Join us at our Celebrating Life Luncheon on October 29! Details and tickets here.
Council for Life is blessed and proud to have an affiliate in Central Texas.
CFL Greater Waco is based in Waco and includes Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan Counties. CFL Greater Waco has formed an outstanding Board of Directors consisting of well-respected Waco community leaders and hosted several events.
Email CFL Greater Waco at centraltexas@councilforlife.org or mail: 208 Hewitt Drive, Suite 103, No. 147, Waco, Texas 76712.
Each of these beneficiaries has been carefully selected and is committed to serving daily in implementing our mission of empowering women, men and youth to make life-affirming choices and to raising public awareness of the complex issues that surround unplanned pregnancies. CFL is grateful for the faith-based, compassionate, free and confidential services that these agencies provide and for their tireless commitment to the sanctity of life.
On May 12, more than 700 guests gathered for the sold-out annual Council for Life Central Texas Celebrating Life Luncheon at the Waco Convention Center. We raised a record $239,000 to support the 10 outstanding 2026 CFL Central Texas Beneficiaries. (Check out the photos!)
Featured speaker Kirk Cameron shared his powerful testimony of faith and why the protection of preborn children is deeply personal to his family. Kirk urged the audience to boldly stand for the worth and dignity of every human life.
Adoption has profoundly shaped Kirk’s family story. He and his wife Chelsea are the parents of six children, four of whom are adopted. Kirk reminded guests as he tenderly reflected on his children: “All of the people in my family…would not even be here if it weren’t for the pro-life community.”
He expressed his gratitude for the CFL Central Texas Beneficiaries that walk alongside women facing unexpected pregnancies. “I feel forever indebted not to a movement but to faith-filled, compassionate defenders of life like you.”
Kirk’s adopted daughter’s birth mother was determined to abort her. Unexpected circumstances led her birth mother to choose life, demonstrating that one courageous decision can impact generations.
Once a self-described atheist, Kirk spoke about the prayer that changed the course of his life and the hope he discovered in Christ.
“Nothing and no one compares to the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and of being forgiven of my sins and brought into a right relationship with God.”
Kirk praised the CFL Mission. “Council for Life Central Texas is a frontline, boots-on-the-ground army, not complaining about the culture, but creating the culture. We want a culture of love and a culture of life.”
Heartfelt thanks to Honorary Chairs Kim and David Littlewood and The Gary & Diane Heavin Community Fund, TFNB, Your Bank for Life, Esmeralda & John B. Sawyer Family Trust, Jimmy Bass and Michelle Dubisky and all our generous sponsors.
Join Us in Creating a Culture of Life!
Please donate to CFL Central Texas to meet the critical needs of our 2026 Beneficiaries and advance a culture that cherishes unborn babies.
Council for Life Central Texas hosted over 80 guests at our Fall Education Event, graciously held at the lovely home of Julie and Roger Lowe.
Featured speaker, Dan Bailey, Founder and CEO of YES, Youth Equipped to Succeed, delivered a powerful and thought-provoking presentation about the challenging cultural landscape that today’s youth navigate. Drawing from his personal experiences of growing up in a turbulent, trauma-filled environment with a single mother, Dan shed light on the profound struggles many kids face.
His talk emphasized that isolation is the number one issue affecting young people today. He explored how the pervasive influence of social media often leads to disconnection, fostering loneliness and a withdrawal from meaningful relationships. Dan also addressed alarming trends, such as sexting and the accessibility of pornography, that compound these challenges.
Highlighting the impactful work of YES, Dan explained how their diverse programs empower students with critical skills to combat loneliness and make positive choices. From addressing alcohol and drug abuse to bullying and sexual risk avoidance, YES equips kids with the tools to thrive. He also stressed the importance of parental engagement in fostering healthy connections.
As Dan poignantly stated, “A connected student is a protected student.”
Watch the full presentation below.
More than 700 people gathered on May 14, 2024, for the 4th Annual Council for Life Central Texas Celebrating Life Luncheon in the Brazos Ballroom of the Waco Convention Center. Actor and pro-life advocate Jim Caviezel passionately delivered a call to action to protect and love unborn babies and their mothers.
Caviezel famously portrayed Jesus in The Passion of the Christ and most recently starred as Tim Ballard in the highly successful film Sound of Freedom.
Jim’s love and reverence for God and our country were evidenced in his powerful message, including quotes from illustrious leaders and his moving prayer in Aramaic. Jim’s faith clearly guides his professional and personal life. He inspired us to courageously and boldly engage in the fight to end abortion.
Lead Pastor of Highland Baptist Church, John Durham, opened the program with a joyful prayer followed by a moving rendition of the National Anthem by Randy Phillips, Lead Pastor of LifeFamily Church Austin and member of Christian music trio Philips, Craig and Dean.
