About Us
Help and Caring Ministries of America is a Free Christian Non-Denominational Ministry. This ministry is a private ministry, and shall serve no public purpose. We have not made a covenant with any State or Federal entity, and according to the First Amendment of the Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Pat and Darold Larson:
Portrait of a vision
By: Karon Srur
Imagine, for a moment, that you are a 16-year-old female honor student. You're at the rebellious period in your life where your intellect has nudged you to shrug off parental guidance and authority. Your elite peer group expects you to conform with their life style, which may include drinking, drugs, and experimentation with sex. To deny their way of thinking would result in the death of your popularity. Consequently, you submit to the pressure and find yourself saying, "yes," not only to your friends, but to a particular boy that insisted that he loves you. Discovering that you may be pregnant, you confront your sexual partner. You realize that his intentions might have been for selfish gain. He, along with your friends, degrades you, not for losing your virginity, but for getting pregnant. Your self-esteem is dwindling and paranoia sets in. Like a child, you want to run to your mother and father, but you remember that communication with your parents is at an all-time low. Does anybody understand? Does anybody care?
What about the young man? Is he really all that tough and that insensitive? What is he thinking about? Being a father, married to someone he really does not love, paying child support for the next 18 years? Scared and confused, who could he talk to who would listen?
Darold and Patricia Larson will listen, and they care. If you were to drive by the Larson's home in the middle of the night, it would not be uncommon to see a light on, and if you peeked in for a moment you would see them talking with someone who is hurting..... someone who believes life is not worth living..... Someone who has lost his will to go on. In compassion, Pat and Darold would reach out. Pat says, "We have sensitivity and heartache for what they are going through. We just try to encourage them to hang on until the storm is over."
Darold and Pat Larson are both natives of the Red River Valley. Darold grew up on a farm in Hope, North Dakota, while Pat topped her family totem pole as oldest of six children from Moorhead, Minnesota. The early part of Darold's adult life was spent as a salesman, then as the owner of a small business that he started. Although his business prospered and was very successful for several years, it ended in failure and left them looking up from the bottom. Gaining vast financial experiences through that failure, Darold is a believer that "difficulty is the nurse of greatness." He secured a position as Development Director for Liberty University in Virginia. While there, he secured several million dollars of charitable wills and trusts directed to non-profit organizations. His early trials also inspired him to write two books: How to Find a Better Job and How to Heal a Troubled Marriage.
Pat's understanding of healing has been aided by her degree in nursing. As a Registered Nurse, she felt qualified to assist people in need, especially people with broken hearts. While Darold spent a lot of time traveling to raise funds, Pat would counsel people, particularly young single women, in her home who found themselves in unplanned pregnancy situations. Many women were alone, hurting, and confused about their values, their lifestyles, and the decisions they had made concerning their premarital sexual activities. They didn't know where to go, who to talk to, or how to handle it. When they knew someone would be there to stand with them and to encourage them, they would say, "If you will help me, I know I can make it." Pat has been working with women in crisis situations ever since. In compassion, Pat is reaching out.
Back 1982 when Help and Caring Ministries began the Larson opened their home, using their front porch as an office to listen to teenagers in trouble. This outreach has since grown to several support services throughout the community, including: a women's care clinic, a maternity home for unwed mothers, an adoption agency, family and individual counseling, a credit consolidation /debt management center, a low-power Radio station, and a Chaplains' association.
How did Help and Caring Ministries officially begin? Encouraging people who are going through difficulties seems to be second nature to the Larsons and it seems to be a vision of the theirs to become more organized in their caring outreach. In 1982, Pat ran an ad in the local newspaper. She offered free pregnancy tests and counseling. The response was so overwhelming that the Larsons' front porch became a women's care clinic almost overnight. It wasn't long until the porch was inadequate to handle all her clients. Presently, the Women's Care Clinic offers free pregnancy testing, confidential counseling, and the latest updated pregnancy information. The clinic refers their clients to a licensed physician for medical services, and they help arrange pregnancy financial aid referrals. The Women's Care Clinic assist all women in need, whether they are single or married, and regardless of age, race, or religion.
