Is your church impacted by abortion? What does it look like for your church to support vulnerable pregnant and parenting women?
Whether you’re a pastor or a churchgoer, there’s a good chance you’ve been asked these questions before — or asked them yourself. Maybe your church is a leader in life-affirming ministry. Or maybe, you’re just starting to deepen your engagement in serving vulnerable mothers and their children. Regardless, it’s more than likely that someone in your congregation will consider abortion or has already been impacted by it.
There are countless stories of faithful churchgoers who felt abortion was their only option. In fact, four in ten women were regularly attending church at the time of their abortion. Did you know 54% of women who have abortions identify themselves as Christians?
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An abortion-vulnerable woman isn’t just a faraway stereotype who someone else can care for and support. She could be anyone — your neighbor, the cashier at the grocery store, or the woman sitting next to you in the church pew.
Like each of us, both she and her unborn child are created in God’s image and likeness and have inherent dignity. She has unique needs, her own story, and is worthy of a compassionate community of support. Churches have a special calling to be that place of hope and loving help for mothers facing difficult circumstances, empowering them to choose life for their children and thrive without resorting to abortion.
Here are three ways you and your church can observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, on Jan. 19, and uphold the dignity of all human life by supporting vulnerable moms and their babies.
1. Volunteer at your local food pantry, thrift store, or pregnancy center
There’s no better way to put pro-life ideals into action than by volunteering with life-affirming organizations in your community that make it possible for moms to overcome difficult circumstances and choose life. With 97.4 percent of their clients reporting a positive experience, pregnancy centers offer vital, quality support services, including ultrasounds, pregnancy testing, parenting classes, and material support resources such as diapers and baby clothes.
Did you know volunteering with a food pantry, thrift store, or resource closet at your church can also be a life-affirming service? By giving your time to help at one of these ministries, you’re making it possible for a struggling mom to receive the food or material support she needs for herself and her children. Removing a barrier that’s standing in a woman’s path to choosing life — such as fear that she won’t be able to provide basic necessities for her unborn child — can make all the difference in empowering her to choose life and thrive with a community of support.
2. Download the Her PLAN App
Each woman’s story, circumstances, and needs are unique. If you encountered a struggling mom in your neighborhood or in the checkout line at the grocery store tomorrow, would you know where to refer her for support?
For women facing unexpected pregnancies, often the pregnancy isn’t the crisis. It’s the circumstances around her — such as a lack of resources or support — that are causing her to believe abortion is her only option.
Her PLAN has developed seven categories of care that address common reasons women cite for abortion by showing available resources that stand ready to offer support. Our Directory of life-affirming resources catalogs over 5,000 life-affirming provider listings in 29 states that encompass these categories of care, such as material or legal support, care coordination and pregnancy support, and recovery and mental health.
The Her PLAN app makes available a robust Directory of life-affirming resources that stand ready to help her, no matter her circumstances. The next time you encounter a struggling mom in need of resources or talk with a woman who shares she is facing an unexpected pregnancy and needs support, you can be ready to share trusted, life-affirming resources with her that are ready to help.
3. Celebrate the beauty of motherhood and support her through the challenges
Whether it’s hosting a baby shower for a struggling mom in your local community or starting a support group, such as an Embrace Grace group, for single pregnant moms in your congregation, being there to support moms through the joys and challenges of motherhood is critical.
Uplifting mothers and those who have dedicated their lives to supporting them, such as maternity homes, pregnancy centers, and other life-affirming ministries, is a beautiful way to uphold the dignity of each mother’s precious life and the lives of her children — born or unborn. Motherhood brings real challenges and requires immense sacrifices, but it also brings countless blessings and immense joys that are worth celebrating.
So, as we prepare to observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, there’s no better time than right now to engage and be the hands and feet of Christ to vulnerable moms and children. Doing one of the suggestions above or participating in the Help Them Both Challenge are great ways to start. Let’s reach out to offer support and be there when moms and babies need it most, not just this Sunday, but throughout the year.
Autumn Christensen is the Executive Director at Her PLAN.