We gratefully acknowledge our exceptional Honorary Chair, Drayton McLane, Jr., and his compassion to boldly protect life. We also recognize our outstanding Luncheon Co-Chairs, Carole Ellis and Martha Kate Gunn, who worked tirelessly to create a beautiful, record-breaking Luncheon.
Heartfelt thanks to The Gary & Diane Heavin Community Fund and all of our generous, faithful donors for your financial support, prayers and partnership in our mission to protect and love unborn babies and their mothers facing an unplanned pregnancy.
A delicious lunch catered by George’s Waco was enjoyed by all. Our generous supporter TFNB produced a memorable video highlighting our eight 2024 Beneficiaries and their lifesaving work. Funds raised from the Luncheon go directly to these nonprofit agencies.
Please take a moment to WATCH THE VIDEO HERE and LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2024 BENEFICIARIES.
Please DONATE to SUPPORT THE URGENT AND CRITICAL NEEDS of the CFL Central Texas 2024 Beneficiaries by clicking HERE or the button below.
Learn more about the missions and projects of our 2024 Beneficiaries that CFL Central Texas is funding HERE.
God has gone before Council for Life Central Texas and blessed our work immeasurably for which we are eternally grateful. We cannot wait to experience the plans He has for us as we continue to honor the worth and dignity of every precious life He lovingly creates in His image.
Sometimes the most powerful stories are found right within our own community.
November 9th was a wonderful morning for the third annual Council for Life Central Texas Fall Educational Event.
Our gracious hostess, Casey Turner, welcomed over 75 women into her beautiful home to hear our speakers, Julie Biles and Lovette Vassar, share their redemptive testimonies.
Laura Siebert of Antioch Community Church opened the event with an inspiring prayer. All felt God’s presence in the room.
Julie Biles is a client advocate at Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Texas in Waco where she counsels women suffering from the trauma of abortion. Julie is also a pregnancy counselor with Let Them Live, empowering pregnant moms to bravely choose life.
Julie recounted her devastating abortion experience at age 16. She was haunted by the memory of her abortion for years and struggled to feel worthy and deserving of forgiveness.
Through God’s grace and the power of a Christ-centered community, Julie found the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and forgiveness offered through His atoning sacrifice. Praise God! We are grateful to Julie for courageously sharing her story with us and being an encouragement to so many.
Lovette Vassar is the Abortion Recovery Coordinator for Hope Pregnancy Centers, a Council for Life Central Texas 2023 Beneficiary. She bravely shared the heartbreaking story of her two abortions.
Lovette experienced the lies of the abortion industry first hand. Far from “fixing” anything, Lovette’s abortions led to unhealthy life choices and an attempted suicide. Through God’s continual pursuit of her, Lovette found a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat and experienced true post-abortion healing.
Today, Lovette serves as a retreat coordinator at Rachel’s Vineyard and uses her story to help other women heal from their abortions. What a testament to God’s redemptive work!
There was not a dry eye in the room after hearing these compelling testimonies. Julie and Lovette encouraged our audience to become involved in Council for Life and support our Beneficiaries.
They challenged us to speak boldly within our circles about the reality of abortion and the deceit of the abortion industry. They also reminded us to speak with compassion and awareness that many suffer in silence from the trauma of an abortion experience.
Thank you again to all who attended. We hope to see you at the Council for Life Central Texas Celebrating Life Luncheon on May 14, 2024!
We continue to grieve the loss of our beloved CFL Central Texas Board member Liz Holley Anderson who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, July 1. Liz faithfully served for the past three years as Communications Chair on the CFL Central Texas Board, sharing her exceptional gifts as a beautiful writer and communicator. Liz drew from her vast prior experience as a broadcast journalist and as founder of Waco-based full-service communications firm E.H. Anderson Public Relations.
The lovely recap below of the CFL Central Texas Celebrating Life Luncheon in May was her last piece of work that Liz lovingly and expertly put together for us. We thank God for guiding Liz to CFL and for her kind and faithful service for His glory.
Our prayers continue to be with Liz’s precious children, Holley and Jackson, who she loved more than anyone in the world.
God bless our Liz and the Anderson and Holley Families.
CFL Central Texas Board
CFL North Texas Board
Blessings continue to flow from the Council for Life Central Texas 2023 Celebrating Life Luncheon held on May 17th at the Baylor Club. A crowd of more than 520 filled the club to hear Council for Life’s powerful life-affirming message.
Waco’s own Holly Tucker opened with an angelic rendition of the National Anthem. First Woodway Baptist Church Senior Pastor, Dr. Paul Sands, provided a moving opening prayer.
Luncheon speaker and “factivist” Ryan Bomberger captivated the audience with his personal story and multimedia presentation. Ryan shared his young birth mother’s courageous decision to choose life for him after he had been conceived in rape. As a tribute to her, he wrote a beautiful song entitled Meant to Be noting, “We often don’t think about the power of one decision, yet her single decision will have reverberations for generations.” Watch Ryan’s speech here.
