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Pastoral Care: Adoption/Pregnancy, Family Planning, Parenting

hotlines, guidelines and crisis intervention contacts; and support for pastoral care for children, tweens, teens, families, differently abled persons, elders and folks with memory concerns; including mindfulness, personal care and volunteer support

Welcome

Welcome to The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources to help caregivers engage parents in counseling and conversation around family planning and pregnancy. Here you'll find:

  • Books & Downloads
  • Blogs, Podcasts & Articles
  • Websites & Curricula
  • Judicatory and Other Denominational Resources

If you don't find a resource to fit your need, don't hesitate to consult with The Ministry Lab's director, Rev. Emily Meyer, who is happy to assist you.

2SLGBTQIA+ Families/Parenting

     LGBTQ Family Building     Raising Kids beyond the Binary: Celebrating God’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children

Abortion, Family Planning, Infertility, and Pregnancy

Birthed: Finding Grace through Infertility     A Complicated Choice: Making Space for Grief and Healing in the Pro-Choice Movement          Intended for Pleasure, 4th ed.: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage  -     By: Ed Wheat M.D., Gaye Wheat     BL_MissedConceptions_Cover_9781506485263     Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America

Parenting - General

Breathe     Christian Parenting: Wisdom and Perspectives from American History By David P. Setran Cover Image     Don't Mom Alone: Growing the Relationships You Need to Be the Mom You Want to Be by [Heather MacFadyen, Chrystal Hurst]     Finding Our Way Forward     It’s Not about the Wine: The Loaded Truth behind Mommy Wine Culture     Momfluenced          Peanut Butter and Dragon Wings     Raising Healthy Teenagers: Thomas Kersting: 9781540900319: Amazon.com: Books     Raising Kids beyond the Binary: Celebrating God’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children     The Tending Years     Thriving Families     Unshakable Kids | Baker Publishing Group

Children's Books

Bao's Doll: A Picture Book - Lu, Bo     A Cup of Love by Michael Todd     Dear Star Baby     Cover of The Heart of Mi Familia     How to Return a Monster          Mabel's Topsy-Turvy Homes     Cover of Marvelous Maravilloso: Me and My Beautiful Family (medium)     Cover of Oh Brother! (medium)          Look Inside Where Is Home, Daddy Bear?

Websites & Curricula

Creating a FamilyWhat Adoptive Parents Need to Know about the Primal Wound

'The primal wound theory holds that "severing the connection between the infant and biological mother [through adoption] causes a primal wound which often manifests in a sense of loss (depression), basic mistrust (anxiety), emotional and/or behavioral problems and difficulties in relationships with significant others…"

Dr. Marcy Axness, an adoption therapist and an adoptee herself, in her article, In Appreciation of “The Primal Wound", explains that the primal wound theory 'should not be about blame and guilt– it should be about understanding'.

Read the full post and find more adoption insights here.

Project Pomegranate, a website with non-directive spiritual resources for those who have experienced infertility, pregnancy loss, or infant death

Mothering Spirit, a website for the spiritual piece of all aspects of being family, sensitive to infertility and loss

Resolve, a website for infertility resources and support

Family Equality, a website committed to developing LGBTQ+ family equity by resourcing conversations about LGBTQ+ families

In Our Library - Adoption & Foster Families

Always With You          A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza               920526

Blogs, Podcasts & Articles

The Power of Sharing Birth Stories

Having a new baby can upend everything about your old life.Why childbirth stories are valuable in shaping family transitions.

BY DARBY SAXBE

JUL 17, 2023

PHOTO BY CAVAN IMAGES/CAVAN VIA GETTY IMAGES

Anti-Dopamine Parenting — Really great ARTICLE on NPR (listen or read) on how to help kids with some of the same addictions we grownups struggle with (screens and sweets!). In solidarity with my kids (who don’t have cell phones) I’ve removed all social media apps from my phone. I’ll report back on that one after awhile!  I love how insanely practical the article is. Be sure to read to the end for the tips.

PALS Launches First-of-Its-Kind App to Support Parents Conceiving After  Child Loss

 Pregnancy After Loss App 4+

Pregnancy After Loss Tracker

Pregnancy After Loss Support

    

In Our Library

     Creating with God     This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids     This Is My Body