We encourage you to make Project Candlelight a day-long or even week-long event in your church or faith community. During Coerced Abortion Awareness Week (and all year long), it’s important to preface your outreach by shedding light on new evidence that most abortions are unwanted or coerced. This gap leads many to snap judgments about those hurt by abortion that can put up walls that prevent compassion, help and healing.
Forced abortions happen close to home, and serious post-abortion issues also need to be illuminated to challenge our community and open doors to real help, hope and healing for those personally affected.
The single most important thing any church can do to raise awareness of these issues is to have the support of those in church leadership, especially the pastor. This lets people know that they are not alone and that their church or faith community is a loving and supportive place where they can seek help and healing.
For those currently experiencing coercion or being forced into unwanted abortions or those suffering post-abortion trauma (65% suffer symptoms of trauma) or suicidal behavior, especially teens at risk, this is an urgent priority. By calling this to your pastor’s attention, you will save lives – born and unborn – foster unity, compassion and renewed hope.
Please ask your pastor or preacher to teach and preach on these issues with a sermon/homily or other talks (see idea 1) Simply share our pastor’s letter or write a short personal request and attach some of the resources we have provided.
Below is a list of other activities and ideas that you, your church or faith community, or your ministry can do during Coerced Abortion Awareness Week/Project Candlelight, or at any time during the year.
1. Ask your pastor or other church leaders to preach and teach on these issues. See our pastors and speaker page for materials that address these issues, including a free electronic copy of The Jericho Plan, our guide for pastors and church leaders. Encourage a focus on new evidence that most abortions are unwanted or coerced; that forced abortions occur in our communities, too (homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women) in addition to post-abortion issues. This important “pre-abortion” prelude is rarely reported in public media and can trigger blanket condemnation that discourages and marginalizes those at risk or hurt. It is an important prelude to abortion and post-abortion issues.
This new evidence also points to a need for real alternatives and support for those facing unplanned or challenging pregnancies and raising young children. There is also a need to warn parents and others, while offering support and healing for women, men and families hurt by abortion.
For those currently experiencing coercion or being forced into unwanted abortions or those suffering post-abortion trauma (65% suffer symptoms of trauma) or suicide ideation, especially teens at risk, the prelude of coercion and the heartbreak of post-abortion issues may represent an immediate risk.
2. Pray for those impacted by these issues and invite others in your church or community to do so as well. Download, copy and distribute our list of prayer intentions to families, prayer groups, ministries, etc. Use these pro-woman/pro-life intentions at a prayer service, liturgy, Sunday service or other event. Consider joining others in a day of prayer and fasting. (See item #5 below for a Lenten offering or 40 Days project idea plus these encouraging scripture verses.)
3. Hold a prayer breakfast, candlelight vigil, service or other event with a speaker from a local post-abortion healing ministry or someone who can share their personal story of abortion. Or read personal testimonies (find more here) from those who have been there. Use our list of prayer intentions and scripture verses to pray for those who are at risk of abortion, those facing an unwanted or coerced abortion and those who have been hurt by a past abortion.
4. Invite a woman or man who has been involved in an abortion to share his or her story at a church service, prayer service, etc. Contact your local pregnancy resource center, post-abortion ministry or pro-life group for information about possible speakers. Or have a volunteer read a personal story from someone who has been there. (Note: it should be clear that the speaker is reading someone else’s story.)
5. Share and pray about excerpts from our Forced Abortion in America special report with others to raise awareness that there are women in your community who might be at risk for abuse, discrimination or violence if they become pregnant. Commit to praying for those at risk of pregnancy- and abortion-related violence and individuals and families already hurt. These stories are difficult but important to read. To end on a more hopeful note, share these scripture verses, too.
Post or have information on hand in your church about local crisis pregnancy centers or others who might be able to help women who are victims of violence (note: be sure that these resources will not encourage or pressure the woman to abort if she is in a violent situation). You can find a list of national resources here.
