A Wholistic View of Pro-Life

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A Wholistic View of Pro-Life

Alison Tews

I praised God when I heard the news that the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24. Finally, after almost 50 years, the action of taking the life of an unborn baby is not considered a constitutional right. I pray more states, including Illinois, will make elective abortions illegal. It will also be important to consider this issue in the upcoming state elections. But in the meantime, Christian churches have to be ready to go above and beyond to serve mothers and families who are processing the reality of having an unexpected baby.

This is when America will watch closely to see if Christian churches are truly pro-life, beyond being anti-abortion.

Currently, I work in DuPage County as a social worker for Intact Family Services, which is the family preservation service offered to families who are the subject of abuse or neglect investigations by the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). When the DCFS investigators determine there are risks within the home, but the children are safe, the family is offered intact family services. I work with families who are dealing with substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health crises and generational cycles of poverty and trauma. Many of these families will be hardest hit by anti-abortion legislation in conservative states, so I want to share some stories (with details changed for confidentiality) to provide insight into the challenges these families face and how churches can step in.

A young couple has four children under three. Both parents have mental health challenges largely due to abuse they experienced in their families of origin. Only one parent works because they can’t afford childcare. After giving birth to the youngest, they were evicted from their apartment and are homeless. They have no transportation, so the mom spends most of her income on Ubers to get to and from work. The rest of her income goes towards diapers, and she can’t afford to take time off work to get herself to the doctor. four children under four would be hard for parents with support, but for this family, it would cost them their jobs and any hope of saving enough money for an apartment. The stress could lead to increased domestic violence and poverty or mental health crises possibly to the point of the children being taken into foster care.

What would happen if the church came alongside the family now to teach the mom how to drive, to help them buy a used car, let them borrow a computer to apply for lowincome daycare assistance or to search for apartments, or provide support and friendship so they feel less alone?

Another family consists of a single mom and her six children. The mother had a hard childhood, and as an adult, has struggled on and off with substance abuse and seeking affection from men who would become controlling and abusive. After the most recent man hurt one of her teenage daughters, this mom made sure to kick him out and obtain an order of protection against him.

Then mom finds out she is pregnant with his child. The mom’s pregnancy causes fear and flashbacks for the teenage daughter, and because of past pregnancy complications, mom is now unable to work. She had daycare for the two youngest children, but she won’t be able to afford even subsidized daycare for another baby and have enough money left over for gas, diapers or toilet paper.

What would happen if a small group from a local church essentially adopted this family, bringing dinner once a week, mentoring and tutoring the teenagers, and providing new shoes, school supplies and household products for the whole family?

These are just two families who are hurting in our local community. If the church wants to make abortion unthinkable, we need to step into many gaps.

Low-income families need formula and diapers, but they also need more affordable daycare and housing. Adoption may be an option in some circumstances, but it is not the primary answer. These struggling families love their children, but they simply do not have the time, resources or community support to safely care for another child. Unfortunately, this may lead to an increase in foster care in those states where abortion is now inaccessible. Onlytime will tell. So. what can we, in Illinois, do right now?

We can demonstrate to our community that we are here,and already support families. Here are just some examplesof ways to show that support:

• Mentor a young mom, give diapers/wipes and gas/Lyft cards for Intact Families, or inquire about adoptionservices at Evangelical Child and Family Agency www.evancfa.org, Child and Family Agency www.evancfa.org.

• Tutor kids, give needed items for transitional housing services or financially support counseling servicesoffered at Outreach Community Ministries www.outreachcommunityministries.org.

• Become involved in local homeless shelters and food pantries www.dupagepads.org.

• Be a host family or family friend through Safe Families www.safe-families.org.

• Throw a baby shower for a new mom, or volunteer at the front desk of a crisis pregnancy center through CaringNetwork www.caringnetwork.com.

• Consider getting involved as a foster parent or providing respite care for foster families through the Youth ServiceBureau www.ysbiv.org or Illinois’ DCFS.

Many of these families are searching for hope, but due to fear of rejection or past misconceptions about God, they are not ready to step through the doors of the church. However, seeing the love of Jesus over time through practical support and friendship from community neighbors could help break down these barriers. Will you consider sharing your contact information with an apartment complex in your community, letting them know that you are a safe person to contact if they need support, resources or encouragement?

This is a beautiful opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I would encourage each of us at College Church to pray and consider how we can go above and beyond to participate in radical hospitality.

Around 420,000 children are currently in foster care in theUnited States. Will your family consider becoming foster parents to walk alongside families who have been divided but are working towards reunification?

About 115,000 children in foster care are already eligible for adoption. Will you consider adopting an older child (or sibling group) in the U.S. who is currently in foster care and waiting for a family to which he or she can belong?

This is the time for the Christian community to step up and show that pro-life is a wholistic opportunity to unconditionally love others as Christ has loved us.

If you have questions or are wondering how to implement other ideas, I would be happy to talk with you more and connect you with additional organizations. Email me at alison.tews@gmail.com