Rocknations

Hey Everyone,

I just landed in the UK this morning for the Rocknations Youth Conference, hosted by Rocknations founder, Steve Gambill, and Abundant Life Church. I am so excited to be a part of this conference with over 1,000 young people from all over Europe and beyond. This is the 9th year of Rocknations, and we had a full on amazing opening session tonight! After a great message by Steve Gambill, 212 young people came forward and committed their lives to Christ. We’re just getting started and it’s going to be an amazing weekend! I wanted to give you all a glimpse of what’s going to be happening this weekend…

I will be speaking several times throughout the conference, and again at Abundant Life Church on Sunday morning. It is so much fun being here with my good friends Steve and Charlotte Gambill. I’ll be sure to update you on how the rest of the conference goes! So exciting!

Pictured with Steve Gambill and Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill
at Mercy Ministries' 25th Celebration last year

Meet Two of Mercy’s Second Generation Leaders!

As you know, we have taken in hundreds of young girls over the years who were facing an unplanned pregnancy. I often get asked the question, “How many girls choose adoption and how many girls choose to parent?” The truth is that our statistics show that it is about 50/50. We totally support a girl’s decision to parent her child, and our goal is to help equip her to be the best we mother she can be during her stay at Mercy. The girls who choose to parent have baby showers and we look for ways to help them pursue educational opportunities to provide an income, we help prepare budgets for them, life-skills training, and all kinds of other practical things. Then, for those young girls who feel that adoption is the best choice for them, we allow them to be involved in making out a list of things they have in their heart for their child as far as an adoptive family is concerned. It is amazing how God will take the desires of that young girl’s heart and match her with the couple of her choosing.

I want you to meet two of our second generation leaders who are actually graduating from high school this year. Both this handsome young man and this beautiful young woman blessed me with their senior pictures.

Parker Templeton

When I first met Parker’s birthmother, she was one hour away from her appointment to get an abortion that very day. Through being able to provide a practical way for her to choose life, she went into our Louisiana home and later gave birth to Parker. As you can see, he is so handsome and is very special to me and to our staff at Mercy Ministries. He comes by often to say hello, and it is not uncommon for us to find him at our fundraising events throughout the year. Parker will always have a very special place in my heart.

Brightie Lowe

As far as Brightie is concerned, her birthmother felt that adoption was the best choice for her. She wrote to Brightie about her unconditional love and her desire for her to have a better life than she could provide. Brightie has stayed in regular touch with me and Mercy over the years, and even had me come as a guest speaker to a youth event in the State of Indiana that she herself organized with the help of her parents who pastor a great church in Warsaw, Indiana, Pastors John and Debbie Lowe.

I just thought you would find it interesting to meet these two seniors who are graduated from high school, but who are also leaders in their generation. I can’t wait to see all that God will do with these two in the future. Thanks for your support. It is literally affecting lives for many generations to come!

Women on the Frontlines!

I have been at an amazing conference called Women on the Frontlines this week with people from all over Tennessee, the United States, and other nations of the world. It was my great joy and honor to be asked to speak at this conference, but I can honestly say that I received much more than I was able to give. What a great blessing it is to be able to sit under these great women of God and the ministries they have been faithful in for years. Some of the guest speakers included James Goll, Heidi Baker, Sharon Stone, Patricia King, and Shelvi Gilmore. I also want to give a big shout out of praise to James Goll for his faithfulness as a man of God and the head of the ministry that hosted the conference. How cool is it that men of God release the women of God to fulfill their God-given assignments?! I am very, very happy that I have connected with this great group, and I am so proud to call James Goll my friend!!

Me and James Goll, new found friend and mighty man of God!

I also want to mention a great inner-city ministry right here in Nashville that has raised up a children’s choir called the Unity Choir. They performed for us the first night, but I have to say that it was much more than a performance – it was powerful and God-breathed! I was very touched to realize that one of our very own Mercy staff, Julie Ingle, works with these kids in this ministry along with her husband, Andrew, who was there taking a lot of great photographs. I thought you might enjoy some great pictures from this weekend.

The Unity Choir performed before Heidi Baker spoke
on Wednesday night – so powerful!

Heidi Baker speaks at Women on the Frontlines

Mercy Graduate Impacts Next Generation

I just got a Facebook message with an update from one of our graduates from over two years ago who is now doing great things for God. I wanted you to be able to read it in her own words and see some of the pictures she sent regarding the update she gave in her awesome Facebook message to me.

Nancy,

I just wanted to tell you today (July 18) marks 2 years since I graduated from Mercy Nashville.

In those 2 years, I have accomplished a lot. I am living life! After returning home, I worked in a day care and graduated from high school. I have worked as a counselor at a Christian camp and ministered to many 1st-3rd graders. I've completed my first year of college and made the Dean's List. I've taught dance at two companies and choreographed & performed a dance to a song written by Mercy staff member, Faith Gilmore. I've begun as a volunteer leader for Wyldlife and I minister to middle schoolers - I will be going with them to camp next week! I've donated 13 inches of hair to Wigs for Kids. I've even been dating a great Christian guy for almost a year now (and I SWORE I would NEVER date!)

Life has not been perfect, but God has been SO good to me. He healed me while at Mercy, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go there.

Thank you!

Carly

I can’t really add much to this powerful testimony. I’m just so very proud of Carly and wanted to give her a big shout out!!!

Love to all,
Nancy

Carly and her mom at Carly’s high school graduation

Carly with her boyfriend, Jonathan

Carly with some of the kids she counseled at summer camp

CeCe’s conference – Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!!!

I can’t even begin to tell you what a powerful move of God we had for two solid days from early in the morning until late at night. There was not one thing that happened in this conference that God wasn’t all over. The young men and young women that were there absolutely loved it! Our girls were blessed beyond words. I salute CeCe Winans and her awesome team for a job well done. No doubt about it – this weekend was completely life-changing from start to finish beginning with Coach Tony Dungy and ending with a fabulous concert Saturday night featuring Da Truth, Mary Mary, BeBe and CeCe, The Katinas, Anthony Evans, Nia Allen, and more.

Check out some of the highlights from these pics!

Off to the Always Sisters Forever Brothers Conference…

Today is going to be a short one because I am going to hear Coach Tony Dungy at the Always Sisters Forever Brothers Conference. After that, I’ll get to listen to CeCe Winans speak and hear awesome Christian music from the likes of The Katinas, Mary Mary, CeCe Winans, and many others. These two days are going to be an absolute blast!!! I will be speaking in tomorrow morning’s session, so please pray for me.

We are believing that many lives of the young men and women joining us at the Belmont Curb Center in Nashville will be greatly impacted and transformed this weekend. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Love to all,
Nancy

Me pictured with CeCe Winans at the Mercy Ministries 25th Anniversary Gala

Look what’s happening this weekend…

I can’t wait until this weekend! Look what’s happening…

www.alwayssisters.com

I’m so pumped that I get to be a part of this awesome conference, and I’m especially excited that the guys are included this year. I can’t wait to hear Tony Dungy, Superbowl champion coach of the Indianapolis Colts. This conference is Friday and Saturday and all of our 40 Nashville residents along with a bunch of our staff will be going. I speak on Saturday – can’t wait! CeCe Winans is an amazing woman who has such a heart for the next generation of leaders. I salute her for putting this conference together, and I will give a report of how it all went next week.