Sanctity of Life Ministry

Sanctity of life Sunday on 30 January was a special day in the life of BBC and many other churches around South Africa. In particular, we at BBC were encouraged to think deeply on the issues of the sanctity of life; to see that abortion really is a God and Great Commission issue; and to commit our efforts to the cause. Much has been happening in the background since that day and the sanctity of human life ministry at BBC is forging ahead.

Each of the respective arms of the ministry have good news and exciting developments to report on. The Abort97 arm, which is chiefly concerned with prolife advocacy and the promotion of a prolife worldview, is working towards the first training seminar to be held next Saturday, 19 March. People who expressed a desire to be trained in how to defend a prolife stance will spend the day intensively working through some excellent training material.

The principles that will be taught will prove invaluable not only in the prolife advocacy scenario, but for everyday life and evangelism too. This training will be further bolstered by the input and experience that Allison van der Walt has garnered during her recent participation in the GAP training in the USA. We want to see abortion become increasingly unacceptable and eventually unthinkable—and you can be part of that process.

The unavailability of suitable premises for the pregnancy crisis centre has not deterred active steps being made in getting the ministry to vulnerable women off the ground. A small team of dedicated individuals have made themselves available for counselling and practical help, and a schedule of availability has been drawn up. Should you know of anyone who needs true hope and practical support in their pregnancy you should contact the church offices and ask for the contact details of the person responsible. We are anxiously awaiting the decision on the purchase of the neighbour’s property as we see that as being an excellent base for hosting the pregnancy crisis centre.

However, we do recognise that this is quite out-of-the-way and distant from the areas where the majority of abortion-minded women find themselves. For this reason, we have been considering the rental of a small office in the Alberton CBD that could be used as a base from which to create awareness and provide crisis pregnancy counselling. We pray that the Lord will continue to open doors in this respect and direct us to the right people and the right premises.

Some of you may have noticed that AMCARE in Alberton recently opened their women’s shelter under the name of Hannah’s House. We had planned to call the pregnancy crisis centre Hannah’s Hope. Clearly, we need now to find a new name for this ministry and since promotional material is being developed, we need to do it soon. If you have any suggestions for a suitable name for this wing of the ministry, please be sure to pass that on to us soon for consideration.

Lastly, the administration arm of the sanctity of life ministry has been bolstered by the talents of a gifted lady who in a very short space of time managed to draw up a marketing and promotion strategy. The professional approach to the task and the very clear direction gained from it is encouraging in that it shows that even something as menial as administrative work can be a rewarding and blessed ministry. A well-designed marketing and promotion plan is ready to be launched as soon as we have more concrete information regarding a venue from which the pregnancy counselling can be based.

So that’s what the Sanctity of Life ministry team has been up to. What about you? Listed below are a few ideas and practical suggestions designed to encourage each and every one of us to get involved in the fight for life:

• Pray, pray, pray! As highlighted on Sanctity of Life Sunday, the fervent prayers of the righteous can achieve much. So plead with the Lord to change hearts and minds on abortion. Ask Him to raise up people who will champion the rights of the unborn and thereby give glory to God.
• Read, learn and consider joining in on subsequent prolife training. Our encounters with people within the church, and especially those without, have highlighted the gross misperceptions and misinformation that abound on the topic. There are numerous resources we can point you to for more in-depth information that can equip you in your stance against abortion.
• Wear your Precious Feet pins and ask the Lord to give you opportunity to speak into the lives of people who ask you what it represents.
• For those of us that use various forms of social media, make it a point to refer to the injustices of abortion frequently and even use your avatar or signature to spread a gospel saturated prolife message.
• Use the time before the local government elections to find out what your political party’s stand on the issue is. Engage them using a letter or email and support those who support life.
• Avail yourself of the free resources in the form of tracts and pamphlets to distribute in your neighbourhood and at work.