“When abortion occurs, it involves not only the termination of a pregnancy but also the termination of God’s work in the womb.” (Scott Rae)

What can Pastors do?

• Take 5 minutes to talk about God’s plan for the preborn from the pulpit. The church needs to be courageous and bold in declaring God’s love for every person. You could be saving a child’s life by sharing God’s truth with your congregation.
• Show them your church is a judgment-free zone. Tell your flock that you will love and support every single woman who is facing an unintended pregnancy.
• Let your congregation know you are there for them if there’s an abortion in their past. Too many people lock this secret deep in their hearts, believe there is no forgiveness and suffer shame and regret for the rest of their lives. Reaching out to and supporting post-abortive women and men can help put them on the path to true forgiveness and healing.

Your words can save lives. Be a leader for life.

Today: Read and commit to the Pastors Pledge

Worried you won’t know what to say or don’t have the resources to support the women and men who might turn to you? Call us at 608-259-1606. As a parachurch ministry, we’ll come alongside you.

Request resources for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

What Does the Bible Teach?

1. The Bible recognizes that life begins in the womb.
   • “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt.1:20-21)
   • “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.” (Lk.1:41)
2. God is at work to develop a unique person in the womb.
   • For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Ps. 139:13,16)
3. God knows children in the womb.
   • “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5)
   • “for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” (Lk. 1:15)
   • See also Gen. 25:22-24; Ps. 139:16; Gal. 1:15
4. God wants His people to defend and protect life.
   • “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Ps.82:3-4)

What Can Our Church Do?

Be there for women.

The church has the power to change the culture! By creating more resources for families we can help provide an environment where they can thrive. There are many ways you can help single moms, including sponsoring Care Net’s Benevolence fund, which meets critical needs. Your church can volunteer to do a group project, or host a baby bottle or collection for Care Net so we can continue to reach women in crisis. You can start your own ministry to support unmet needs in the community. Email Nora Statsick, Church Outreach Coordinator, to learn more.

More resources:

• Read Gospel-Centered, Non-Political Things Every Pastor Can Do to Decrease the Impact of Abortion.
• Download 10 Ways Ministry Leaders Can Promote a Christ-Like Response to Abortion.
• Download 10 Ways Our Church Can Have a Christ-like Response to Abortion and get started on a project.

How Can I Talk With Someone Who Has a Different View?

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:19-20)

1. Listen to them and try to understand why they believe what they do about the unborn. Ask questions such as, “Why do you believe this?” or “Do you have an experience with abortion?”
2. Begin with a common ground: “All life is valuable.”
3. Explain that an unborn child is a valuable human life.
   • Size–How big you are doesn’t determine value or worth. A difference in size doesn’t disqualify someone from being a person. For example, a man who is six feet tall isn’t more important than a child who is three feet tall.
   • Level of development–Physical development doesn’t determine value or worth. A baby who can only crawl isn’t less valuable than a child who can run.
   • Environment–Where you live doesn’t determine value or worth. Moving across town doesn’t make you more valuable as a person. Just so, a child who lives in the womb isn’t less valuable than someone who has moved out of it. 
   • Dependency–Being dependent on another person for life doesn’t determine value or worth. A teenager who prepare their own food isn’t more valuable than a newborn baby who needs to be fed.