6. Run our bulletin ads and other small space ads in your bulletin, church or pro-life newsletter, or other publications to raise awareness of these issues.
7. Use our ads and flyers as inserts in your bulletin or newsletter or post on your church bulletin board, ministry table, church literature rack, etc. Make copies to use as inserts in your church bulletin or newsletter. Print contact information for your local pregnancy resource center/post-abortion healing ministry or other resources on the bottom of co-op flyers/ads (the ones with the boxes), or post such information nearby.
8. Publish the resources and materials from this list online on your church web site, social networking sites, blogs and other sites, etc.
9. Sponsor a Signature Ad in your local newspaper or other publications to raise awareness, challenge people to get involved and show your support for those at risk or already hurt. Invite members of your church or faith group to make a small donation to have their signature included in order to cover the cost of running the ad.
10. Raise awareness via your church web site, bulletin, newsletter, pastor’s column, etc. Use our key messages, ads/flyers and act sheets to educate readers about unwanted and coerced abortions, the harm abortion causes to all involved and the need for support for those who are pregnant or have been involved in an abortion. If your church or faith group has a web site, Twitter feed, or Facebook page, post or link to these free documents to educate users.
11. Donate and keep books on hand (in your church library or elsewhere) that educate people about unwanted and coerced abortions, the pain and trauma caused by abortion, etc. Check with libraries in your community, including school and college libraries, to see what resources they have on hand. Donate copies of helpful books for their shelves. See our book list and reviews for a list of appropriate resources.
12. Conduct a letter-writing campaign to raise awareness of coerced and unwanted abortions, the impact of abortion on women, men and families and to offer resources, support and healing. Use our sample templates for ideas and information to create your own letters. Mention that readers can find more information at www.theunchoice.com.
13. Use the key messages and other resources on this list to write an opinion piece for your local newspaper or other publication. Point out that most abortions are unwanted or coerced and forced abortions occur in our communities, too (homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women). Abortion exploits and traumatizes women, men and families and subjects women to physical and emotional trauma, including a higher risk of death (abortion kills women too). The need for compassion is great.
14. Sponsor an ad in your local newspaper or other publication to raise awareness of these issues. The ad can be sponsored by your church; pro-life, church or community ministry; or by a coalition of churches and ministries.
15. Hold a fundraiser or donation drive for a local pregnancy resource center or post-abortion ministry. Encourage church members to do volunteer work with these ministries, and suggest these ministries as a volunteer possibility for students needing service hours or other civic groups. Hold a “baby shower” to collect goods or post a list of needed items for a pregnancy resource center or maternity home. Talk to ministry staff to find out what their needs are and how your church or faith group might help carry out their ministry. You can also use these funds to purchase and donate books to church or civic libraries to help warn, deter, educate and heal.
16. Start a support group or offer services for parents or families facing a difficult or challenging pregnancy, or for single or struggling parents. Recruit volunteers to assist with things such as childcare, car or home repairs, shopping, running errands, etc. Talk with others in order to assess what needs there might be in your church or community and how best to help meet them. Work with a local pregnancy resource ministry to host a class for pregnant or parenting teens and their families to help them negotiate this difficult phase in their lives.
17. Find out if any abortion recovery groups in your area are observing Abortion Recovery Awareness Month during April. Offer to work with them on events that raise awareness of the abuse, exploitation and pain surrounding abortion and help those who’ve been there find healing. Or contact Abortion Recovery InterNational to find out how your church can become part of these events.
18. Make a donation to the Elliot Institute to support our research, education and outreach efforts, including the Church Awareness Project. For more than 20 years, the Elliot Institute has been a world leader in conducting research on the psychological impact of abortion on women, educating the public about the risks of abortion and that most abortions are unwanted and coerced, and raising awareness of the need for support and healing. You can learn more about our work here and make a donation here.
If you have other ideas, feel free to share them below!
Learn more about Coerced Abortion Awareness Week/Project Candlelight
Learn more about the Church Awareness Project
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