“I really love how Embrace Grace is a tool for the Church to prevent the devastation in the first place.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

Facing an unplanned pregnancy, women often feel desperate and afraid. Anxious about how others will see them, they can be drawn to the quick “fix” of abortion. A ministry at Peace Tower Church exposes this lie by coming alongside women with friendship, practical support, and the Gospel.

“Embrace Grace is all about loving mamas to life,” shares Ginger Ntagabo, who pastors at Peace Tower Church with her husband, Jimmy. “Its emphasis is how the Church can embody the love of Jesus by being tangibly present, to walk alongside these women throughout their pregnancies and beyond.

“We want them to know the Church is not going to condemn or reject them, but love and support them.”

Ntagabo first learned about the ministry through post on Facebook. Having personally experienced the fear of a crisis pregnancy and the trauma of abortion, she immediately saw the need.

“I really love how Embrace Grace is a tool for the Church to prevent the devastation in the first place. It not only saves a life, but it prevents men and women from living with this regret for the rest of their lives, especially where there are issues like anger, depression, alcoholism, eating disorders, or suicidal thoughts related to the unhealed wound and trauma of abortion.”

“My hope and prayer is that other churches will also offer Embrace Grace within the region, so churches collaborate on being a support for women in our community. Wouldn’t it be great to have multiple churches offering it at different times of year?”

Peace Tower Church hosted Embrace Grace in September 2022, partnering with crisis pregnancy centres to distribute “Love Boxes” of gifts and information. Women who are interested can then join an 11-week spiritual and emotional support group. At the end of the program, the church hosts a special day for the expectant moms to dress up and be pampered, have their photo taken, and receive encouragement and prayer.

The church also hosts a baby shower to give practical gifts to the new moms. For women who choose adoption, the church hosts a celebration of life to honour them for choosing life and help them gain closure as they walk through the adoption.

Peace Tower is currently preparing to host Embrace Grace again this fall.

“My hope and prayer is that other churches will also offer Embrace Grace within the region, so churches collaborate on being a support for women in our community. Wouldn’t it be great to have multiple churches offering it at different times of year?”

“Through the ups and downs, it was evident that God was working.”

Ntagabo says Embrace Grace makes it easy to run the program.

Myrlande was one of Peace Tower’s co-leads for Embrace Grace last fall. She says the ministry helps reassure women that despite the challenges of their situation, they are loved and the Church is there to support them.

“What really touched me in this whole ministry was the fact that we are pro-life, which is a stance, but we are being pro-love, which is being active in this thing you believe,” Myrlande shares. She adds that the impact last fall was clear. “It really blessed the young woman we had. We only had one, but she was really touched by everything.”

At the baby shower, the woman shared that if it had not been for Embrace Grace, she would not have returned to church.

“Through the ups and downs, it was evident that God was working,” Ntagabo states. “I was in awe of God when I could see the impact it was making in her life. She was really getting it, how loved and valued she and her baby are in the eyes of God, and how she could be courageous and brave with the God of the universe on her side.”