This month we celebrate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which is observed any Sunday in January, but especially this Sunday, January 22. This date is the anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade in 1973, which legalized abortion in America.    

Through this observance, we remember the value of every human life and recognize the importance of each life to our Creator, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). 

Since 1983 Life Centers has been affirming the value of life by providing free services to women in unplanned pregnancies and by sharing the truth about life, because every life matters to God. 

In 2011 Life Centers (nine locations in four counties in Central Indiana) provided 20,864 free services (pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, 24-hour Help Line calls, peer counseling, gospel outreach, discipleship, support services, post-abortion healing groups) to 7,395 clients, with 274 women choosing life for their babies, and 661 receiving the good news of Jesus Christ!

As we prepare for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, we need to remember:

• Abortion is America's most frequently performed surgery on women.*
• In the U.S., 43% of all women of childbearing age have had or will have at least one abortion.*
• 43% of women who obtain abortions identify themselves as Protestant and 27% identify themselves as Catholic. So two-thirds of America's abortions are obtained by those with a Christian affiliation.*
• 18% of all U.S. abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians. That's nearly a quarter-million abortions each year in Bible-believing churches.*

The abortion issue isn't about the church needing to speak to the world. It's about the church needing to speak to itself first and then to the world.*

*Randy Alcorn, "Why Pro-Life?" pp. 15-17, 2004 EPM Publishing; "Family Planning Perspectives" July-August 1996, 12. 

I share this for us all to keep in mind that we need to "speak truth in love" and offer the hope and healing of Christ to those who have had an abortion. One of our growing ministries is our G.R.A.C.E. ministry to post-abortive women and men. Be sure and direct the post-abortive to us, and we will do all we can to connect them to a G.R.A.C.E. support group, to be forgiven and set free in Christ.

Will you join us in sharing about the great love the Lord Jesus Christ has for life by partnering with us and celebrating Sanctity of Human Life Sunday? You can find more resources here, read in the Heartbeat volunteer newsletter about ways to participate, or call 317-280-2635 to find out how your church can make a difference.

We invite you to participate in a Bottles for Babies fund-raiser in your small group, buy a Choose Life license plate, show a video at your church, or select another way to get involved from the menu of options. 

Thank you for praying, sharing, and caring. . .because every life matters!