We offer a Christ-centered outreach.
We know a mother’s conversion of heart is not dependent on our efforts but on God. Accepting this and placing our trust in Him, takes the pressure off us.
So, we surrender everything to God our Heavenly Father and we begin and end each session in prayer. And we take comfort in knowing that God will not allow our work go without bearing fruit, even if we don’t see it.
It’s not a surprise to any of us that there is a lot of brokenness in the world. This brokenness and hopelessness shows up in what we see and hear at the abortion facility. They’re broken. But to be honest, we’re all broken to some degree; yet God loves each of us. That’s why we take a compassionate approach.
When a woman arrives she often is emotional. She likely feels desperate and believes abortion is her best choice.
Our goal is to help her to process her situation from a logical versus emotional perspective. So we try to slow things down as much as possible.
But getting people to stop is a major obstacle for us. Drivers are leery.
Why? Well, it helps to understand how others see us. In Sidewalk Advocates for Life training they ask us to list our views about abortion and how we perceive ourselves and then how pro-choice individuals see it. Not surprisingly there is a big differences. They see us as against choice, against women’s health, and see us as protestors.
We need to bridge that gap. So, how do we do that? Well, that’s where a friendly smile, a wave, a brightly colored vest, and a clipboard come in handy. We smile and wave, make eye contact, hold our hand out signaling slow down, then make a stopping motion. Most blow right by us.
But if they stop, we realize she may be uncertain, may be looking for help, or she may be looking for a sign. So we act quickly. First, we want them to realize we’re not protestors; we are truly concerned and care for the mother. Second, we want her to know there is help for her no matter her situation.
When given the opportunity to talk, we start with mom. Trying to find out what’s going on with her – what’s driving her decision to abort. Then we point to resources that address that particular issue. Then we move on to her baby, and then to God if given the time.
In every encounter, our goal is to get information into the mother’s hands, to let her know there is help no matter her situation, and to perceive a loving future for her and her baby. We don’t want her to suffer needlessly…
We don’t want her to suffer needlessly…
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Proverbs 31:8)
