A Task Force at Work Ron Chiodras
It was June of 2016 when I met with then pastor of small groups and outreach, Steven Lee, to discuss the creation of a pro-life committee at College Church. Steven came to College Church from Pastor John Piper’s church, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota, and was no stranger to a thriving pro-life ministry. Later that summer, College Church member Paige Cunningham spoke at a Summer Forum one Sunday about the state of the pro-life work in the U.S. At that forum we distributed cards that described the new committee. Several people responded and the Sanctity of Human Life Task Force was born. We held our first meeting in September 2016.
• For our ministry partner Caring Network, which is on the frontlines in its efforts to rescue unborn babies from abortion, and to bring the gospel to mothers and fathers. • For elected officials—on both the federal and state levels—for judges and anyone else involved in decisions regarding the most vulnerable of image-bearers. We also pray that our congregation will be known as a congregation in which faithful men and women promote lifeaffirming decisions, and a culture where women and men who face pregnancy decisions discover the gospel of Jesus Christ and are transformed by it and have abundant life for their families.
As a newly formed task force, we established three goals:
PREPARE
PRAY
• We will work with our ministry partner Caring Network, to educate the members of our congregation about the resources and events available through this exceptional organization.
• For the unborn • For the woman with an unwanted pregnancy who may believe abortion is her only option, and for the father, whose voice is the most important one in determining what his girlfriend/wife decides.
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• We will present to the church material and other resources to help our members clearly articulate the case for life and to know how to respond lovingly to those who see abortion as a viable option.
