From September 3-5, Care Net hosted its largest National Conference ever, assembling nearly 1,300 representatives from pregnancy centers and churches that are part of a growing Pro Abundant Life movement.
These organizations are providing compassion, hope and help to women and men in their communities who are considering abortion. They are saving the unborn, building strong families, and sharing the gospel. “We are here to serve them,” said Roland Warren, President and CEO of Care Net. “That is the purpose of our annual conference.”
Listen to the newest CareCast: Care Net’s 2024 National Conference Inspires Pro Abundant Life Action
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The event, held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Conference Center in Aurora, Colorado, centered around the theme “In the Beginning Was the Word” (based on John 1:1).
Care Net’s 2024 National Conference featured keynote speakers Kristen Waggoner, the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom; Roland Warren; Seth Gruber, host of the “UnAborted” podcast; and Vera Jones, a motivational speaker and former college basketball commentator.
The conference, which offered over 100 breakout sessions from a wide array of distinguished facilitators, serves as a vital platform for educating pregnancy centers, providing them with the latest research, best practices, and innovative strategies to enhance their services. Christian recording artist and adoption advocate Mark Schultz, a Dove Award winner who has ten No. 1 singles, closed out the event with a music set.
In a recent CareCast, Roland Warren and Vincent DiCaro, Chief Outreach Officer, shared some highlights from the National Conference.
One highlight was a notable increase in the presence of men attendees at the 2024 conference and over recent years.
“Our affiliated pregnancy centers have added men’s ministry programs to the core of what they do, and we are starting to see more men,” Roland said.
At the National Conference, staff members from the Bakersfield (Ca.) Pregnancy Center joined a panel discussion with Roland and Jarid Mayo, Care Net’s Fatherhood and Family Manager. On the Care Cast, Bakersfield Pregnancy Center’s emphasis on fatherhood was applauded.
“In the last 10 years, more and more pregnancy centers have hosted robust, amazing programs to bring men into the center and get them involved in pregnancy decisions in a positive way,” Roland said.
On CareCast, Vincent talked about the launch of the Abundant Life Prayer Network and the debut of Roland’s new book at the National Conference.
The Abundant Life Prayer Network will focus on intercession for Care Net’s Pregnancy Decision Line, affiliated pregnancy centers, its church initiative, and the organization’s role in influencing culture. Care Net believes in the power of prayer to transform lives and uphold the sanctity of human life; Christians who want to join a compassionate community committed to prayerful support for those facing pregnancy decisions can sign up at Care Net’s Abundant Life Prayer Network.
In his latest book, The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must Be Pro-Abundant Life, Roland outlines a blueprint for compassion, transformation, and discipleship, drawn from 12 years of leading Care Net.
“In writing the book, I am trying to help people understand the distinction between being pro-life and pro-abundant life,” he said. “It’s a call to action of what to do in this season. I know there are some folks who are frustrated with politics and what’s happened there—both with the Republican Party and the Democrat Party. Our view is that the answer is where it has always been—the church must lead on this issue. A pro-abundant life framework helps to do that. I am hopeful about what God will do with this book, as more Christians become pro-abundant life and turn their pro-life passion into pro-abundant life action.”