WE'RE HEADING TO EAST DUNDEE, ILLINOIS!
Since early 2020, Redeeming Life has been actively planning to expand our maternity home program by opening a second location in Northern Illinois. After almost two years of prayer, planning and searching, in April 2022 we announced that the new location will be in East Dundee, Illinois! This new home is critical to protecting the lives of unborn children in Chicagoland right now. There are many ways individuals, churches, businesses and civic organizations may get involved to help support this expansion.
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Learn more about the history of this expansion project, the partners who are helping to make it possible, and the search for a suitable location.
WHY THIS EXPANSION MATTERS
In 2017, an analysis showed that Illinois had 90 abortion-providing facilities. Additionally, Illinois has some of the most aggressive abortion laws in the country! The need for a Lutheran maternity home program has never been greater. Our goal is to redeem the lives of single mothers and their unborn children by providing hope, love and a future as we share the Gospel of Christ.
Important facts about abortion in Illinois
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In 2018, 42,441 babies were aborted
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There is no requirement for counseling prior to the abortion to discuss the abortion-breast cancer link, the pain to the fetus and the negative psychological effects of abortion
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There is no waiting period required for a women to consider other options
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Parents of minors are given notice prior to an abortion, but consent is not required
Our goal is to protect the lives of women and unborn children in Illinois.
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Single pregnant women who lack safe, stable housing feel that abortion is their only option. Redeeming Life is a positive, pro-life maternity home that provides just-in-time resources to redeem the lives of women and babies.
How can you help?
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Pray for the success of this expansion and spread the word about this new maternity home in Northern Illinois throughout your faith and local community
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Redeem the lives of women and babies with a gift to support the new maternity home.
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Consider becoming an Advocate for this expansion in your church and local community
LET'S MAKE THIS HOME A REALITY IN THE NID!
Join us in prayer for the success of this expansion and that God will provide the right people and resources at the right time. We continue to lift this project to the Lord and seek His blessing and guidance.
Help the ministry expand its reach to serve and gather more resources. Recruit individual advocates who will champion the new maternity home in their local spiritual community.
Will you consider fundraising within your church to help us open the new maternity home in Northern Illinois? Please help us reach the funding goal and make this home a reality.
WE CAN BUILD A PRO-LIFE MINISTRY IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS TOGETHER!
To help support the new maternity home in East Dundee, Illinois, donate here or mail a gift marked for "Illinois" to:
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Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries
P.O. Box 1496
Sanford, FL 32772-1496
Interested in hosting a fundraiser? Get ideas here.
MEET THE HOST CHURCH FAMILY
Immanuel Lutheran is under the leadership of Pastor Bill Yonker and is a thriving congregation with many opportunities for our residents to learn about Jesus and serve Him. We believe Immanuel will make a lovely and welcoming church family. Immanuel’s role is that of spiritual support by providing opportunities for worship and Bible study and to simply love and accept the residents as God’s children, dearly loved by Christ.
The host congregation has no operational role in the home. Under the supervision of Sheryl DeWitt, Executive Director, Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries Inc., the home will be operated by local staff. Financial support will come from the congregations and individuals who have a heart for preserving life through the mission and ministry of Redeeming Life’s maternity home ministry. We encourage and invite every congregation to invest in this positive, pro-life ministry.
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Read more about the history of this expansion project and how this partnership began.
A CALL FOR ADVOCATES IN ILLINOIS.
In order to redeem the lives of vulnerable pregnant women in Chicagoland, we need local advocates all over Illinois. Advocates are passionate about maternity home ministry and help spread the word about the new Redeeming Life maternity home in their churches, organizations and neighborhoods to reach pro-life supporters and ask for support.
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Focus & Time Commitment: Advocates are willing to attend 3 or 4 virtual meetings each year, keep their congregation informed and engaged with the maternity home, and help garner financial support for the ministry. We have videos and materials to help local advocates build awareness, generate excitement, and share updates about this expansion project.
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Please watch a 15-min presentation on Redeeming Life's Advocate Program to learn more. If you're ready to become an Advocate or have questions about the program, please download a flyer and complete the interest form here.
Advocate Resources
Brochures & Collateral
Videos
Fundraising Campaigns
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING!
Please join us in prayer for the Northern Illinois maternity home, the ministry, staff and volunteers, and the moms and babies who will be served there!
Dear Lord Jesus, you gave everything, even your life that I might live. I Pray that you might use me to touch the lives of the most vulnerable, especially the unborn and their mothers. I ask you to bless those who minister to them. Bless the efforts of Redeeming Life and the Northern Illinois District, its staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers as they prepare to open a maternity home in East Dundee, Illinois. Send your Spirit to build up and strengthen them, that their efforts are not in vain. Guide and direct them to the home that you have already chosen and provide all that is needed to serve those who will live there. AMEN
SPREAD THE WORD.
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Share news and updates about Redeeming Life's maternity home expansion in Northern Illinois and the NID! Download brochures and collateral from the links below.
