Preview This Course

What you'll learn

Our mission at Hope and Grace Global is to equip the local church (you) to become a safe haven that:

PROACTIVELY champions Biblical sexuality and life and
REDEMPTIVELY heals those wounded by sexual sin or abortion

This eCourse will equip you to address these difficult subjects comprehensively and with compassion so that your church may become:

Empowered by Truth
Healed by Grace
Champions for Life
A Safe Haven

In this eCourse, you will specifically learn about:

God’s Design for our bodies, life, and sex
Mankind’s Perversion through sexual sin and abortion
The Church’s Choice of either acting like the world or overcoming it

Requirements

- Prerequisite: to complete an abortion healing Bible study if you have previously had an abortion, as this course will likely stir up sensitive areas.
- Requirement to purchase the Facilitator Guide if you are hosting this eCourse in a group setting.
- You will either need to purchase the Student Manual to fill-in-the-blanks and answer discussion questions or download the 98-page PDF Workbook and print it. (The PDF password will be available in your welcome email when you purchase the course)
- If you would prefer to read from the book itself, you can purchase Memoirs of a Christian Who Chose Abortion of which sections of the book are included in the eCourse.
- Willingness to invest in yourself and the church for 12 hours.

Description

This course is deeply informative and highly motivating to make much needed changes in our churches. Many women and their partners have secretly sought abortion because the church did not feel safe or they did not feel they had the resources to give birth and parent a child. This, no doubt, contributes to the fact that the majority of abortions are done on women who identify with the Christian faith. Get EQUIPPED is a necessary course to effectively make the paradigm shift that is drastically needed to overcome abortion in the church and local community. That is where we need to re-strategize and begin fighting the battle from a place of integrity instead of hypocrisy.

Get EQUIPPED deepens our understanding of God’s Design, Mankind’s Perversion, and The Church’s Choice. Will we become proactive and redemptive or remain reactive or silent? Will we respond from godly sorrow that brings repentance and leads to salvation or with worldly sorrow that ends in death? Will we defend or demolish the false arguments?

What this course is for

To take back the issues of immorality and abortion from politics and address them redemptively through the gospel.
To equip local congregations to become safe havens.
To change the reputation of the local church so that it is the first place people think of going to for help, resources, and healing.
This takes strong people. Not those who “have it all together,” but those who see themselves and others through God’s eyes and confidently speak the truth in love to one another. It takes people who are not afraid to love others who are rough around the edges because we know we are also a work in progress.
This class will bring better understanding to all of us of the perils people find themselves in that cause them to make poor choices and reap disastrous consequences.

Instructor:

Joni Shepherd is the Founder and Executive Director of Hope and Grace Global, speaker, songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. Joni has worked in abortion healing 35+ years and leads a sexual healing Bible study. In 1989, Joni founded a pregnancy center in Duncanville, TX and has worked with other pregnancy centers in Dallas TX and Portland OR. Joni earned a BS in Holistic Nutrition. She has owned four businesses and is co-founder of two non-profits. She is married to John Shepherd, and together they enjoy five children and thirteen grandchildren. Joni enjoys reading, writing blogs and books, cooking from scratch, and traveling. Joni lives in Colorado Springs.

A Story of Hope and Grace

Joni’s Story

I had two abortions when I was 18 and 19 because I was afraid to tell my family, and my church just made me feel horrible for being pregnant in the first place. Planned Parenthood was kind and accepting of me and told me that it was just a piece of tissue, and I so wanted to believe that.

However, the trauma I experienced from abortion was terrible, everything from nightmares and audible hallucinations to suicidal thoughts to not being able to bond with a child I had later. The shame, guilt, and remorse were so great that it started a domino effect of other bad choices and consequences. I was blessed to find not only forgiveness but great healing through a group that takes people through the grieving process and helps them let go. But most women (and men) go through their whole lives with no one to really talk to about it. Yet the majority of those are traumatized by it in some way.

The biggest tragedy in America in the last three generations is abortion. There have been over 50 million lives lost. Don’t be deceived – this doesn’t happen without great consequence. The biggest secret in the past three generations is the trauma it causes those who participate in it. Do you ever hear anyone talking about it? Seldom, if ever! That’s because if something is touted as safe, your legal right, and “Women’s Health Care,” you think you must be the only one who is suffering any bad effects. And as long as the secret is kept, few are ever going to be free to seek out healing for their trauma.

I’m talking about it because I want those experiencing abortion trauma to know they are not alone and there is grace and support available that will help them heal. I’m also talking about it because those who might be considering abortion need to know the great risk of trauma, that this seemingly “quick and easy solution” for an unplanned pregnancy could very well leave them with a long list of negative consequences for the rest of their lives. Over 650 worldwide studies show the alarming evidence of abortion trauma.

This info is extremely validating for those of us who’ve experienced it and needs to be weighed into the pros and cons of choosing abortion. People in crisis can be directed toward gracious support and resources for themselves and their babies – true women’s health care. Turn the secret into a story of hope and grace for all!

Joni Shepherd /// Get Equipped