As pastor of a congregation you serve in many ways:
You lead your flock in worshipping God.
“Praise God in his holy sanctuary: give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.” ~Psalm 150:1
You are the teacher of the Gospel for your church members.
“Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” ~Matthew 28:19
You help heal emotional and spiritual wounds to bring people closer to Christ.
“The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, gathers the dispersed of Israel, heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds.” ~Psalm 147:2-3
You make Jesus present among your followers.
“Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 11:1
You spread the good news Jesus Christ brought to us.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ~John 20:21
With your strong leadership and example, we can:
- WORSHIP God even in the face of the extreme evil of abortion as we beg forgiveness and repent for the sin of abortion
- TEACH others how to be courageous and not ashamed to stand for what is right, the protection of all human life
- HEAL those who have already had abortions
- Make Jesus PRESENT in the darkest of situations by praying at the very facilities where abortions happen
- SPREAD the good news of the loving pro-life message
One in three women will have an abortion by the time she is 45. That should motivate you as the leader of your flock to do two things:
- Work to make it so that people do not feel like they have to go through with an abortion
- Bring healing to those who have already experienced abortion
Without you, we cannot grow our prayer presence to cover multiple abortion facilities in prayer. These mothers and babies at ALL the Austin abortion facilities deserve to see loving faces praying for them and offering help, connecting them with life-affirming resources.
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Tips for preaching about abortion
There is a lot of pain in our midst…pain regarding the tragedy of abortion. We as pastors share in that pain. We are also called to address it. Dealing with it is an essential aspect of our call to serve the needs of our people.
Some of the pain of abortion comes from having been involved in one.
Some of the pain, on the other hand, comes from simply knowing it happens. Most people understand abortion is wrong. But because they know that doing something to stop it will involve sacrifices they would rather not make, they don’t really make an effort to learn more about it. Facing abortion directly, after all, will make them feel worse about not doing something about it.
In the midst of this dilemma, we are called and sent as pastors.
We are called to bring hope, reconciliation, and healing to those who have procured or cooperated in abortions. We are also called to encourage and equip our people to make positive changes in society, so that respect and protection for the lives of our unborn brothers and sisters will flourish.
A pastor is a minister of truth and compassion, two realities which, far from being contrary to each other, are essential aspects of each other. God, after all, is both Truth and Compassion itself, and He is One.
No matter how pro-life the leadership of a church is, it is statistically likely that some women in the congregation will be in a position where they consider having an abortion. Josh Brahm suggests one minimal leadership decision that any pastor, minister, or parish priest can make that is likely to save lives within their congregations.
“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
-Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor
Click here for a Sample Pro-life sermon.
Click here for Louder Than the Silent Scream- the Deafening Silence of Our Pulpits: An Open Letter to Evangelical Pastors in America.
From a former Planned Parenthood Director…
Abby Johnson – author of the best-selling book unPlanned, subject of the major motion picture Unplanned, public speaker, and former Planned Parenthood Director, has this to say:
Abby: I grew up in a pro-life Christian home, but I never once heard my preacher talk about abortion.
Pastor: I preach about abortion every year during the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.
Abby: It’s not enough. About 55% of women who have abortions claim to be Christian.
Pastor: Abby, how often do you think I should be preaching about abortion?
Abby: I don’t know, but I will say that when I worked at Planned Parenthood, it was not uncommon for a woman to be holding a rosary or Bible in her hands while she laid on the abortion table. So you tell me, how often should you preach about abortion?
~ Pastors ~
This is why we cannot do this without you. Please contact us at 512-296-2071 or
info@CentralTexasCoalition.com for more information and to get your church involved.