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Like and share our stories on Facebook
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Connect us to a local pregnancy center for client referrals
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Promote us within your church, pastoral team, small groups and LWML society
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Invite us to participate in your life affirming events
Brochures & Collateral Material
OFFER FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
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Ask for a special offering in church, chapel or Sunday School or ask your members to donate online
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Host a virtual and/or local baby bottle campaign fundraiser
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Collect gift cards to provide food, personal hygiene items, diapers, baby supplies, and transportation to our residents
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Request an in-the-box Angel Tree Fundraising Kit for Christmas or "Christmas in July"
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Include us in your missions budget
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Alert us to grants available in your church or district
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Designate your Thrivent Choice Dollars to Redeeming Life
To give to this expansion project, donate here or mail a gift marked for "Illinois" to:
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Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries
P.O. Box 1496
Sanford, FL 32772-1496
THE HISTORY OF THIS EXPANSION PROJECT.
In early 2020, Redeeming Life was asked to expand its vision and open a new maternity home in the Chicagoland area.
The Life Task Force and Maternity Home Steering Committee of the Northern Illinois District (NID) along with LCEF asked to partner with Redeeming Life about opening a maternity home in the Chicagoland area. The enthusiasm and vision of our brothers and sisters in the NID made this an ideal location to consider for our first expansion home. In order to help more at-risk women and babies, Redeeming Life expanded its vision to have a maternity home in every district of the LCMS, and Chicagoland was the place to begin.
The new maternity home expansion project began moving quickly with a few unexpected surprises along the way.
Early in the initial plans, the NID team received word that a home was being donated to use for this project. With the solid infrastructure of Redeeming Life's maternity home program and time-tested policies and procedures, we would be open quickly. The donated property did not materialize, but the partnership between the two ministries did not waiver. Redeeming Life and the NID began actively working on expansion plans to open a second maternity home in the Chicagoland area, creating partnership opportunities for congregations in the NID to preserve life through a much-needed maternity home program.
As of December 2020, we had heard from 10 NID church families who "raised their hands" as potential partners for the new maternity home.
We prayed and asked, and God provided! By December, the RLOM Expansion Committee began working through the decision-making process to select a host congregation from ten great families. In reality, each of the congregations has its own unique attributes and would make a great host church family. We were overwhelmed and humbled by the all of the wonderful Pastors and congregations that have come forward and expressed their desire to become part of this expansion project.
By February 2021, we knew that God was leading us to partner with Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Dundee.
Immanuel Lutheran is a thriving congregation with many opportunities for residents to learn about Jesus and serve Him. Under the spiritual care of Pastor Bill Yonker, we believe that Immanuel will make a lovely and welcoming church family. Immanuel will provide spiritual support through worship, Bible Study and instruction classes to residents, and will love and accept the residents as dearly loved children of God.
In March of 2021, the parsonage located on the property of Faith Lutheran Church was selected for the home.
In March of 2021, we selected the parsonage on the property of Faith Lutheran Church that we believed would become a lovely and suitable maternity home once renovations and updates were completed. The projected cost of the renovation was estimated at $100,000.
By October 2021, we had spent over seven months trying to overcome a variety of zoning issues which precluded us from purchasing the parsonage.
A capable team of professionals and experts rolled up their sleeves and spent hundreds of manhours trying to make things work. We did our very best and, in the end, the terms were not acceptable for the long-term operation of a home in that location.
After much prayer and many hours of discussion, we made the hard decision to pursue a different location. Very soon after making the decision to seek another location, a new opportunity presented itself in East Dundee, closer to our host congregation.
Please pray God’s will be done and that He guide our steps in every possible way as we consider this new location. With His help, we hope to open in 2023!
In April 2022, we had approval to purchase a portion of a property in East Dundee, Illinois that will serve as the new maternity home location!
The saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Dundee approved our offer to purchase a portion of their 16-acre piece of property just east of their school. We are in the processing of entering a formal contract with Immanuel so we can apply for the various permits and permits needed to renovate and operate on the property.
Summer 2023 The Redeeming Life maternity home in East Dundee is undergoing extensive remodeling to transform this solid ranch-style house into a modern, 5 bedroom home for 4 moms and their babies and a residential manager.
The updated floor plan utilizes space for a large kitchen and central dining area plus a welcoming communal living room. Resident bedrooms share two redesigned bathrooms and provide private sleeping quarters for each mom and her child.
Individuals and groups are encouraged to consider sponsoring a room to ensure each space in the home is fully furnished and ready to welcome residents once the renovation is complete. Sponsor-a-Room partnerships provide for investing in high-quality, durable furnishings that will serve our residents for years to come while offering supporters an opportunity to assist in decor choices and more! To learn more, click here.
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS.
The success of this expansion project and the progress made this far would not be possible if it wasn't for our wonderful friends and the gift of their time and talents. We thank every individual involved from the NID Life Task Force, the Maternity Home Expansion Committee, LCEF, and the entire staff of Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries.
GIVE WITH CONFIDENCE.
Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
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We have achieved the Gold Candid Seal of Transparency. A Candid Seal of Transparency indicates that a nonprofit has provided key information in its Nonprofit Profile. By providing up-to-date information, nonprofits allow potential donors and funders to make educated decisions about the work they do to make the world a better place.
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Follow this link to learn more about the Candid Seal of Transparency.
To give to this expansion project, donate here or mail a gift marked for "Illinois" to:
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Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries
P.O. Box 1496
Sanford, FL 32772-1496