A pro-life documentary produced by New Life Solutions of Tampa Bay recently won two awards at the Christian Worldview Film Festival.
Choose Courage, which chronicles the birth of the New Life Solutions pregnancy centers and parallels the birth of the pro-life movement, received the Sanctity of Life Award, and also earned top honors in the Feature Documentary category.
The Christian Worldview Film Festival, hosted by the non-profit ministry Media Talk 101 on March 13-15 in Albany, Georgia, “encourages Christian Filmmakers in their biblical worldview and the craft of filmmaking.”
“What a blessing, an honor, and a testimony to the Lord for His provision,” said Charles DiMarco, President/CEO of New Life Solutions. “We are thankful for what He is doing with this documentary as one of our objectives was to bring honor and glory to Jesus.”
New Life Solutions, founded in 1985, is one of 1,200 Care Net-affiliated pregnancy centers across the United States and Canada. Its recent film includes footage of landmark events in the pro-life movement, including Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that legalized abortion in the United States (until it was overturned in 2022), and Silent Scream, the 1979 film by former abortionist Bernard Nathanson.
“The message of Choose Courage is not just our message, but it is a message for the entire pro-life movement,” DiMarco said. “What a blessing that this documentary will be used to carry-on and expand the Pro Abundant Life message, and will inspire, motivate, and provide a call to action to all of those that watch.”
The founders of New Life Solutions are Sandy and Dick Urie and Christine and B. Larry Smith. In 1983, the Uries organized a meeting in their community after sensing the call to start a pregnancy center.
“We were very unhappy with how the nation was embracing the “God Is Dead” movement and [how] education was turning to humanism and science as the only answers to our problems,” said Sandy Urie.
Approximately 500 people attended the meeting, which was held at Northside Baptist Church in St. Petersburg.
“We began to realize that God had all kinds of people in our community who had prayed that He would raise up a local opportunity for them to get involved in the pro-life movement,” said Sandy Urie in the documentary. “That was set up by the Holy Spirit.”
In addition to documenting the establishment of a pregnancy center in the Tampa Bay area, Choose Courage also highlights the passion, zeal and struggle involved in protests at abortion clinics during that time.
In 1989, one “Operation Rescue” protest resulted in massive arrests. Rather than accept a plea arrangement, 153 of the defendants chose to go to trial. B. Larry Smith was the lead attorney. Footage from the trial is included in Choose Courage. One by one, as they took the stand, defendants unapologetically testified that they were attempting to save lives with their actions. The trial lasted four days. All defendants were found guilty and charged a minimum fine. None were sent to jail.
At the conclusion of the documentary, Christine Smith said she was privileged to have a part in founding New Life Solutions.
“How can you even begin to put into words the majesty of what God does and to be [able to participate] with some of the most godly, God-fearing individuals I have ever met; They were willing to stand up for Christ,” she said.
“We are called to share our faith with others, to work together in love, and to love everyone, even our enemies,” said Sandy Urie.
The love and courage of the Smiths and Uries and others who came along side of them laid a solid foundation for New Solutions. Today, the Pro Abundant Life ministry has two locations in Tampa and two in Pinellas County, and has expanded its services to include A Woman’s Place Medical Clinic (intervention), Passages of Hope (restoration from trauma and abuse), More2Life (prevention, youth development), and Shepherd’s Village (ministry to single moms and children).
“In the last 39 years, we’ve seen over 10,000 babies saved from abortion,” said DiMarco. “This is our time. It’s time for us to stand up and speak out. It’s time for us to choose courage.”