared about. That’s worshipping God, by giving people life, and joy.

So let’s go show the world the joy that’s supposed to come from those who say no matter what happens in my life, I’m free. The Creator of the universe knows me, loves me, called me and I called him and I will see him in His dimension one day face to Face. Let’s find the shadows and echoes of God here in these three dimensions to show people there’s something else here they haven’t seen before, that they’ve taken for granted. Like laughter, like music, like art, like all the beautiful things God gave us to find Him. It’s a tragedy to think that those who laugh the most wouldn’t be Christians.

Where do you draw the line with your comedy? What’s not available to make fun of?

Every time I’ve ever done a joke that was even on the edge in the Christian realm, it always came with a caveat: “Here’s what I’m saying. Here’s what I’m referring to. This is what I’m getting at. Here’s what we’re to learn from this thing.” And that was really where I think comedy can be great is when it teaches us something, when it helps us see something in a context that we’re not used to. So it helps to broaden our thinking and our perception. I’ve always tried to do that.

My point is what they really don’t want to see is their sin. They want darkness. So comedy can expose darkness because it sheds light on it, but it does it in a way that they don’t realize they’re drinking their own poison. They don’t realize they’re being exposed for what they are. They’re laughing. Suddenly we’re coming face to face with reality and objectivity and going, “Maybe I need to change, maybe I’m wrong.” Boy, if comedy can do that, it’s done a marvelous thing .

That’s what good preaching does. It forces you to face yourself: who you are and how you see the world and how you behave. Comedy does that with a spoonful of sugar, and that’s what makes it so important in culture.

You can watch Brad every Monday morning on Fox & Friends.

Also performing at the Charlotte fundraiser will be Christian musicians Lara Landon, Faith Gilmore and Sean Michel.

Both Brad and Lara will perform at the Memphis fundraiser.

Congratulations to Lucas & Elysse!

Elysse will probably provide a more thorough report for your reading pleasure after she returns from her honeymoon and is able to get caught up. For now, I will see if I can hit the highlights.

1. We have a new Morning Center website (check it out if you haven’t already…it is still a work in progress!)
2. Tickets are now available for the Memphis and Charlotte 2012 Fundraisers. Join comedian Brad Stine, known as “God’s comic”, Christian music artist Lara Landon, and others in bringing Morning Center mobile care units to Charlotte, North Carolina and Memphis, Tennessee in 2013!
3. You can now periodically check our new Events page to see if there is a fundraiser or benefit concert for the Morning Center in your area. If you would like to host a Morning Center fundraiser, contact us so we can add it to the Events page!
4. Downloadable/printable flyers for our Charlotte and Memphis fundraisers are now available.

- Posted by John Creath

The proceeds from this fundraiser will help to launch Charlotte’s first Morning Center mobile care unit, which will serve Charlotte women and their babies with maternity care starting in 2013.

“The Morning Center’s innovative approach to going where at-risk pregnant women’s needs have been ignored is another link in the long line of committed Christians changing the culture by bringing love and healing to ‘the least of these,’” Stine says.

Joining Stine, known as “God’s comic,” will be rising Christian musicians Lara Landon, Faith Gilmore and Sean Michel.

For more information on the event, look at www.facebook.com/morningcentercharlotte. To purchase tickets directly, go here. Limited seating is available. To purchase group tickets or for any event questions, send an email to elysse(at)morningcenter.org

The Morning Center … bringing life and hope to Charlotte women and their babies … one at a time!

Re-posted from Samaritan Ministries’ blog.

Watch and share American\’s United for Life on Contraception and Conscience!

– Brad Stine “God’s Comic” comedian/actor/author

February is flying by and before too much more time has passed I wanted to get a February report posted. This has been and continues to be a full month for me. At the end of January I got engaged and began planning an April wedding, and just this morning my grandfather passed away. I was reminded of the wonderful godly legacy that he left to me and my family. He was a strong advocate for the unborn and strongly believed in the amazing opportunity that we have to impart God’s love to women and babies through the Morning Center.

Our largest need continues to be raising funds so that we can open our first Morning Center Mobile Care Units on our scheduled time frame. If you would like to donate, please visit our website here. Also, you can become a Morning Center advocate by sharing about our ministry. We welcomed several new Morning Center advocates last month as they shared the story about the Morning Center with their Churches over Sanctity of Life Sunday. It is not too late to share the Morning Center with your Church. If you’d like to do that send me an email at: Elysse@morningcenter.org

This month our website got a complete overhaul. If you haven’t seen it, check it out! There is still much work to be done, but when it is finished it will be a wonderful upgrade!

Also, grab your calendars. We JUST confirmed our first fundraiser in Charlotte for Tuesday, May 15^th. More details to come on our Charlotte and our Memphis fundraisers in the next report.

- Posted by Elysse Barrett

The author’s answer? “Restructuring with accountable care organizations may help but that future is unclear.  There are many examples in the literature that improving quality decreases cost and this is one metric we have successfully utilized.  Other ways include becoming engaged and educated.  Hold yourself and others around you accountable.

Finally, be an advocate for women.”

I believe this author is absolutely right! It has to start with raising the standard of maternity care by caring for the women who are least likely to receive high-quality maternity care. And, that’s exactly what the Morning Center is seeking to do. Our mission statement captures it best:

“The Morning Center project was founded to provide free full-service maternity care to women in urban and under-served areas where quality care is limited and scarce. We will provide Christ-centered maternity care through mobile care units and full service maternity hospitals. Morning Center mobile units will serve the needs of women in their neighborhoods, through partnerships with local churches and community organizations.”

To delve further in to the Morning Center’s vision of advocating for women and raising the standard of maternity care I encourage you to read our Philosophy of Birth.

- posted by Elysse Barrett

Recently we heard about the program called “Ebay Giving Works”. If you’d like to read more about it you can do so here.

A hop, skip, and jump later we are now signed up and you and your friends can give to the Morning Center through Ebay! And…you have more than one way to help us out.

As an Ebay seller you can use eBay Giving Works to donate 10% to 100% of your item’s final sale price to the Morning Center, and get a credit on their Insertion and Final Value fees!

If you’re not an Ebay buyer or seller but you want to use Ebay to support your favorite non-profit, with a cash donation through their “Donate Now” program by clicking “Donate Now” when you’re on eBay’s website. Here’s how the “Donate Now” process works:

“You can use Donate Now on eBay Giving Works to make an online cash donation to your favorite nonprofit organization, without buying or selling anything. Using your PayPal account you can donate as little as $1. Our nonprofit partner MissionFish will send your tax-deductible donation to the nonprofit organization you choose. You must have a PayPal account to use Donate Now. You do not need to be an eBay member.”

Please, spread the word about this opportunity if you know anyone who regularly uses Ebay as a buyer or seller, or if you’d prefer to donate that way.