What Does it Mean to be Pro-Life?
At Embrace Grace, we view 'pro-life' as a deep commitment to advocating for the rights and protection of unborn children, affirming their intrinsic right to life from conception. Our community, dedicated to this cause, extends its focus beyond anti-abortion efforts, embracing the preservation and respect of life at all stages. This belief in safeguarding life aligns with principles like strong national defense, emphasizing the safety and well-being of all citizens. The pro-life movement, therefore, encompasses not just a stance against abortion but a holistic approach to valuing and defending life in its entirety. We stand united in this cause, from addressing unplanned pregnancies and supporting pregnant women to challenging practices like euthanasia and the death penalty, all while advocating for the basic human right to life of every individual, from the fertilized egg to natural death.
The Church’s Place in the Pro-Love Movement
Excerpted From, Help Her Be Brave, by Amy Ford
The church can be one of the first places a girl runs to when she finds out she has an unplanned pregnancy. It should never be the place she avoids because of shame and guilt. The church can help her be brave and choose life. The church can reach out and invite these women and men into a spiritual family. The church can help heal past hurts and wounds because free people free people. The church can help practically by giving single or struggling moms support so they don’t just survive, they thrive.
Most Christians say they want to live that way. But I believe the same Christians who have taken a stance for the sanctity of life don’t realize that if abortion became illegal today, the church wouldn’t be ready. What would we do if there were women who were pregnant and scared, even angry, that they must carry an unplanned baby to term? It wouldn’t be right for us to look away and say, “Good luck!” We would have to be available to assist spiritually, emotionally and physically.
The Sobering Realities
At Embrace Grace, we recognize the church's pivotal role in supporting mothers and families. Key statistics emphasize the urgency:
- In the U.S., 40% of all births involve unmarried women.
- 18% of U.S. pregnancies ended in abortion in 2017.
- In 2013, 85.2% of abortions were among unmarried women.
- Alarmingly, 40% of women who chose abortion were regular churchgoers.
- Approximately 11 million U.S. children are in single-parent homes. These statistics are not just numbers; they represent human beings in need, guiding our mission as a pro-life organization.
Personal Reflection and Empathy
These statistics represent real human beings, their struggles, and opportunities for pro-life groups like us to offer empathy and support. We are committed to addressing the challenges of unplanned pregnancies and advocating for the right to life of every human being while understanding the complexities women face in these situations.
Integrating Sanctity of Life with Compassionate Support
Central to our pro-life movement is the sanctity of human life. This commitment extends to anti-abortion advocacy and support for pregnant women. The complexities around abortion decisions, particularly considering Planned Parenthood and pregnancy centers, require our nuanced, compassionate approach.
Holistic Response and Cultural Shift
Our response involves public policy discussions and active support through adoption agencies and sidewalk counseling. We collaborate with groups like Pro-Life Action Ministries and Operation Rescue National to create a culture that values the life of every human being, from fertilized eggs to natural death.
Championing a Pro-Woman, Pro-Family Ethos
Our ethos is pro-woman, pro-family. We strive to build a society where every unborn child and mother is supported and the dignity of all human beings is upheld. This involves opposing practices like euthanasia and the death penalty, reflecting our broader pro-life values.
For more information and ways to join us, visit Embrace Grace.
Finding Your Role in the Pro-Life Movement
Joining the pro-life movement with Embrace Grace is a meaningful way to support human life, especially in light of the current discourse around life issues and the significance of recent Supreme Court decisions. Embrace Grace offers a compassionate framework for those interested in advocating for the basic human right to life, focusing particularly on supporting single parents facing unplanned pregnancies.
1. Initiating a Support Group in Your Church
Embrace Grace provides a vital pathway for those committed to the pro-life movement, allowing you to actively support human life by starting a support group within your church. This initiative is crucial in offering a compassionate environment for single parents facing unplanned pregnancies. These support groups are more than gatherings; they are communities of care and understanding, crucial in the advocacy for life. Embrace Grace equips these groups with Biblically-based study guides and video teachings designed to provide spiritual and emotional support.
2. Utilizing Resources for Impact
The resources available through Embrace Grace are tailored specifically for supporting life. They serve as more than just informational tools; they guide in creating a supportive, judgment-free environment where life is cherished. By leveraging these resources, your group can effectively support and guide individuals through their unique journeys, reinforcing the pro-life ethos.
3. Serving Through Various Roles
The pro-life movement offers diverse opportunities for involvement, and Embrace Grace encapsulates this variety. Roles range from leading a group to volunteering or providing resources. Each role is vital in advocating for and nurturing life and in helping to destigmatize unplanned pregnancies within communities and churches.
4. Impactful Engagement
Engaging with Embrace Grace in the pro-life movement allows you to make a meaningful difference. It's about demonstrating compassion, offering support, and upholding the value of every human life. Joining this movement enables you to advocate effectively for those who might feel voiceless and contributes to a culture that values and respects life in all its stages.
For detailed information on starting a support group and the resources Embrace Grace provides, please visit Start a Group. This page offers comprehensive information for initiating positive change in the lives of those dealing with unplanned pregnancies and in your broader community.
Heartbreak to Hope: Empowering Choices
In the heart of Embrace Grace's mission lies a profound journey from heartbreak to hope, especially for women facing the dilemma of an unplanned pregnancy. Often, in such challenging times, the option to choose abortion might seem like the only apparent path. However, Embrace Grace is dedicated to shedding light on alternative paths that resonate with God's love and compassion, offering empowering choices to these women. Our stance is not just anti-abortion; it's about showing that choosing abortion is not the only option by presenting love-infused, life-affirming alternatives that honor the lives of both the mother and her unborn child.
At Embrace Grace, empowerment is deeply intertwined with the embrace of God's love. We provide a nurturing community where every woman is seen, heard, and valued, regardless of her circumstances. Our aim is to shift the focus from the overwhelming nature of an unplanned pregnancy to a future brimming with hope and possibilities. Through providing resources, education on alternatives to choosing abortion, and compassionate support, we guide women from a place of uncertainty to one of empowerment and hope. In doing so, Embrace Grace stands as a beacon of God's unwavering love, demonstrating that being anti-abortion is a commitment to nurturing life, offering support, and empowering women with the grace and love of Christ.
More From Help Her Be Brave, by Amy Ford
Recently, I was working the Embrace Grace booth at a pro-life women's conference and met a young woman named Terrisa, the founder and executive director of Pro-Life San Francisco. She leads a millennial-focused, grassroots activist group operating in arguably the most pro-choice city in America. She speaks to pro-life groups about secular and millennial outreach throughout the United States.
But what really makes Terrisa stand out in the pro-life community is that she is an atheist. “Amy,” she said when she walked up to the Embrace Grace booth, “I wanted to see if you would be one of the speakers at our upcoming Pro-Life San Francisco event that will take place at UC Berkeley. Would you be interested?”
I couldn't hide my surprise. “Ummm … you know what my message is about, right? The church, life, love—and Jesus. Wouldn't that be an issue for you?” “Yeah, I know what your pro-love message is about. I don't believe in your God. But I believe in the power of your people. If you can get the church to actually do something, then the abortion issue wouldn't even be an issue. The pro-life side has the manpower because we have the church. We have got to activate the church to get involved, and things will start to change.”
Whoa. An atheist can recognize the power within us, but we haven't. Come on, Church! If we join together, using all the strengths and gifts God put inside each of us, we would push the tipping point back toward life. And back toward love.
Excerpted from Help Her Be Brave: Discovering Your Place in the Pro-Life Movement by Amy Ford (©2021). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.