Ministries Making a Difference: Four Ways Ministries are Valuing Life Immigrant support, abortion pill reversal, addiction recovery, and relief for Iranians in crisis.

At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. That’s why we advocate for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Christian ministries.

Because of that, we cover stories we’d rather not have to—waste, fraud, and abuse. We do it unapologetically because, besides exposing evil, we believe these stories offer lessons for ministries and donors to learn from.

Still, that’s not the whole picture. God is at work throughout the world through His children who are surrendered and committed to serve Him. That’s where this column comes in.

We pray this weekly roundup encourages you and reminds you that faithful stewardship is often simple and steady, and that for every story we publish about poor stewardship, many others are prayerfully laboring to steward well.

 With that, here’s this week’s roundup of ministries making a difference:

Last month, Administer Justice reported that more than 2,500 people nationwide registered for its webinar, “How Can My Church Help Our Immigrant Neighbor?” In February, leaders from Administer Justice, World Relief, and Immigrant Connection shared practical ways churches can support immigrant and refugee neighbors with compassion, wisdom, and justice. Speakers urged congregations to move past partisan debate, respond from a biblical posture of “love of strangers,” and stand with vulnerable families amid a rise in immigration enforcement that has affected many people without criminal convictions, including some with previously lawful or pending statuses. They also highlighted church-ready resources and encouraged churches to act in faith rather than fear. Administer Justice has a 4-Star Financial Efficiency Rating and an A Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 100.

Heartbeat International recently announced its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network has helped save more than 8,000 pregnancies by connecting women—who regret starting a chemical abortion—with licensed clinicians who may prescribe bioidentical progesterone after mifepristone. The organization says demand is rising as medication abortion becomes more common and pills are increasingly obtained online or by mail. The rescue network includes over 1,500 medical professionals and works alongside Heartbeat’s global network of more than 4,000 affiliated pregnancy help organizations. Heartbeat International has 3 Stars and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 68.

About 10 years ago in Jaltenango, Chiapas, the Restoration Center “La Fortaleza” began as a simple shelter. Today, the Church of the Nazarene-led ministry runs a daily, four-month residential rehabilitation program for up to 30 people struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction. Staffed by a 12-person team, La Fortaleza (The Fortress) has served an average of 90 people a year over the past four years (about 360 total) and reports restored lives and repaired family relationships. To sustain operations, the church supports the center through small projects (building materials, livestock, crops, food sales, a general store, and fish farming), with key help from the Sierra District’s compassionate ministry, “Ebenezer.” The ministry hopes to expand, including a dedicated space for women.

Transform Iran is asking supporters to pray as conflict escalates across the Middle East and the ministry prepares for what it calls an “open Iran.” On February 28, President and CEO Lana Silk described a U.S.-Israel attack on Iran as “inevitable and sadly necessary.” She later warned that removing top leaders alone may not bring lasting change because Iran’s leadership functions as “a very vast network…with multiple factions,” and real change will require more than what has happened so far. For more than 35 years, Transform Iran has served the Iranian diaspora: sharing the gospel, training leaders, and aiding persecuted believers, while also providing humanitarian relief, including emergency food and shelter, medical care, and legal assistance for asylum seekers. Silk says the ministry’s focus is shifting from long-term preparation to imminent need, urging prayer for the brokenhearted and for “a quick and decisive end” and a “righteous transition of leadership…from this brutal, oppressive dictatorship to a democracy.”

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