Forge Alum Heads Up Pregnancy Center: Bryce’s Forge Story (4 Min Read)
As the Supreme Court prepares for a historic decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization hearing, many people are working on the local level to affect hearts and minds and serve local women, men, and their babies. One of those people is Forge alumnus Bryce Asberg.
Bryce is a 2021 graduate of Hillsdale College and participated in the 2018-2019 Forge Mentorship Academy. Remarkable for his age, Bryce was recently named Executive Director of Helping Hands, a pregnancy resource center based in Hillsdale, Michigan. He and his wife, Celina, met at Hillsdale and married in 2020.
His remarkable story and passion for the unborn and their parents are an excellent example of servant-hearted leadership. I hope you enjoy his story.
“The mission that God has placed in front of us”
“I decided to attend the Forge Summit in the summer of 2018 after Adam Josefczyk came and spoke at Hillsdale College. Although I didn’t know anyone attending Forge, I decided to apply because of the personal connection I established with Adam. I am so grateful I did! As a political junkie, it was a dream come true to be able to argue on the statehouse floor and pass bills through committee. But even more important than that valuable experience was my surprise at the caliber of speakers that Forge hosted. While I had been to several political events and conferences, Forge stood out for the caliber of speaker represented.
The speakers did not merely parrot conservative talking points that I had heard before. Rather, they expounded principles and showed deep conviction. Most importantly, Forge speakers had a real integrity. When they spoke about faith, they spoke as those who had been changed by the gospel of Christ, and not as those who saw religion as a means of winning elections.
The D.C. and Israel trips were phenomenal as well. Through visiting D.C., I was exhilarated by the number of solid Christian men and women serving in our nation’s capital. As we spent time at the Alliance Defending Freedom headquarters, I fell in love with that place and the organization, resolving to come back, not knowing that I would serve as a Media/Communications intern in that office just a year later. It was during our trip to D.C. that I realized that months of email and Messenger communications with my Academy classmates had served their purpose – these young men and women had become my friends.
And in Israel I had the privilege of exploring a new country with these treasured friends. We saw many sights and marveled at their historical significance. In addition, we walked in the places Jesus Himself stood, and that was awesome!
Helping Hands PRC is a small pregnancy center that has been faithfully serving the residents of Hillsdale County since 1986. Helping Hands equips women and men to make life-affirming decisions about pregnancy, parenting, and sexuality through the gospel of Jesus Christ. While Helping Hands has a wonderful mission and a strong board of directors, over the past several years the organization has had lots of staff turnover and needed a new executive director to help grow the organization to the next level.
Through a couple acquaintances on the board, I learned of the job opening and was encouraged to apply. I was offered the job and began serving on September 2nd. As Executive Director of Helping Hands, I am responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the ministry and working with the board to implement long-term plans. Practically, these responsibilities include accounting, fundraising, writing, working with vendors, event planning, public speaking, building community relationships, overseeing staff, and anything else that needs to get done.
This fits perfectly with who God has made me to be. God has called me to promote a biblical understanding of human dignity and to make disciples. Leading Helping Hands allows me to work toward both these ends, serving women and men in crisis pregnancies, upholding the value of human life, and pointing them toward the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Forge has been a key part of my story by sharpening my skills and providing me a network of mentors and peers to serve alongside and learn from. I could not have predicted the course that God has led me on, and I do not pretend to know what is coming next. But I do know that God will be faithful, and He will accomplish what He wills.”
Forge alumni continue to impress me with their excellence and desire to serve others. I’m thrilled by the variety and uniqueness of the callings God has placed on their lives and their obedience to say “yes” to the challenge and task ahead. Please keep Bryce and the Helping Hands ministry in your prayers as they work to love and serve women and men in crisis and the unborn
