"I'm Pregnant"

 I'm pregnant

Those are two words Bible school or seminary don't prepare you for.  What do you say?  How do you react to an unplanned pregnancy of a teen in your ministry?  Experientially, I have never dealt with that myself.  Many of you will and this is meant to be a help for you.  The advice here comes from Group's Emergency Response Handbook for Youth Ministry:  Listen, give advice when asked, and get help where needed.

Probably the thing most needed from a young mother-to-be is a listening ear.  She probably feels alone, abandoned, and guilt may be overwhelming her.  Just knowing that there is someone willing to listen without condemnation may be the biggest help you can offer at this time.

Give advice when asked.  You will probably want to offer your advice.  You probably have great advice to give.  Try to withhold it until she asks you for your advice.  Tread very carefully here, because you are dealing with a minor.  If she hasn't already told her parents, you will need to eventually encourage her to do so - even offering to be there when she tells them.

Get help where needed.  This is a big issue that may need a professional counselor if it goes beyond the scope of your professional expertise.  There are most likely multiple clinics that deal with this situation every day near you.  In my area there are at least three that provide resources, counselling, and help for young women that find themselves with a crisis pregnancy.

Another great help from you at this time comes from how you react.  Overreacting or underreacting will just further alienate the young woman you are ministering to.  Helping her to react well would be meaningful as well.  After David reacted horribly to the situation he put himself and Bathsheba in, he wrote the 32nd Psalm:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.'   And you forgave the guilt of my sin (vs. 3-5, NIV).

God knows even the secret things of our heart.  When we are honest with Him about our sin, He takes that heavy burden off of us so we don't have to bare it anymore.  Counseling her (and him) to do this is some of the best, sound, Biblical advice you can offer them as they move forward with their lives.