According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over a quarter of a million babies are born to teen moms in the U.S. each year. Best-selling author Tricia Goyer has writtenTeen Mom: You’re Stronger than You Think (Zondervan / March 3, 2015 / ISBN: 9780310338871 / $15.99) because she doesn’t want one of them to fall through the cracks of the culture.
Everything changes the day these young girls discover they’re going to be a mom, and the pressures they’re under can be crushing. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports that teen moms are more likely to drop out of high school and nearly half of them live below the poverty line.
Q: This book comes from a very personal place for you – share a little bit of your own story.
I was a very young mom when I had my first child, just seventeen. Teen pregnancy was something whispered about in 1989, but I noticed the stares. My boyfriend was out of the picture, and I faced raising a child alone with little education, no money, and maybe according to the world, little hope for my future. According to government research, most teen moms face lives of hardship, living on welfare for the most part-becoming a burden rather than an asset to society. Yet, I am not a statistic. And you know why I’m not a statistic? Because God doesn’t do them.
Q: Why is ministering to teen moms through Teen MOPS so important to you?
Every moment I’ve spent volunteering in these teen mom support groups is worth it. I remember being the one who needed to hear about Jesus’ love and forgiveness when I was a soon-to-be mom at age 17. Somebody talked to me, and it cost them, too. Was it worth the cost? Was I worth the cost? I feel it was. I feel I am. And what did God see? He must have seen something worthwhile. Because at age 43, I’m a multi-published author of magazine articles, Bible study notes, curriculum, and fifteen books. I’m a national speaker, traveling to share God’s good news. While in my twenties I helped to launch a Crisis Pregnancy Center, helped start numerous abstinence programs, and as you’ve mentioned, launched support groups for Teen Moms.
Q: What would you say to encourage people to reach out to young moms?
I’ve been honored to watch these stories of transformation unfold, but that’s only happened because deep down I knew there was someone out there who needed to hear. There is someone in your community who needs to hear, too. Someone who feels alone. Someone who feels unworthy. Someone who feels ashamed.
Q: What can people do on a very practical level to help single moms in their community?
“Take up your cross and follow me,” Jesus said, and in 2015 that looks a little different than what it did in Jesus’ day. It might mean asking a friend to drive your child to t-ball practice, or walking away from that pile of dishes, or spending hard-earned cash to hire a babysitter for two hours so you can take someone out to just talk.
Q: This book is written specifically to teen moms, but how do you see its impact reaching beyond that?
Ultimately I’d like this book to reach church leaders, pregnancy crisis centers, counselors, support groups, and anyone involved in the lives of teen moms. I know that this evergreen book has the power to change lives for the better.
Learn more about Tricia Goyer and Teen Mom at www.triciagoyer.com and on Facebook (authortriciagoyer) or Twitter (triciagoyer).