One of the doctors who encouraged the Larsons to keep growing and helped give them a vision, along with being active on their Governing Board, was Dr. David Perry. Dr. Perry would provide medical services to these young women with out charge. He and his wife, Judy, also took women into their home who needed a place to stay accepting them like family. David and Judy housed over 50 young women in crisis situations and became close friends of Pat and Darold until November of 1984, when tragedy struck. Dr. David and Judy Perry were killed in a car accident, leaving eight children, ranging from 8 to 18 years old. This was devastating to the newly formed organization. It wasn't long, however, until that vision began to grow again. The Perry Center was created in memory of these friends. A home was purchased and now The Perry Center is a non-denominational Christian Maternity home for women in an untimely or unplanned pregnancy. Here they can find hope for the future and their babies. The Perry Center has live-in facilities available for eight women and is funded entirely by individuals and groups who are supportive of the outreach. Educational, emotional, spiritual, and medical assistance is available. Other services include maternity clothing, baby clothing, baby furniture, and adoption counseling and referrals.
Because many of these young women choose to release their babies for adoption, the Larsons co-founded Christian Family Life Services, Inc. Christian Family Life Services is more than simply an adoption agency-- CFLS is a ministry to children. Its primary concern is to place children with Christian parents who are prepared to meet their physical, spiritual and emotional needs.
Back in the early days, Darold was asked, "What do you do in you spare time?" He simply smiled and replied, "I still have a heart for sales and for working with sales people. When I can, I travel around the country leading 'Secrets of Selling' seminars. You know, sales people talk to a lot of people every day and are a great influence in America. I enjoy sharing ideas and challenging them to go for the goal, and to be encouragers to the people they call on or that come to them." Darold says, "We're all sales people. We may promote a product, service, idea, or way of life, but first and formost, we are all in the people business."
Darold and Pat's love has changed the lives of many people. Pat relates, "We have worked with people as young as 12 years old, and some as old as 58 years old who are depressed at the thought of waking up in the morning. We talk to them, encourage then, and help them any way we can. It's frustrating not to have the money to help them further, but we have seen that someone who cares can make a difference."
As in all businesses or agencies, time and money are needed to make a real difference. Money talks, and like most non-profit agencies, Help and Caring Ministries is primarily funded from donations. In order to grow and do more, more resources are needed, people are needed, specifically people and money to cover operating costs. Mr. Larson is now devoting his energy to a united effort across the county to help people though a new outreach program called "Chaplains in Service." Chaplains in Service is a network of chaplains that share the vision of reaching the world with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to become a Chaplain in your area, email us at: office@helpandcaringministries.org for a free informational packet.
The purpose for which Help and Caring Ministries was organized is to establish and operate a Religious Christian Ministry.
The Ministry is dedicated to disseminating the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God to the end, that people may be evangelized and believers may be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. (Mark 16:15-16, Psalm 96:9, and Acts 16:5), teaching the Holy Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, edifying the body of Christ, and exhorting people to live the fullness of the Gospel in every aspect of their lives by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 6:8 and II Corinthians 5:20).
To assemble people for fellowship (Hebrews 10:25) and prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and to worship God in spirit and in truth (Luke 4:8).
To provide religious biblical preaching of the Word of God, evangelistic crusades, biblical education (II Timothy 2:2), charitable benevolence, and Christian mission work (Proverbs 11:24-25 and II Corinthians 9:13) and to cooperate in the building up of the whole body of Christ.
To establish a biblical form of ministry and government (Exodus 18, Ephesians 4:8-11, and I Corinthians 12:27-31).
To adopt a recognized statement of faith, code of doctrine, and ministry discipline (Acts 8:38, 15:11, 16:31, Romans 4:20-25, I Thessalonians 4:14-17, and I Peter 1:21).
To the ordination of chaplains, pastors, and ministers upon completion of requirements designated by the ministry (I Chronicles 9:22-23, Titus 1:5, I Corinthians 7:17, and Acts 14:23).
To organize Christian leaders to establish and maintain outreach ministries (Colossians 4:16, I Corinthians 16:15, and Romans 16:1).
To propagate the Word of God and the Gospel, through ministry seminars, ministry literature, and other forms of mass media for the purpose of educating individuals about the Word of God (Psalms 96:10, Proverbs 13:17, Mark 13:10, and Acts 13:47).
To provide and maintain the fundamental teachings of the faith, including New Testament discipleship (Romans 10:9-11 and Acts 6:7)
“.....and now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God’s flock, His church, purchased with His blood- for the Holy Spirit is holding you responsible as overseers.” Acts 20:28
1. We believe the Bible to be the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
2. We believe that there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return to power and glory.
4. We believe that, for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost into the resurrection of damnation.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
