On July 13th, 1984, on the 11th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Ronald Regan proclaimed “National Sanctity of Human Life Day”. He stated that one of those unalienable rights, as the Declaration of Independence affirms so eloquently, is the right to life.” President Regan went on to say that right to life belongs equally to “babies in the womb, babies born handicapped, and the elderly or infirmed.”
National Sanctity of Life Day continues to be recognized by many organizations, churches and individuals every year on the third weekend in January. This Sunday, January 21st is Sanctity of Life Sunday. It provides an opportunity to reflect and pray for lives that have been lost and focus on how we can support life in the future.
I’ve witnessed over the years that when it came to abortion, it was easy to get the people of God motivated to speak and act on behalf of the unborn child. Many Christians prayed and worked for years in opposition to abortion rights. Then on June 24, 2022, a historic decision was made when the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.
The fact that abortion is now illegal under most circumstances and not as easily attainable as it once was doesn’t eliminate the fact that there remains a young lady who has recently learned she is pregnant without support or a plan for her future, or that of her child. Have we failed to recognize the needs, distress, and devastation this mother will experience when faced with this reality?
This scenario is played out week after week in over fifty-one KBC affiliated pregnancy resource centers in Kentucky. A young woman finds herself in a very difficult place because of an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy and the pregnancy resource center is there to help. But these faith-based pregnancy resource center need partnering churches to help counsel, coach, share a gospel witness, and provide support for this mother and her family. These partnerships provide churches with opportunities to live out their faith by coming alongside a young woman and her family.
Here are some ways your church can minister in partnership with a pregnancy care center to help women experiencing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies:
- Donate baby clothing, furniture, car seats, and/or formula.
- Provide food, clothing, and a safe place for expectant mothers.
- Serve as a mentor for expectant mothers.
- Sponsor a baby shower for the center with gifts of clothing, furniture, diapers, and formula.
- Partner with a pregnancy resource center to teach young women good parenting skills.
- Plan a mission trip to a center to do maintenance, painting, and redecorating, if needed (call the center director first before visiting to determine an appropriate time to arrive).
For more information and a list of KBC affiliated pregnancy resource centers, visit www.kybaptist.org/pregnancy
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