Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

 Are you prepared with the message of hope and healing for those attending your church who are considering abortion?  

Go deeper: 

• 54% of women who have abortions identify themselves as Christians.1
• Four in 10 women were regularly attending church at the time of their abortion.2
• Fathers are the most consulted party and the single greatest influence in the decision to choose life or abortion for their baby.3 

Recommended for your church:

• Become a House of Refuge 
• Became an active partner with your local pregnancy resource center 

Are you prepared to fill gaps in relational support, along with tangible resources, to equip families to be places of belonging and safety for the unborn and all children impacted by poverty, crisis, kinship care, foster care and adoption?  

Go deeper:  

• Children raised in single–parent households have a significantly higher rate of poverty and associated negative outcomes than those raised in married-parent households.4  
• Many children are being removed from their homes and placed in an overburdened foster care system for preventable reasons.5 
• 30-50% of foster parents quit within the first year.6 

Recommended for your church:

• Single Parent Support Groups like Embrace Grace and Families Count 
• Care Sharing technologies like CarePortal are available in many locations, giving churches unique opportunities to be at the point of connection for kids and families in crisis.  
• Team Support for foster, adoptive and biological families through Care Communities 

Are you prepared with the insights and strategies needed to connect more effectively with those who are suffering from the impact of childhood trauma? 

Go deeper:  

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events or circumstances that occur in childhood and can impact long-term health and well-being.7  
• Preventing ACEs can significantly increase thriving in individuals and families and decrease risk associated with chronic health conditions, mental illness and substance abuse.8 

Recommended for your church:

• FREE trauma informed care training resources for church leaders and volunteers here
• Christian Alliance for Orphans’ annual Summit 

Are you prepared to receive kids and families impacted by disability with a posture of flexibility and creativity to meet their needs and include them fully in the life of your church? 

Go deeper: 

• An estimated 60-90% [9] of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb are aborted in the U.S., compared to 18% [10] of all pregnancies.  
• Children least likely to attend church are those with hidden disabilities like autism spectrum disorders and common mental health conditions.11  
• More than half of parents with children impacted by special needs report keeping their child from participating in religious activities due to lack of support.12 

Recommended for your church:

• Disability inclusion ministry resources from Key Ministry 
• Disability & The Church annual conference 

Are you prepared to combat the current epidemic of loneliness in retirees by inviting them to use their unique gifts to serve vulnerable kids and families? 

Go Deeper: 

• Approximately 48 million Americans of retirement age identify as Christians. This uniquely gifted and resourced group of Christians is often underutilized in our local churches.13  
• Over 1/3 of adults aged 50-80 report chronic loneliness, which is associated with poorer physical and mental health.14 
• Medical Assistance or Aid in Dying (MAID) is on the rise. In Canada this includes those “whose natural death was not reasonably foreseeable.”15  
• Suicide is also on the rise, especially among those 65 and older.16  

Recommended for your church: 

• Celebrate the impact of retirees who are trading a lifestyle of leisure for God’s unique call on their lives and a commitment to faithfulness for a lifetime. 
• Consider the potential for intergenerational impact when an increasing number of Christian retirees engage in purposeful ministry to vulnerable children and families.  
• Retirement Reformation provides free resources to help people discover and pursue their God-given purpose in retirement.  

Provide a House of Refuge for those experiencing unplanned pregnancies: 

1. Her PLAN | Pathways to Life 

2. Abortion in the United States | Guttmacher Institute  

3. Fatherhood & Family – Care Net | A Pro-Abundant Life Ministry 

Provide practical support and family strengthening: 

4. AECF | Child Well-being in Single Parent Families 

5. CarePortal | Foster Care Crisis 

6. NFYI | Forst Care Crisis – Parent Shortage. 

Provide trauma-informed support for individual, family and generational healing: 

7. CDC | Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) 

8. CDC | Vital Signs – Adverse Chldhood Experiences (ACE’s) 

Provide a place of belonging for those impacted by special needs: 

9. OBGYN | Prenatal Diagnosis of Down Syndrome 

10. Abortion in the United States | Guttmacher Institute 

11. Key Ministry – Church4everychild | The Hidden Disabilities  

12. Church4EveryChild | Statistics on Disbability and Church 

Provide rich ministry opportunities for retirees: 

13. National Poll on Healthy Aging | Trends in Loneliness Among Older Adults 

14. Retirement Reformation 

15. Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada 

16. NCOA | Suicide and Older Adults: What You Should Know