“When we have conversations about abortion, inevitably the question gets asked: what about rape?” Ryan continued: “I am that 1% that’s used 100% of the time to justify abortion. But thankfully the circumstances of our conception never change the condition of our worth.”
Ryan’s life defies the myth of the “unwanted” child. He was adopted by loving Christian parents who raised 10 adopted and three biological children, each with varying ethnicities and abilities. “I personally believe there’s no such thing as unwanted. Some of us may have been unwanted by a biological parent, but we’re all wanted by someone,” he said.
Ryan and his wife founded the Radiance Foundation in 2009 to illuminate the truth that every human life has purpose, educate about abortion, racism and fatherlessness, and motivate faith into action.
Ryan emphasized, “Texas is leading the nation on what it means to be pro-life. What CFL is doing today for the Beneficiaries demonstrates how to lead in a post-Roe America.” In closing, he tasked the audience with I Corinthians 16: 13-14, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
CFL Central Texas joyfully announced our six 2023 Beneficiaries receiving funding: Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Texas, Hope Pregnancy Centers, Community Doulas of Waco, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, 40 Days for Life Waco, and Youth Equipped to Succeed (YES).
We are filled with gratitude for our Luncheon Co-Chairs Gretchen McCormick and Alice Ogden. We also thank our other CFL Central Texas Board members and volunteers who helped make this outstanding event possible.
We appreciate the generous financial support of all our donors and the many newcomers who attended the Luncheon. We are excited and honored that the Waco community is embracing Council for Life’s mission.
Please join Council for Life Central Texas by supporting our heroic 2023 Beneficiaries.
What a difference a year makes. So is the case for Council for Life Central Texas’ 2021 and 2022 Education Events, which occur every November.
Our 2021 event happened to be on the eve of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That night and many days and years before, we prayed fervently that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Fast forward to our November 3, 2022, event, set in the same glorious lake-view home as in 2021. God answered our prayer. Individual states now have the full power to regulate abortion, making abortion illegal in the Great State of Texas except in rare instances.
To educate Central Texans on what overturning Roe means to Texas women, Council for Life Central Texas convened a panel moderated by Harris Creek Baptist Church Lead Pastor Johnathan Pokluda (JP).
JP asked Dr. Zachery Pettis what circumstances a Texas physician can perform an abortion. Dr. Pettis read from House Bill 1280, “The patient has a life-threatening condition and may be at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.”
Dr. Pettis said a severe uterine infection or severe uterine bleeding are considered life-threatening conditions. He also said the new law has not changed how ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages are treated.
JP asked Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Texas CEO Deborah McGregor Caperton how the new law impacted her work and what changes she has seen in clients, donors, and volunteers. Caperton said there were 1,200 abortions in Waco in 2021 and the years prior. She said, “Now, the babies are coming. The babies are coming!” Caperton says Waco will see many more babies born, with only a short window to figure out how to care for them and get the moms and dads ready, so the babies are born into a safe and stable home.
She suggests a return to “neighbor helping neighbor” rather than depending on the government because the current generation of moms feels isolated because they are coming out of COVID-19 and dealing with inflation.
“Roe is gone, but the work to build a culture of life in this country is far from finished, and the needs for women, men, and babies in Texas have skyrocketed,” said Lisa Chenot, president of the Council for Life Central Texas Board of Directors. “We pray our discussions will help educate and motivate us.”
Vincent Carpenter, Elder and Director of Pastoral Care at Antioch Church, led the group in prayer.
Approximately 75 people attended the event, many of whom brought baby essentials and gift cards donated to Care Net.
TFNB Your Bank for Life provided audio/visuals.
In November 2019, more than 100 Waco residents braved the rainy weather to learn about Council for Life at the home of Betsy and Clifton Robinson. Forty-three event host couples, as well as others, generously contributed seed money to launch the Waco affiliate, all of which will aid Waco area efforts and agencies as they relate to unplanned pregnancies.
The Waco gathering ended beautifully when Chairwomen Lisa Chenot and Sally Bledsoe and TFNB Your Bank for Life CEO and President, David Littlewood, presented checks to Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Texas and Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
Attendees were inspired by Council for Life Founder Emeritus Ann Carruth’s introductory remarks about Council for Life’s founding 18 years ago in Dallas by a small group of Christian women who were deeply disturbed and grieved by the devastation of abortion.
Attendees were further inspired by two poignant stories from Claudia Jones and her husband, Philip, an attorney turned minister, and Le’yandria Ratomski.
Listen to Founder Emeritus Ann Carruth’s introductory remarks about Council for Life’s start, and two poignant stories that brought to life our mission and why our presence in Waco is so very needed.
